Bug bashers

Entrepreneur, June, 1999 by Cassandra Cavanah

You've got seven months - and counting. Is your software Y2K-compliant?

If you've put off hiring a Y2K consultant to analyze your computer systems because you really can't afford it, it's time to consider other alternatives. You've only got seven months to get your systems in working order, and if your computers house anything beyond basic word processing documents, you're going to need to delve into your hard drive to make sure all your programs are Y2K-compliant.

The good news is there are a number of software solutions that can help. Don't expect miracles - these programs are designed to point out potential problems, but they won't necessarily solve them for you. In fact, once you've run a Y2K-analysis program, you'll still have a bit of work ahead of you: tracking down software updates, deleting old programs and files, viewing and changing dates within databases and spreadsheet files, and so on.

Ultimately, however, this work will be worth it when 01/01/00 rolls around and your system is still running smoothly, producing invoices, paychecks, schedules, financial statements, inventory orders, and, in general, keeping your business open and operational.

TARGETING THE PROBLEMS

There are a few ways your PC could be affected by Y2K. If your machine is more than three years old, it's a prime candidate for problems. Older systems' BIOS - the software stored on a chip that serves as the interface between the computer and its operating system - may not handle the date change correctly, in which case it may have the wrong internal date. If that's the case, the software may become completely stymied or your computer may not boot up at all. Your operating system may also have issues with Y2K. Most people's problems, however, will be software-based - and fixable, with an update from the manufacturer.

The easiest way to determine whether your system may be affected by Y2K issues is by installing an inexpensive Y2K-analysis program. These programs offer analysis reports and suggest solutions, such as software fixes and BIOS updates. We took a look at three such programs, all priced under $100: Know2000, Norton 2000 and Year 2000 Now. Because Mac computers aren't under any threat from the millennium bug, these programs all nm under Windows 95, 98 or NT.

IN THE KNOW

If it's at all possible for software manufacturing to be an altruistic endeavor, Know2000 (www.know-2000.com) is a prime example. The program's manufacturer, The Year 2000 Group Inc., is made up of a group of PC users and software engineers and seems like a garage-based business started for all the right reasons. After discovering just how difficult it is to cull all the data on the thousands of software programs plagued with Y2K issues, The Year 2000 Group crew created a program that didn't cost much money and would serve the greater good of the business community.

Know2000, which requires 8MB RAM and 2MB hard-drive space, is the most affordable program of the bunch, and, not surprisingly, it sports the least sophisticated interface. It doesn't offer the gloss and polish of the other programs reviewed here - it just gets down to work.

Installed using a couple of floppy disks, Know2000's approach is simple: Upon opening the program, it asks which drive you want to scan. Then Know2000 goes to work examining each bit of software on the selected drive, including the operating system and miscellaneous utilities you may never have known you had. (Know2000 even takes you through the process of checking your BIOS and offers Web site locations for fixes.) You can watch the scanning process - which took about one hour to perform on a 1GB hard drive - as it ascertains which software programs have Y2K problems and how severe they are.

When finished, it generates a report that includes the program names, versions and manufacturers. It even automatically outputs letters for the manufacturers regarding your Y2K-related problems. But don't expect easy fixes or specific details; the software merely provides the generic statement, "Not Year 2000 Ready - Upgrade or Discontinue Use." It's then up to the user to contact the manufacturers. (The other programs reviewed in this column actually link users to manufacturer Web sites, where they can find updates and patches to download.)

NOW OR NEVER

IMSI Software's Year 2000 Now incorporates a BIOS fixing tool along with Update Now, the company's software-updating program that analyzes your hard drive to determine which programs are out-of-date and then helps you find fixes by linking you to the appropriate Web sites.

There are a few key differences between Year 2000 Now and Know2000. First, unlike Know2000, Year 2000 Now (www.imsisoft.com) actually performs updates for you. It automatically locates, downloads and installs the most current software versions and provides the latest update patches and bug fixes. However, it doesn't profile the hundreds of small utility programs Know2000 looks at.

Year 2000 Now installs easily and requires 32MB RAM for Windows 95/98, 48MB RAM for Windows NT 4.0, and 125MB hard-drive space. Year 2000 Now is broken into three major sections: Profile, which lists the profile of your machine; Download, which helps you monitor file downloads; and History, which lets you view your prior actions.