Data generated through the use of applications presents a challenge to any organization.

If the data includes dates, a problem arises because often years are entered as two digits (YY), yet most PC programs calculate in four-digit years (CCYY). Most programs automatically expand YY dates to CCYY dates, making a variety of century assumptions. Data is thus often turned into incorrect information that is not apparent to the user who doesn’t know what century the program is assuming.

Your data can also be affected by customizations built into an individual document—an example of this would be a macro built into an Excel spreadsheet. These "mini-programs" may utilize date data to perform their calculations, and potentially generate incorrect information. Each and every document or spreadsheet on your system may be at risk.

Every organization’s approach to document and data assessment will be unique. The quantity of documents and how in tune each individual in the organization is to Y2K issues will contribute to the ease or difficulty of tackling this issue. Your strategy should be built on addressing the problem on a document by document, per machine basis.

Special Note on Data Interface
An end-to-end view of your organization and its computer systems is the best way to understand problems and risks related to data interfaces. Even if your PC platform is Year 2000 compliant, there may be an interface from that PC to a legacy system that is not working properly with dates. If this is the case, any information placed into the PC environment can cause problems. It is imperative that the interfaces between your PC and other platforms be understood, inventoried, analyzed, prioritized, fixed and tested, just like any other portion of the Year 2000 project.

It is essential that you build an overall list of the document and data software on your system. The following is a list of Microsoft products you may be using. Once you’ve compiled your own list, your first step is to check the product pages for these software packages for Y2K compliance:

Operational Data
Operational data is defined as the data that is currently in use. Structured data such as tables, spreadsheets and databases can be affected by Y2K compliance issues. Unstructured data such as email can also be affected. In most cases, converting the 2-digit data to 4-digit date data will solve the problem. You may want to consider the following steps:

• Classify user data according to the type of data.
• Determine way of conversion for each class of data.
• Program or prepare conversion tools.
• Convert user data to 4 digits.

The conversion of user data depends heavily on the conversion of the corresponding application software. Make sure that there are synchronization points where user data and application software are ready for joint testing. In some cases the upgrade of application software requires additional conversion of user data.

Often user data and self-developed code are tied together in one object, as in Excel macros. In this case the conversion of the self-developed code and user data has to be done at the same time.

Long Term Back up Data
Back up data contains all data that is stored during backup on tapes or hard drives at the end of the day, the end of the year or at the completion of a project. The challenge is:

• Backup data can contain self-developed software—i.e. Excel macros.
• Backup data can only be used with certain versions of application software.

• The built-in applications may not be Y2K compliant.
• The backup data may contain date data that is not Y2K compliant and needs to be converted to the 4-digit state.
• The backup data may no longer work with the current application in use. The retrieval and use of older backup data has to be tested—in addition, converted back up data has to work together with the operational data in use.

• Identify the mission critical backup data—for example, customer data.
• Identify the important system configurations.
• Classify backup data according to their data types.
• Program or provide adequate conversion tools both for retrieval and for new backup (test conversion tools).
• Convert the back up data or establish a plan for online conversion of the backup data.

All stored documents and data must be assessed to insure that you can transfer these documents from whatever storage media they exist on—tape, WORM or CD—and that the documents and data can be processed if necessary. This inventory is even more important if you update your current software to newer Year 2000 compliant versions.

Documents with high possibility of date field usage like Excel spreadsheets must be assessed. It is possible that you may have more than one version of a particular document on your system. If you fix the master document you need to know who in your organization has other versions. Then you must distribute the corrected version to all that need to work on the document.

This information has been extracted from Microsoft TechNet - Year 2000 Data.htm webpage and at the foot of this webpage (when online) you will find a search box which will provide a list of Year 2000 remediation tools, with links to the companies that may be able to assist you in your Year 2000 remediation efforts. For a tool to be listed on this site does not indicate an endorsement or recommendation on the part of Microsoft for either the manufacturer, its products or the underlying technologies being used. You will need to do your own assessment to determine if the tools offered meet your needs. For information regarding these companies or their Year 2000 solutions, please contact the companies directly.

Year2000 Data Remedial Tools
Scan, analyze and revise your Microsoft Office documents.

Data: 2000 Toolbox 2001 ACC-FIX 2000 Adapt-PC 2000 Adapt-PC Pro CA Discovery 2000 Check 2000 Client Server Check 2000 PC Cots Scan Datefind DATEFINDER Date Detective Date Hound Datespy Dr. Millennium EIT Evolution 2000 Excelsior FileCompare Find 2000 ImpactAssessment Micro Century 2000 Inc. Millennium Advisor NAIMPACT NA 2000 NAEXCEL NATRACE NAWORD PC2K Shield2000 TimeBomb TimeLab Total Access Inspector 2000 Trans Century Office Utility 2000 ViperScan Workbench for Access WRQ Express 2000 Suite Y2K & Date-a-fix Y2K Sys. Tracking Year 2000 Inspector Year 2000 Scan & Fix Year 2000 Survival pack