Old Versions of Windows and Daylight Saving Time: The Phantom Menace

Thu Feb 1, 2007 4:22PM EST

See Comments (52)

Reader Bob Hunt wrote me to ask about Windows 98 and daylight saving time. As you (hopefully) know, DST moves three weeks earlier this year, to March 11 (yech!). And as you also hopefully know, Windows has long since automatically changed your clock for you when daylight saving time hits.

If you're using XP or Vista, no worries about the new DST rules. But what if you're using Windows 2000 or earlier? Microsoft no longer supports Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition at all, and Windows 2000 is only supported through "Extended Hotfix Support." In other words: You're out of luck.

So what are you options for handling daylight saving time (or daylight savings time, if you're sloppy) and you don't want to upgrade to a more modern OS? Not a lot.

First, how about automated solutions? If you're running Windows 2000 you can check out IntelliAdmin's unofficial patch for DST at this link. I've tried it and, like other IntelliAdmin products, it works fine.

If you're running Windows 95, 98, or NT, I haven't found an automated solution, but you can try Microsoft's Time Zone Editor, which lets you manually update time zones. I don't have any PCs running any of these OSes, so I can't really tell you how easy this tool is to use, but it's worth a try. (Update: Here are detailed instuctions on using TZEDIT. Scroll down to "The Windows Time Zone Editor tool.")

I hesitate even linking to this, but in the interest of completeness, if you're computer friendly, Microsoft has instructions on hacking the registry to make DST changes yourself without extra software. Experts only!

Lastly, you can always do what we did in the days before Windows 95: Change your computer clock manually (and change it again when it gets auto-changed three weeks later). Even if you forget to change it for a day, I think it's safe to assume that most PCs running Windows 98 are not doing anything so critical that having a one hour error in the time stamp is going to cause the world to implode.

Good luck, and if anyone discovers any automated Win 95/98/NT DST fixes, please post them here or email me so I can update this post.

Update: IntelliAdmin finally has a patch for Windows 98 and Windows Me. Thanks, John!

Comments on Old Versions of Windows and Daylight Saving Time: The Phantom Menace

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  • 7 Posted by bobsbbb1017 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    It was the stroke of midnight on December 31st 1999. Oh what's going to happen when the clock strikes 12? Y2K? AAAAAAAhhhhhhhhhhhh NO LIGHTS!!!! NO POWER!!!!! Darn kid in the basement laughing & crying at the same time. Gotta love it

  • 8 Posted by travelchoices on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:19PM EDT Report Abuse

    If I manually change the time on Mar 11th will the computer then go ahead and automatically change it or even change it again when the original date pops up? Will I wind up 2 hours forward ? If I drop a new dollar coin in a machine will the machine notice? Just like the government to make things more uptodat?

  • 9 Posted by arborsehdey on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:57PM EDT Report Abuse

    Yes it is a headache for us all. To automate the update for WIN98 machines, intelliadmin has a freeware as well to run on just 98 machines and more. Go to http://www.intelliadmin.com/Downloads.htm and check under free downloads

  • 10 Posted by msimmons75035 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:29PM EDT Report Abuse

    jaysei9941 You should think on a larger scale. Think about all the servers, databases and network gear around the country that perform functions based on the time of day...like posting transactions automatically from your bank or credit card or automatically delivering medicine to a patient... and that time happens twice in the same morning or doesn't happen at all because the system was shut down because it couldn't handle the time zone shift appropriately. It's really not as simple as the clock on your computer. It could be pretty ugly for some systems not just Microsoft...hopefully it won't be a big deal but you never know unless everyone has patched their systems appropriately.

  • 11 Posted by orlee008 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:46PM EDT Report Abuse

    WTF... people.. just change your time manually!!!! OMG such retards!

  • 12 Posted by mystinagervasi on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:32PM EDT Report Abuse

    I'm with you on the manual change -- what the heck is the big deal. Some people are really making this out to be such a big deal and it's not! Change the time ahead manually on March 11th, and then write yourself a reminder to change it back an hour in April (the old day). This isn't rocket science here. Most people change the clocks in their house manually - what's the big deal about doing it on our computers.

  • 13 Posted by dmray100 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:45PM EDT Report Abuse

    I agree w/the person who said they can't believe there is an article and all those instructions when all you have to do is manually change your computer clock with a few clicks.

  • 14 Posted by rjfarrier on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:42PM EDT Report Abuse

    Our control systems care what time is on the clock, so I had to use Tzedit (the utility supplied by Microsoft for free). I found that it was extremely user friendly, the only information you have to know is that this year, DST is initiated on the 2nd Sunday of March and continues through the first Sunday in November. If you want windows to keep track of DST, this method works well.

  • 15 Posted by halfen68 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:15PM EDT Report Abuse

    The real problem seems to be Outlook and MS Exchange, both of which continue to show appointments incorrectly even after doing a slew of upgrades. Our final solution was to simply correct all these appointments by hand. What a waste of time, just to fix a programming mistake that I wouldn't have gotten away with in my first semester programming class in college. The real question here is, why can't Microsoft and these other companies hire programmers who know what they're doing? Assuming that daylight time will ALWAYS start and end on the same weekend, is JUST PLAIN DUMB.

  • 16 Posted by henrythelesser on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:18PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just as a quick note -- the IntelliAdmin site you noted for the Win 2000 fix, now ALSO has a fix for win98, after the person who did the Win 2000 fix received almost 500 requests for a Win 98 fix. :) He said, however, that he is not doing a fix for Win 95, due to its age and the likelihood that very very few are using it. Good Day! Henry

  • 17 Posted by pprimeau1976@sbcglobal.net on Wed Mar 7, 2007 2:34PM EST Report Abuse

    Hey, us I.T. guys need stuff to break in order to justify our existence. And if it looks as if something might break, that's great too. Thank you, Microsoft and thank you, U.S. Congress.

  • 18 Posted by myjt2003 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:31PM EDT Report Abuse

    Thanks for the article! I'd heard there might be problems but hadn't paid attention to details. I don't have to worry about it now, since I'm one of those 95 users who can do the manual change Glad to know the whole time thing doesn't matter to what I do. Had a good laugh about my computer "not running anything that would cause the world to implode". So true, so true!!

  • 19 Posted by lilphatpat2000 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 6:51PM EDT Report Abuse

    How lazy are we when its to much of a task to double click the clock in the lower right hand corner, click on the hour button, pu----- up 1 hour, and click ok...I cant believe there was an article written about this what a noob

  • 20 Posted by phloughphie on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:10PM EDT Report Abuse

    IntelliAdmin's download page lists fixes for Windows versions from Win98 on.

  • 21 Posted by kpv2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:53PM EDT Report Abuse

    Just one more reason to live in Arizona or Hawaii. :-) The whole daylight savings thing is a man-created irritation.

  • 22 Posted by ireneerard@sbcglobal.net on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:24PM EDT Report Abuse

    Will someone please explain why we changed the date? Something about conserving energy? How? It's cold or hot irregardless of when the sun comes up. I live in Michigan where it just now started to lighten up in the morning going to work at 6:30. Now it's back in the dark. When fall comes, it will be light until 6:30--not good for the trick or treaters. Oh well, government.

  • 23 Posted by ajm621 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:48PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hi, yes the same web site that you post for the windows 2000 fix also has one for the win 98 fix.

  • 24 Posted by jons_email2001 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:40PM EDT Report Abuse

    Hmm on my MAC I just change the time, what's the big deal?

  • 25 Posted by reilly136 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 8:35PM EDT Report Abuse

    How is it possible that anyone is still using Windows 98?

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