Q I saw an ad for "The PC Compliance Kit Survive 2000" in a magazine. Is there a PC World recommended "instant fix" for the SOHO market, and have you heard of this software?

A Most of the media coverage of the Year 2000 problem has focussed on the potential problems which may affect mainframe computers, corporate computer networks and equipment such as lifts, automatic teller machines and security systems which have dates hard-coded into their computer chips. However, a large number of individual PCs are just as vulnerable to the Year 2000 problem. It's a good idea to identify your PC's weaknesses in order to minimise your risk in the Year 2000, particularly if you use a computer in your business. Spreadsheets, databases, contact managers, accounting packages, and software for invoicing, loan calculations, forecasting, inventories and scheduling are usually date-dependent and should all be checked for Year 2000 compliance.

Despite the hype, the Year 2000 problem is a very real and complex problem. Unfortunately, there is no instant, universal fix because so many variables are involved. Each PC is a unique combination of hardware, application software, operating system software and data files, which have all been configured in a certain way for a particular environment. There just isnÆt a manufacturer or company who is in the technological position or who has the resources to fix the entire problem. Each PC needs to be considered independently, and in a SOHO environment that responsibility usually rests with its owner ù you.

There are a number of free Year 2000 utilities available on the internet. The problem with these is that they usually only test one or two aspects of your computer, such as the BIOS, to see if it will cope with the new millennium. A more comprehensive solution which examines your hardware, software and operating system as a whole will probably be more accurate and provide better peace of mind than the free tools, but you have to pay for it. There are at least two reasonably priced packages which are suitable for the SOHO market.

The PC Compliance Kit Survive 2000 Version 2.1 is an extensive diagnostic tool. You can run various tests on your PC's real time clock (RTC), BIOS, and operating system to see how they will function in 2000. You can also see if your PC knows that 2000 is a leap year, and discover how it will handle dates which are commercially significant, such as the end of the Australian and US financial years. Survive 2000 will also check your software for Year 2000 compliance using information from a database of over ten thousand different software packages. Detailed reports about your PC can be generated if you need them. There is a free trial version of Survive 2000 available from www.survive-2000.com, but I couldn't get the setup program to run on my PC.

Check 2000 PC is a Year 2000 utility which is specifically designed for small businesses and home PC users. It performs six tests on your PC's BIOS and you can use it to test your operating system and software for Year 2000 compliance. Check 2000 helps you establish which programs generate non-compliant data, and advises how to handle any problems that arise. Like Survive 2000, Check 2000 draws on a large database of information about software packages when checking your software, and can print out reports about your system. More information is available from www.gmt-2000.com.

Three Year 2000 utilities, including Check 2000, were reviewed in the September 1997 edition of Australian PC World (Avoiding the Y2000 hangover, p44). Check 2000 was chosen as the superior product, but it wasnÆt compared to the current version of Survive 2000. If youÆre thinking about buying Year 2000 software, itÆs important to remember that there is no universal fix for the Year 2000 problem. Programs such as Survive 2000 and Check 2000 make the process of identifying risks easier, but are best used as a guide rather than a complete solution.