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Year 2038 Problem facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Year 2038 Problem, or Y2.038K, is a problem machines and computers have when the year hits 2038. 32-bit time stores the number of seconds since January 1, 1970. If the value goes above a certain number, the date resets to a very negative number, showing the date in 1901 instead of 2038. A solution to this problem is to store the time in a 64-bit number, which will not reset for millions of years. Most 64-bit computers already store the time in a 64-bit number or can be configured to do so.

Year 2038 problem
A clock resetting due to 32-bit overflow.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Problema del año 2038 para niños

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Year 2038 Problem Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.