Daylight Savings Time Resource Center
The year 2007 brings with it a change in Daylight Saving Time (DST) rules. A provision of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed DST to begin three weeks earlier and end one week later, effective in 2007. Starting this year, DST will begin the second week of March and end the first week in November (March 11 and November 4 in 2007). This is the first modification to the DST rules in the United States in 20 years. Other areas that follow US DST rules, including Canada and Bermuda but not Mexico, are similarly affected.
The time of day that we begin and end observing Daylight Saving Time has not changed; in the United States DST still begins at 2:00 am standard time in the spring, when clocks are set forward to 3:00 am, and ends at 2:00 am daylight saving time in the fall, when clocks are set back to 1:00 am.
The change in DST rules will remind some of the Year 2000 (Y2K) problems in programs that referred to a year using two digits. The impact of the DST changes should be significantly smaller but is still a concern for those involved in preparing for the change. Many systems will be corrected simply by applying automatic updates from the system vendor in advance of the March 11th deadline. The result of having out of date rules is also smaller, with systems being off by an hour instead of a hundred years (or failing completely). On the other hand, there may be significant impact on computer support organizations, especially in cases where meetings in a calendar system need to be corrected manually.
All servers and network systems maintained by HSC ITS have been updated. Workstations, laptops, hand helds and other user specific devices will require intervention on YOUR behalf. Just changing the time on your computer will NOT fix these issues.
Be aware! Locate and apply any updates related to the new DST rules. This applies to personal computers, servers, handheld computing devices, phones, and embedded devices such as automatic door lock systems.
To assist our clients, we have gathered information and updates for our most commonly used devices and systems.
Personal Computers
GroupWise (Calendaring) Impact
Hand Held PDA/Smartphone Devices
Personal Computers
If a computer hasn't been updated with the new DST starting and ending dates, you may be tempted to manually set the clock to compensate. This won't be effective for very long if the computer is synchronizing its time to a time server, since the clock will soon revert back to the way it was. If the new DST rules can't be applied by a software update, a better work-around is to change the time zone setting, not the time. Choosing the time zone to your east will normally achieve the desired result and will remain correct even if your clock is being synchronized over the network. After the extended DST weeks are over, the time zone will need to be put back to the normal setting.
The best method to prepare for the new DST is to apply the appropriate software patch to your workstation or laptop.
- If you are using a computer on our network, and log into Novell each day, the software patches will be automatically applied.
- If you are using a personal computer that is set up to automatically download and install Windows updates, and you are using Windows XP, Service Pack 2, the software patches have already been applied.
See below for instructions to manually apply the software patches.
Update MacOSX - Connect your computer to the internet and run Software Update, located under the Apple menu.
Update Windows 98/98SE – Click here to download and run this patch.
Update Windows 2000 or XP SP1 – Click here to download and run this patch.
Update Windows XP SP2 manually - Go to: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=66F1420C-DF2D-400B-A8A9-EF9061A9A3CA&displaylang=en and follow the instructions on this page. For more information about this patch, visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/931836/
For more information about how daylight saving time changes may affect other Microsoft products, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://support.microsoft.com/gp/cp_dst
GroupWise(Calendaring)
1. Consequences of using old DST information
Before a workstation's time zones are updated, an appointment scheduled for the time period between the old and new DST transition dates could be off by one hour. For example, an appointment scheduled to occur between March 11 and April 1, 2007 (the new and old DST start dates), will be scheduled at the wrong time because wrong DST information will be used. This will only be apparent after updating to the new DST transition rules.
This behavior also applies to appointments scheduled to occur between October 28 and November 4 of 2007 (the old and new DST end dates), or during any similar period in future years. After a workstation's time zone definitions are updated, appointments can be correctly scheduled for these time periods.
2. What is the best way to handle this?
1. Update workstation time zone definitions as soon as possible. See above.
2. Inspect appointments in the affected time periods and, if necessary, adjust them.
You may have already created appointments in these time periods, or may do so before the workstation's time zones are updated. After your workstation is updated, you should be advised to inspect appointments in those time periods and adjust them if necessary. Section 3 below provides steps to adjust different scheduled events.
3. Reset your Work Schedule Start and End time values. Section 4 below provides the steps to complete this.
4. Adjusting scheduled Events:Adjusting Posted Appointments:
- Drag and drop the appointment to the new time
or- Open the appointment, modify the time, then post
Adjusting Sent Appointments:
- Drag and drop the appointment to the new time. When prompted to edit, choose no. The old appointment is retracted and the new one sent.
or- Select the appointment. Choose the Resend menu option. Modify the time (and other changes if desired) then click Send. Choose Yes to retract.
Adjusting Posted All-Day Events:
- Drag/Drop the all-day event onto the same day.
or- Open the item, click the all-day event check box, then click Post
Adjusting Sent All-Day Events:
- Select the all-day event. Choose the Resend menu option. Click the all-day event check box, then click Send. Choose Yes to retract.
Adjusting Received Appointments or All-Day Events:
- Contact the organizer and ask him or her to adjust and resend the item.
PDA/SmartPhone Devices*****Our recommendation: Add your appointment times in text in the message field of your appointment. That way the receiver is not dependent only on the time displayed.********
Check with the manufacturer of your device. Below are patches for our most commonly used devices.
Treo: (Such as Treo 650, 680, 700P)
Make sure the Treo is configured to "Enable Local Network Time." This way, the wireless network will update the device's system time automatically.
Windows Mobile: (Such as Cingular 8125, and 8525)
Instruction for device patch installation and appointment correction is detailed at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/daylightsaving/default.mspx
Best method to update - Using the Microsoft Internet Explorer Mobile browser on your device, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/default.mspx and download the Daylight Saving Time 2007 Update for Windows Mobile. This file will install the update directly on the device. On your device, navigate to the file you downloaded, and then click on it to install the update.
BlackBerry:
Blackberry device users should point the device's browser to the following link, and follow the prompts to install the DST update.
http://www.blackberry.com/select/dst2007/
