This Daylight Savings Time change and my computer
 

OK. So I google microsoft to check out how to change my computer to make the change tonight for DST. What I get is pages of gobbledegook about networks, preparing for the changes, dozens of downloads, and hundreds of warnings.

So is there a simple download for somebody like me (a computer illiterate) who just has a simple laptop and wants to change without screwing up everything else in the computer? Or do I just wait until tomorrow and then somehow manually change the time?

If you have windows automatic update turned on the microsoft DST patch/update should have been installed. If not, the Microsoft website has a straightforward download to fix the problem.

http://support.microsoft.com/dst2007

The only thing this really affects is calendar programs in Outlook or any other mail/calendar client. If the DST clock is not correct, then meetings or appointments for the next 2 weeks may be off by an hour.

Worst case you can simply click on you windows clock tomorrow and set it to the proper time.

BTW, how's the weather and gulf temp in Neopolitan land - headed there in 2 weeks.

Thanks, I suppose then it has updated itself and this is a non-issue.

Calendars being wrong? I have this fool proof method. I have a paper calendar on the wall and write things on it -- I don't think I have to change a thing! LOL

And Naples is gorgeous right now. 79 degrees, very sunny and light breeze. Even the humdity is under 50%, so we can't complain. And although I know you don't want to hear this, we desparately need some rain due to the fire danger.

"I have this fool proof method. I have a paper calendar on the wall and write things on it -- I don't think I have to change a thing! LOL"

I'm with you on this one Patrick!! I still rely on a puse size paper calendar. It never crashes or can't get on line, etc!!!

That should be a PURSE size calendar!!!

I read somewhere yesterday that if you're not sure that your computer has been updated you can check by doinng this:

1. Go to Add/Remove programs

2. Check "show updates"

3. Find the WindowsXP-software updates section-these are listed in order (what order I don't know!)

4. Look for "Update for Windows XP (KB931836). If it's there, you've been updated.

I used to keep my calendar on a regular calendar, then this year I thought I should just use Outlook. Well, I love Outlook-but my hard drive crashed three weeks ago and so now I'm going to use both. Today's the big day when the tech. will bring a new hard drive. if you ever have difficulty getting these people to do things in a somewhat timely manner, I can assure you that crying does help! LOL!

Barbara, thank you for your easy to follow "suggestions for Dummies". I checked the updates on Add and Remove for that program, and sure enough there it was -- done automatically on 2/16/07!

So I can rest easy tonight.

It's funny that they are making such a big deal about this on TV and not once have I heard that most updates would be done automatically which now I assume is true for the vast majority of computers.

Neo, glad it worked. If my computer ever works again, I'll do it myself!

Can't wait to see what happens here in Mexico.
M

Wait, am I missing something here? I am semi-illiterate when it comes to operating a computer and for me it's a simple procedure to correct the time (or date). I simply click on the "My Computer" icon, then click on "Control Panel," and then "Time and Date" and adjust the time (or dateO as necessary.

Thanks Barbara - I assumed that an update had been installed, but it is nice to know how to check and verify that the update was completed.

I am also technology-impaired. My paper calendar will still work in the AM, I can't figure out how to change the time on my coffee pot, so it is still set at DST from last summer - all set there as well.

I think my new car and its clock are somehow tied to the satellite navigation system since they told me it would change time if I drove to different time zones - so I will find that out in the AM. Hopefully NASA thought of this ahead of time.

My answering machine is 11 hours and 2 days off from the last time the power went off - can't find the book for that but somehow the caller ID feature on the phone has the right time and date. So tomorrow it will be one additional hour off.

My teenage daughter is the only one in the house who can figure out how to change the time on the microwave and not have it go on to "Heat" or timer.

That just leaves our desktop computer and this laptop. The desktop is old and used to know how to reset itself - probably will be too old and stupid (the computer, not me) to do it this time. So I can live with it being an hour off. And since my daughter uses this laptop as well, hopefully she will reset it for me.

I want to thank you also Barbara!! I discovered I have XP Service Pack 2 which according to everything I have read automatically will change the time on my computer. One less thing to wonder about thanks to you!!

