OLEXP: Update Available for Outlook Express 4.01 SP2 IMAP and News Dates

Microsoft has made an update available that addresses a potential misinterpretation of date information in Outlook Express. When you receive an IMAP e-mail message or a news message with a 2-digit year as the sent date, the date may be misinterpreted under certain conditions.

Updates are available for the following products:

• Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 2 for Windows 95
• Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 2 for Windows 98
• Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 2 for Windows NT 4.0 (Alpha and x86)

NOTE: Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 2 is included with Internet Explorer 4.01 SP2.

How to determine your version of Outlook Express

To determine your version of Outlook Express and whether or not you need to update, click the Help menu in Outlook Express, click About Microsoft Outlook Express, and then note the version number just below the Outlook Express title in the dialog box:

• If the version number is 5.00.20xx.xxxx or higher, you do not need to update.
• If the version number is 4.72.36xx.x, you need the update for Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 2.
• If the version number is 4.72.31xx.x, you need the update for Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 1.
• If the version number is 4.71.17xx.x or 4.72.21xx.x, you need to either:
  
  
  1. Upgrade to Internet Explorer and Outlook Express 5.
  2. Upgrade to Internet Explorer and Outlook Express 4.01 Service Pack 1 or Service Pack 2, and then apply the appropriate patch.

If the 2-digit year is anything other than 99, Outlook Express interprets the century value as being the same as the current century. If the current year is 2000, and a 2-digit date is received as 97, then the year is interpreted as 2097. However, there is a situation when different logic is applied. If a 2-digit year of 99 is received and the current year is a multiple of 100 (for example, 2000), the year is interpreted as the current year plus 98 (for example, 2098).

Update Information by Product:

Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 SP2 for Windows 95:


Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 SP2 for Windows 98:


Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 SP2 for Windows NT 4.0 x86:

Microsoft Outlook Express 4.01 SP2 for Windows NT 4.0 Alpha:

To download the update, visit the following Microsoft Web site: http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/iebuild/oey2k/en/oey2k.htm (http://www.microsoft.com/msdownload/iebuild/oey2k/en/oey2k.htm)

NOTE: If you use Microsoft Windows 3.1, Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 x86, choose the Outlook Express Year 2000 for Internet Explorer 4.01 SP2 (x86) option on the Web site.