Steps for PCs and MACs

Step 1: Hardware

Determine the manufacturer of your computer, its model number, serial number and BIOS. You may find it helpful to use the Inventory Worksheet we developed. If you have an Apple Macintosh, your hardware is compliant. Continue to Step 2.

If you have a PC, review our web site for Diagnostic Tools and/or compliance information pertaining to your Hardware. If the PC is a 386 or less, you will probably have to purchase a new system, because it cannot be made compliant. If your system is a 486, it may be compliant with a BIOS update; however, there are 486 systems that cannot be made Y2K compliant with a BIOS fix.

For Pentium class and above, check the Hardware section of our web site to see if the BIOS revision level is compliant. If the BIOS is not compliant, have your IS technical support staff or other authorized service provider update your BIOS. If your system hardware is compliant, move on to Step 2.

Step 2: Operating Systems

Determine the operating system that you are using (e.g. DOS, Windows 3.x, Window 95, Windows NT, Windows 98, Macintosh System Software). Check to see that the operating system is compliant on this web site. (See the Software section. If your operating system software is compliant, move on to step 3.

If necessary, have your IS technical support staff or other authorized service provider update your operating system to a compliant version. You may need to purchase a license for a newer operating system. If your operating system software is compliant, move on to step 3.

Step 3: Commercial Applications

Determine what software is running on your system. Take an Inventory of all of your applications and their versions using the year 2000 software inventory worksheet found in this web site.

Then, list all of the applications you use to perform your job. Check this web site for Diagnostic Tools and/or compliance information pertaining to your Software.

If necessary, have your IS technical support staff or other authorized service provider update your software to a compliant version. Be aware that you may need to purchase licenses of any new software. If your software is compliant, move on to step 4.

Step 4: Custom Applications

Further, determine if any of your software has date sensitive information. Spreadsheet and database applications may include macros or functions, fields with date problems. Please review data files for four-digit year compliance. Make sure that all of these are converted and updated. If necessary, have your IS technical support staff or other authorized service provider update your software applications and data files to handle date calculations for four-digit year compliance. For more information, refer to the page on Custom Applications. If your system is compliant move on to step 5.

Step 5: Follow Up

Go back to the BU Y2K Resource Center homepage and search through other sections for issues that may concern you as we approach and go beyond the year 2000.