Y2K info for Windows 3.1 & 3.11


Windows 3.1 and 3.11 rely on the underlying MS-DOS operating system (version 5.0 or later) for its date functions. See the page concerning MS-DOS for more information. Besides the problems with MS-DOS, Windows 3.1 and 3.11 have two main Y2K issues:
  • The File Manager (winfile.exe) will not correctly display or sort years past 1999. This problem will only be manifested if you have the "all file details" option turned on. Microsoft has provided a fix for this problem in the form of an updated winfile.exe file.

    **NOTE** You need to be certain whether you have version 3.1 or 3.11 of Windows, because there are different update files for the different versions. The version number is displayed on the Windows startup screen.

  • The Date/Time control panel will not allow you to set the date February 29, 2000 (2/29/2000) using the clickable interface. You may select this date manually by typing it into the window. You may also set this date using the MS-DOS date function.

More detailed information is available at:
Microsoft's Y2K pages for Windows 3.1x
Back to Y2K Links for DOS/Windows PC's
questions, comments, or suggestions?
Send them to y2k-help@udel.edu