What is the Millennium Bug?
The ‘millennium bug’ is not a computer virus. It is a term used to describe a computer’s (or program’s) inability to handle a 4 digit year in a computer file’s date field. For example: a program using a 2 digit year in a date field (i.e. 31/12/99) would the next day on 1st January show the date as 01/01/00 and this incorrect date could be mistaken for the 1st January 1900. That is where the problem lies. In other words, non-compliant hardware and software would be unable to cope with a 4 digit year; and after year 99 the dates would go back to year 00.
The millennium bug was a computer problem that threatened the operations of corporations, utility companies, finance industries, government agencies and even science. On the stroke of midnight between 31 December 1999 and 1 January 2000, the fear was that all computers had the potential of shutting down. The millennium bug is also known as the Year 2000 problem, Y2K problem, Y2K bug, and most commonly referred to as simply Y2K. The millennium bug was specifically a programming problem. It was the result of a combination of a space issue as well as a lack of forward thinking on the part of the programmers back in the 1960s and 1970s. During the beginning stages of computer programming, memory and other storage space were scarce and expensive, so saving characters was a priority. Programmers were writing business application code using COBOL (common business oriented language) and RPG (report programming generator) to run on mainframes. Programmers stored dates in the form of yymmdd whic
By now, everyone knows the Millennium Bug relates to date sensitive software in computer systems and in small microchips placed in many common appliances (embedded chips). The Millennium Bug has its origins in a time when computer memory was scarce and cost a considerable amount. Programmers therefore took shortcuts whenever possible to save space. Instead of using a four-digit code for year dates, a two-digit entry was used. This practice persisted, long after the need for saving space was eliminated. The two-digit code also was used in embedded chips, that exist in devices that control processes in many common items at work and at home, which are part of our everyday lives. So, what will happen? As the date changes from 31/12/99 to 01/01/00 many computerised systems will think they have travelled back in time to the year 1900. If the program includes time-sensitive calculations or comparisons, results are unpredictable. No one knows exactly what problems may occur, how widespread the
Also known as the Y2K bug, it is a software problem stemming from computers’ inability to switch to dates in the next century. Most software uses simple six-digit dates, such as, say, 01/04/99 to indicate April Fools Day this year. On New Year’s Day, 2000, many programmes will fail because they will try to recognise the date as January 1, 1900. So most programmes, be they on your desktop computer or running air traffic control systems, will need updating. 9/9/99 threatens to unleash chaos 5 Sep 1999: Britain could face mayhem on Thursday. Emergency services are on alert amid warnings that computers could be hit by a bug triggered on the ninth of the ninth 1999. Useful links 1 Sep 1999: News Microsoft dismisses Y2K software fears 28 Aug 1999: Microsoft last night attempted to play down fears that three of its most popular software packages may not be millennium compliant after they were singled out for criticism by the government watchdog, Action 2000. Your PIN is manna to the millenniu
