What was the Y2K What was the Y2K Bug?Bug?

Parker Schroeder and Parker Schroeder and

Andrew MelvilleAndrew Melville

BackgroundBackground Referred to many names such as Referred to many names such as Year 2000 Problem, Y2K Problem, the Year 2000 Problem, Y2K Problem, the Millennium Bug, the Y2K Bug, or Y2KMillennium Bug, the Y2K Bug, or Y2K

The problem arose for digital and The problem arose for digital and non-digital documents because of the non-digital documents because of the two number year abbreviation at the two number year abbreviation at the end of every dateend of every date

BackgroundBackground It was thought that there would be a It was thought that there would be a logical error with computers when it logical error with computers when it rolled over from the year x99 to x00rolled over from the year x99 to x00

Computer programmers thought Computer programmers thought that once the date turned to x00, that once the date turned to x00, current files would become invalid current files would become invalid and previous data would be lost and and previous data would be lost and unrecoverable unrecoverable

BackgroundBackground The theory caused many leading The theory caused many leading technology businesses to panic and technology businesses to panic and spend billions dollars to backup the spend billions dollars to backup the files and to purchase new equipment files and to purchase new equipment in order to prevent the failurein order to prevent the failureIn the end, many of the supposed In the end, many of the supposed problems never occurred and problems never occurred and computer applications continued to computer applications continued to run smoothly while the rest of the run smoothly while the rest of the world went on with its normal lifeworld went on with its normal life

Programming Programming SolutionsSolutions

The major problems were able to The major problems were able to solved, but at a costly price. For solved, but at a costly price. For example, Microsoft spent 300 example, Microsoft spent 300 billion dollars on the issuebillion dollars on the issue

The two methods used to solve The two methods used to solve the problem were date the problem were date expansion and windowingexpansion and windowing

Programming Programming SolutionsSolutions

Date expansion- Almost self-Date expansion- Almost self-explanatory, the two year dates were explanatory, the two year dates were made into four years dates so that they made into four years dates so that they included the century. The downside to included the century. The downside to this solution was it was very costlythis solution was it was very costly

Windowing- The two year number Windowing- The two year number system was retained, however, system was retained, however, programs were installed that counted programs were installed that counted the century value for certain programsthe century value for certain programs

Documented ErrorsDocumented Errors150 slot machines at race tracks in 150 slot machines at race tracks in Delaware stopped workingDelaware stopped working

The U.S. Naval Observatory, which The U.S. Naval Observatory, which runs the country's official clock, had runs the country's official clock, had a glitch on its web sitea glitch on its web site

In Onagawa, Japan, an alarm In Onagawa, Japan, an alarm sounded at a nuclear power plant sounded at a nuclear power plant two minutes after midnighttwo minutes after midnight

End resultsEnd resultsMost of the money spent was Most of the money spent was precautionary, however, if the bug did precautionary, however, if the bug did have an effect, these companies would have an effect, these companies would have lost everythinghave lost everything

In the end, the Y2K Millennium bug In the end, the Y2K Millennium bug turned out to be a hoax because turned out to be a hoax because machines that were untreated by Y2K machines that were untreated by Y2K prevention software operated prevention software operated successfullysuccessfully