(MONEY Magazine) – So the year 2000 (or Y2K, for short) computer problem doesn't have you squirreling away canned goods? And you haven't contacted a real estate agent in Montana to secure a secluded mountain getaway? Still, you can't help wondering what's going to happen when your PC's calendar hits 01/01/00. Will your computer read that date as Jan. 1, 1900 and blow up like Mount St. Helens? Or will the day pass without a whimper?

There's no need to panic, says computer consultant and Y2K guru Peter de Jager. But if you use your PC for online banking, investing or budgeting, you'll need to make sure your system is up to snuff before year-end--especially if you bought your computer or software before 1997. Those are the products most susceptible to trouble, says Kelly C. Bourne, author of Year 2000 Solutions for Dummies.

Y2K-readiness-testing software is showing up on the market. One program we like is Norton 2000 ($49.95). This PC-only program not only checks your computer and software for Y2K problems but also includes links for you to download updates from the company's Y2K database.

But you don't need to buy special software in anticipation of the millennium. If you have Internet access, you can download free programs that will analyze and, in many cases, fix your PC. For example, you can get free Y2K help for your hardware at www.zdnet.com /pcmag/special/y2k, a site run by PC Magazine publisher Ziff-Davis. Another good resource for hardware help is www.mitre.org/research/y2k, which is run by MITRE, a nonprofit that provides tech support to the government.

If you're technically adept, you can put your home PC through a simple Y2K-readiness test on your own. First, set the time and date on your PC to 11:55 p.m. on 12/31/99. Then shut it down and wait 10 minutes. After you start it back up, look at the DOS date command or the date and time feature in the control panel, where all four digits of the year appear. Warning: Don't do this if you run business software that's licensed annually. There's a slim chance you'll do damage.

Once you've checked your machine, audit your software. Even Mac users should do this; although Macs are Y2K-compliant, the software may not be. Begin by going to the manufacturer's Website, where in many cases you'll be able to download free patches to fix or circumvent any Y2K glitch. For instance, if you use the PC version of Intuit's Quicken 5 or 6 for online banking, you may have a Y2K problem. Intuit promises that a free fix will be available online at www.quicken.com by June. Even Windows 98 users may find that they have minor Y2K problems. For information, go to www.microsoft.com/technet/year2K. If you don't have Web access, call the software makers--Intuit's number is 800-446-8848; Microsoft's is 888-673-8925. Depending on the program, you may be able to get a free fix on a CD-ROM.

--BRIAN L. CLARK