Bullshit. I work in Microsoft Product Support Services and our internal tools do not have that long of a data retention. It is 6 months for most of the sensitive data and about 2-3 years for "archived" items.

The author of this story is an dumbassidiot to think their readers are all idiots and stupid to believe this load of crap.

but I'm not bitter or anything.....

I miss the writers. Please come back.

That's freaking hilarious!

"Uhhh...excuse me? 1998? Windows ME? I'm on my 3rd computer since then...are you guys crazy?"

Microsoft has customer service?!

Well, consider this. The fix (making a 4-digit year field) will also be short-lived. Consider what will happen when the year 10,000 hits (Y10K). The stupid bastards didn't think of that and we'll all be facing the same damned thing when it turns Y10K.

I can't go through another Y2K hysteria bout in the year 10,000. I think the programmers ought to start working on the problem now so we don't have the panic we had for Y2K.

Customer Service Rep: "So Brian, I see here that you're running Windows 95. Have you considered upgrading to Windows 98, then to Windows ME, then to Windows 2000, then to Windows XP, then to Windows Vista? I'm guessing that this might be the root of your problem."

Brian: "Nope, I've done all that... over the years."

Customer Service Rep: "I see. I see... Well, perhaps it's that you're running a system with a 233MHz processor. Do you have a problem, say, playing 'Diablo' on your system?"

Brian: "Yes, but not for the reasons you're thinking."

And so on...

So far as I can tell, the main purpose of the numpad is to make it less convenient to get to the mouse. If I could buy an affordable natural keyboard without a numpad, I'd reclaim that space.

@jibbly: If he was supposed to type in '01/08/98', it's not hard to have a mental hiccup and type '01/08/08' by accident, just repeating the 08, even if he was using the number pad.

Either way it's pretty cringe-worthy that the system doesn't do a routine check to see if a callback is within a 2-week timeframe or so.

I'd say it was my business computer and sue for loss of potential revenue, let's see, I was making $10,000 a month back in 98, so umm....

Justice delayed is justice denied.

So since I'm not a complete newbie (I've been using computers since I was six, I'm now 23), and I've worked 4 customer service jobs that used computers, this isn't necessarily BS.

Why does everyone assume it's the same system, I am betting it's a new system with the same data.

WOW imagine people actually keep historic data for reference!

Truely a testament to good record-keeping, although this may mean they have a file on everyone with everything you have ever done on a Microsoft product, now that would be awesome (scary?).

@GITEMSTEVEDAVE
"Now what would have happened if he typed in a 8 instead of a 9 or 0?"

That would have created a rift in time.

At least there wasn't a problem related to Y2K.

Or was there?

I just used the Microsoft Executive information that the Consumerist provided...IT WORKS! I recieved a very prompt reply and am currently being walked through a solution. Consumerist rules!

This is, in a perverse way, a testament to the integrity of Microsoft's problem tracking system.

Probably would have been useful to you! I never did anything with it in the end, though I'm sure mischief could have abounded.

So had they fixed his problem? LOL I wonder if he even remembers what the problem was. Interesting that they have the same system in place 10 years later, as evidenced by the prompt for a follow-up call. Maybe they should upgrade!

Sadly, I've seen stuff like this happen. I'm sure MS has automated tools that won't even show the case until the time specified, but if someone did look at it, wouldn't you think common sense would rear its ugly head? Right...MS...nevermind...