Howard, you asked what you're missing. According to the reports I've been hearing on TV, if we don't get our computers adjusted in advance to automatically change the time, we could all be blown up, become sterile, or lose our homes and fortunes at midnight tonight.

To become sterile at my age is no threat to maintaining my current standard of living.

Lazy lazy lazy. If it doesn't happen automatically, apparently your brain will also go to mush. If the time hasn't changed when you logon tomorrow, change it yourself. Even 10/yrs ago, we changed computer and VCRs, radios and, oh, our watches by ourselves.

As HowardR indicates above, It's three easy steps - My Computer, Date & Time, then change it! Lazy lazy lazy!

An even simpler solution: run out right now, buy yourself an Apple computer, and sleep the sleep of the just!

First I have to <i>find</i> my fortune before I can lose it! ;-)

For those who are asking how the DST change affects computer users the answer is pretty straightforward.

For a stand-alone computer, such as my home desktop everyone is correct. If you wake up in the morning and the time is off, no big deal. As others have said, simply click on the clock and change the time by 1hr.

As I mentioned above, this issue really only affects those that use corporate calendars for meeting or appointment scheduling. With international business as common as it is today there is a lot of interaction across many time zones that needs to factor in the change, and since Windows computers may not know about the change, then this often needs to be done manually, on each and every computer.

When the US changes to DST and Europe or Asia do not, then the difference between time zones shifts by an hour. Linked corporate calendars then get out of synch. Normally, corporate calendars adjust for DST, so you don't have to do anything to compensate. In this case it's not really a big deal, and nothing a simple email can't fix &quot;Hey Hans, are we meeting at 3pm today or 2pm?&quot;

QED.

Neo, Don't we turn into pumpkins?

BayouGal, LOL! Me too!

Per this USA Today report International fliers could have potential problems..http://blogs.usatoday.com/sky/2007/03/time.html

Sure enough. All was well this morning. Is everyone still alive and well?

Yes, mine worked too. Thanks for the link. I went in to my computer yesterday to get Microsoft updates thinking it would just give me this daylight savings time patch, but it tried to download IE version 7. I quickly hit the cancel button. :-)

I downloaded it once before and had a hard time getting used to it, but uninstalled it after hearing about all the kinks in the system. ((b))

The easiest way to change the time is to double click on the time on your desktop.

Budman - I love IE 7 - it did take a little getting use to, but it's soooooooo much nicer.

To answer Neo's question...

NO!

I'm an hour behind.

Thanks, Barbara!! All's well now.

Now if only I didn't feel like I &quot;lost&quot; an hours sleep, lol. :D

This laptop and my cable box are 2 minutes off - I can live with that.

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but my computer automatically advanced the hour!

Howard, you may have already downloaded the patch with some of the Microsoft updates, a few months back, and may not have realized it. In fact, maybe I already had the patch and didn't realize it. ((b))

Budman, what some of us found out yesterday is that many computers get automatic updates from microsoft. When I went back and checked I could see that on Feb. 16, my computer did the automatic download. I didn't do anything to get the update.

Funny, I initiated my automatic updates, but the time did not automatically advance.

I guess I could try and figure out what went wrong, but I don't have the time -- hehehe.. :D

I have the same issue as STW. I have the update but the hour did not advance automatically. Any ideas why it didn't work? I know how to manually change the time, but I'm curious why the update did not work.

I DO NOT get automatic updates(I was advised not too after my computer crashed). My computer changed the time itself. The computer is about a year and a half old. I think they had already come out with the dates for the time changes then. That's the only way I can figure it happened. I know the special download is not on my computer because I checked.

Budman, as long as I've had a computer, I've had automatic time updates.

I don't know if this site has been given or not, did not look thru all the posts. This is what I used to update the time for my time this morning for DST...

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u.../tips/dst.mspx

Thanks RedRock - once I checked the box for &quot;automatically adjust clock for daylight savings time changes&quot; my clock reset. It is good to know that the update worked. The time has always changed automatically in the past, so for some reason that box had unchecked itself.

My computer was updated to the DST change when I turned it on this morning so all is fine here. Now I just have to get all the clocks and watches changed.

Microsoft updates automatically, so my laptop is on CDT, but herein Mexico, we are still on CST.
M