QuikAssist™ Bulletin #99-2

To: QTS QuikAssist™ Customers
From: QTS Customer Support Center (973)761-5256
Re: Windows 95 and Year 2000
Date: September 21, 1999

It is noteworthy that Windows 95, as it is pre-installed on many computers and is "out of the box," is not Year 2000 ready. Microsoft released patches this year to deal with product issues with date related processing, and has subsequently udpated those patches during the year. For Windows 95, the following patches must be applied to be Year 2000 ready:

• Windows 95 Year 2000 Update - This can be downloaded from Microsoft’s web site and was first released in mid-February 1999.
• WinSock2 Update - This is not needed for Y2K purposes but is recommended to fix issues in Windows 95.
• Year 2000 Fix for WinSock2/DHCP – This patches the fact that the WinSock patch is not Year 2000 ready, fixing it so it does not overwrite the Y2K patch with old code.
• Microsoft recommends changing Control Panel - Regional Settings – Date – Short Date Format to a 4 position date. This is a display setting but is recommended anyway.

Patches may also be required for other Windows 95 components and options. Specifically, if Microsoft Internet Explorer is on your PC, it must be patched to version 4.01 Service Pack 2 (with an add-on patch beyond this required for Outlook Express), and a Java update to resolve a security bug and fix a Year 2000 issue. Other Microsoft programs, including Office, Jet, MDAC and other software, have their own specific patches.

Note that Windows 98 is also not Year 2000 ready, and requires its own specific patches (with the exception of Windows 98 Second Edition, which only recently started shipping). Also note that Windows NT Server and Workstation have their own specific patch requirements,

However, you may want to speak with us about performing a Year 2000 Readiness Audit to determine which components of your network are ready as is and which may require patching or replacement. Since Microsoft and other vendors are still releasing patches and updates to address Year 2000 readiness, you should not assume your computers are Year 2000 ready even if you have purchased them recently.

The above information was collected from Year 2000 readiness disclosures and is provided to assist our customers with assessing their risks. QTS does not warrant any products or configurations to be "Year 2000 Compliant" as QTS is not a manufacturer and has no control over operation of these products. We strongly recommend you perform a Year 2000 compliance review and not rely exclusively on information in this bulletin or any other individual source on its own.

This site last updated 02/19/00
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