If you're running Windows 95 or Windows NT 3.51 or later, then you use the automation library.

Four files make up the automation library. These files are:

• oleaut32.dll
• olepro32.dll
• asycfilt.dll
• stdole2.tlb

These files are installed either by the operating system or an application.

The automation library contains routines for interpreting two digit years and provides a convenient way for applications to create unambiguous (serial) dates. So, many of your applications probably use the automation libraries for date handling.

Over the years the automation libraries have been revised three times with regards to their date formatting behavior:

Click the Start button, select the Find menu item, and click on "Files or Folders..." In the "Name & Location" tab, type (without quotes) "oleaut32.dll" in the field titled "Named." Select the drive in the "Look in" field that your operating system lives on (usually (C:) ). Click "Find Now." When the file shows up in the box below, right click on the file and select "Properties." Click the right hand tab that says "Version."

Microsoft Office 95 and later

Microsoft Visual Studio (including Visual C++, Visual Basic, Visual Interdev and custom applications)

Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT Workstation, Windows NT Server

Microsoft Internet Explorer

There are a few year 2000 issues that could result from different users having different versions of the automation libraries. These all involve the interpretation of years entered with only two digits. If your software applications and users enter four digit years, there are no problems. If your users or software are entering two digit years, then a scenario where different machines are entering years in different centuries is possible. For example, a data entry department could be running a custom application on both Windows NT 3.51 (without service packs) and on Windows NT 4.0 Workstation. If the users are entering dates like 1/1/10, the NT 3.51 machines could record the date as January 1, 1910 while the NT 4.0 machines may record January 1, 2010. By installing the latest service packs or newer applications (like Microsoft Office 97 or Internet Explorer 4.0), you can assure that your systems have more consistent date handling.

ALL COMMUNICATIONS OR CONVEYANCES OF INFORMATION TO YOU CONCERNING MICROSOFT AND THE YEAR 2000, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THIS DOCUMENT OR ANY OTHER PAST, PRESENT OR FUTURE INFORMATION REGARDING YEAR 2000 TESTING, ASSESSMENTS, READINESS, TIME TABLES, OBJECTIVES, OR OTHER (COLLECTIVELY THE "MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT"), ARE PROVIDED AS A "YEAR 2000 READINESS DISCLOSURE" (AS DEFINED BY THE YEAR 2000 INFORMATION AND READINESS DISCLOSURE ACT) AND CAN BE FOUND AT MICROSOFT’S YEAR 2000 WEBSITE LOCATED AT http://microsoft.com/year2000/ (the "Y2K WEBSITE"). EACH MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT IS PROVIDED PURSUANT TO THE TERMS HEREOF, THE TERMS OF THE Y2K WEBSITE, AND THE YEAR 2000 INFORMATION AND READINESS DISCLOSURE ACT FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF ASSISTING THE PLANNING FOR THE TRANSITION TO THE YEAR 2000. EACH MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AND IS UPDATED REGULARLY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE. MICROSOFT THEREFORE RECOMMENDS THAT YOU CHECK THE Y2K WEBSITE REGULARLY FOR ANY CHANGES TO ANY MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT. EACH MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. CONSEQUENTLY, MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. MOREOVER, MICROSOFT DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF ANY MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT IN TERMS OF ITS CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE. NO ORAL OR WRITTEN INFORMATION OR ADVICE GIVEN BY MICROSOFT OR ITS AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVES SHALL CREATE A WARRANTY OR IN ANY WAY DECREASE THE SCOPE OF THIS WARRANTY DISCLAIMER. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER REGARDING ANY MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, PUNITIVE OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN EACH MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 STATEMENT IS FOUND AT THE Y2K WEBSITE AND IS INTENDED TO BE READ IN CONJUNCTION WITH OTHER INFORMATION LOCATED AT THE Y2K WEBSITE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO MICROSOFT’S YEAR 2000 COMPLIANCE STATEMENT, THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CATEGORIES OF COMPLIANCE INTO WHICH MICROSOFT HAS CLASSIFIED ITS PRODUCTS IN ITS YEAR 2000 PRODUCT GUIDE, AND THE MICROSOFT YEAR 2000 TEST CRITERIA.