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You'l also have to adjust your VCR and other recording devices.
 technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

T e c h n o f i l e
Daylight Saving Time is springing some changes on us. Make sure you and your computer are ready!


Feb. 18, 2007


By Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2007, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2007, The Post-Standard

   Daylight Saving Time kicks in three weeks ahead of time this year, at 2 a.m. March 11. It lasts longer, too -- until Nov. 4, a week later than before. The month of extra daylight is supposed to save energy by shifting the warmer part of the day an hour later.
   Congress approved the new DST schedule back in 2005 but held off the change until this year. The idea was to give businesses and software companies plenty of time to change the DST schedules in computers and such devices as video recorders.
   That's the good news. The bad news, of course, is that whatever you've got laying around the house -- your Windows PC, your Mac computer, your old VCR, and maybe your TiVo, too -- probably won't know about the time change on March 11. You'll have to adjust these things yourself.
   Computers should be easy to update. You should not have to do anything more than download and install a fix from the company that made your computer or its operating system. (In many cases, installation is automatic, too.)
   Here's how to fix the DST settings for the three most popular personal computer systems:
   WINDOWS: Go to http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst. (This is a much better link than the one I originally provided. My thanks to reader Joe Molinaro for tipping me off to the better link.)
   Windows Vista needs no manual fixing, according to Microsoft.
   MAC OS X: Macs bought recently should have updated themselves already. To make sure, click the Apple icon at the upper left of the screen and choose "Software Update." You'll see a list of anything waiting to be downloaded and installed. Click the "Install" button at the bottom right. (The button's wording will vary according to the number of fixes waiting.)
   As of the middle of February, this works only for Macs running the current version of OS X, called OS X 10.4. To see what version your Mac is running, click the Apple icon and choose "About This Mac." The version number will be shown below the words "Mac OS X."
   Apple issued patches for some older versions of OS X within the last few days. But if you don't see a fix listed in "Software Update," you can change the time manually, as described below.
   LINUX: Go to the Web site of the company or group that distributes your version of Linux and look for help with Daylight Saving Time. For example, if you are looking for help with Red Hat'Linux, you can go to www.redhat.com and find extensive help by using the search term "DST" (without quotes).
   For help with Windows software such as Exchange and Outlook, Mary Jo Foley provides a list of fixes in her blog at http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=250.
   OTHER DEVICES: For video cassette recorders and DVD recorders, wait until March 11, then follow the prompts for setting the time in the recorder's setup menu. TiVo recorders should automatically set the correct time on March 11. If you have a TiVo that does not show the right time after that date, check to make sure your TiVo shows your correct location, using your area code.
   
Setting the time on your computer
   If you need to set the time on your computer after the change to Daylight Saving Time March 11, follow these steps:
   1. Open the date and time section of your Control Panel in Windows or in your System Preferences on a Mac. (Macs more than about six years might use the wording "Control Panels.") In Windows, you might also have to navigate to "Language," then "Regional Options," and finally "Regional and Language Options."
   2. Uncheck any settings that instruct your computer to set the time from an Internet or network time server.
   3. Type the correct time and save the change (or click "OK"). daylight saving time,4. By the beginning of April, after the previous date for the beginning of DST, you should be able to recheck any network-time settings to allow automatic time adjustments.