Daylight Savings Changes
February 2007

While not as cataclysmic as the Y2K bug, this change could cause quite a few headaches.  The change could impact time-sensitive applications like calendars, time clocks, payroll, shipping.

Software vendors are releasing windows-based patches to correct the difference, for computers, PDA's and Windows-based cell phones.  Otherwise, they will have to deal with electronic clocks that may be off by an hour, for three weeks starting March 11, and again for a week in the fall when they move back on November 4 instead of October 28.

The good news is that patches are available, the bad news is that you will have to apply them manually.  Unless you have a computer running anything older than the most recent version of Windows XP, known as Service Pack 2.  Owners of older operating systems need to go into the control panel and unclick the setting that tells the machine to automatically change the clock for daylight-saving time. They have to make the change themselves on March 11th.

Servers will also need to be updated manually.  Microsoft has an interactive Guide that will help you determine what patches you need. 

Microsoft Daylight Savings Time Upgrade Guide

Microsoft advises heavy calendar users to go online and download a small program known as "tzmove.exe" — Time Zone Move — that can retrofit all previously booked appointments to the new daylight-saving rules. Other vendors offer similar tools for their systems.

Novell has also issued a patches for its products, and has a resource page for users.

Novell Daylight Savings Time Change Page

Once your computers are reporting the correct time, you can tackle your VCR's.

Please give us a call if you'd like assistance with locating the necessary patches for your network or applying them.