Year 2016 bug plaguing text messages? Update: Work around found!

No one could figure out why I was laughing hysterically, and this was the reason. We were just discussing how we could not believe it had been 10 years since Y2K and recalling all the craziness over generators, etc. And then, the stroke of midnight and I get my first text and it says 1/1/16!!! I'm still laughing about it.

My Android is totally unaffected by this issue. :p

Phil.

My first text of 2010...

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/4238/screenshot1bf.png

Same problem here with my Sprint HTC Snap running the stock ROM of Windows Mobile Standard 6.1

I'm seeing this on my Alltel Treo Pro. Stock WM 6.1 Pro.

I have an AT&T Fuze and I don't have the problem, msgs are dated fine.
I'm Running WM6.5 Stock without Manila.
Carrier: Claro Dominican Republic.

Well, not only is 010110 binary for 16, so is 10 in hex:
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, 10

No issue on my T-Mobile TP2 running WM 6.5.3.

my verizon TP2 running stock 6.1 seems fine

No problems here in my X1 (WM 6.5, Leo ROM) in The Netherlands.

Sprint HTC TP2 running the latest WM6.5 build from Mightyrom and I am having the same issue.

Phone: Touch Pro2
Carrier: Sprint CDMA
Location: California, USA
Rom: Stock 6.1
Have this bug: Yes!

No issues with BlackBerry Curve 8900. I wish I had an active prepaid SIM to test on my iPAQ 910c.

No issues on Acer neoTouch running Rafyvitto V1.0 Manila 2.5 WM 6.5

Phone: Touch Pro 2
Carrier: Sprint CDMA
Location: SE Michigan, USA
ROM: Stock WM 6.1 Pro

Messages coming in are all dated 01/01/16.

No issues - Sprint TP - Running Root Linux RootRom (WM 6.5.3 Build 28011).

Running Sprint original TP, messages show up as 1/1/16.... Can't wait until I ditch WinMo and get Android later this month....

Sprint Mogul on WM 6.1 Pro - I have this issue too.

Sounds like its a problem with Sprint not the phones.

Not seeing this on my Verizon Imagio

Carrier: Verizon
Hardware: TP2
ROM: Calkulin's Kitchen 6.5.3
SMS: reports 2010 fine

Read this article then looked through my text messages and yup 1/1/16 is all over today's text messages. I'm using a sprint touch pro2 btw.

Yes - it's affecting me as well. It's driving me nuts, since I can't find out what time the messages came in. The phone only prints the time of the text if it came in today. Since it's not 2016, the phone thinks my new texts didn't arrive today, so I just get the (wrong) date with no time printed. It also messes up my texting program on there, which used to work really well at sorting my conversations by activity date. Windows Mobile on Palm Treo Pro. Sprint is my carrier.

VZW TP2 with 6.5 MightyRom and I'm having this issue.

VZW TP2 w/ EnergyROM 28011 29th dec and my txt dates are fine

no problems on blackjack2 running 6.5 on at&t.

no problems on imagio stock ROM

nothing wrong on sprint touch pro running root rom 6.5.3 28011

This is Rocky from the future. The winning lottery numbers for Saturday are . . . . darn, loosing signal........

Verizon TP2
Dallas Texas area
12/29 Mighty Rom 6.5 w/manila 2.5 + landscape
getting 2016 too

Alltel HTC Touch running with WM6.1 has this bug. I started laughing when I received my first text, not being able to figure out why in the world my phone thought it was 6 years into the future. Kind of annoying though, due to my inability to see the time that the messages were received now >.<.

Here's the fix, tested and confirmed:

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?p=1454414

Z

Not seeing this on Verizon TP2. Running VZW 6.5 test build in Dallas.

Potential fix!!!

http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=104248

Palm Pro Windows Mobile PRo 6.1 was effected.. the ziggy fix worked.

Im on NRG 28014 and no problem Fuze btw

I had this issue on my Verizon and USCC Touch Pro 2's, but my HTC (AT&T) Pure (aka Touch Diamond 2) seems to be unaffected, weird. I downloaded the cab and things are back to normal on the TP2's, thanks guys

So do you think Sprint, Verizon, HTC and LG each have a team of engineers siting in a room somewhere scratching there heads going "How did he do that" lol

This is NOT a FIX people! This is a workaround that is causing the text to use the time on your phone for time and date of message as opposed to the time and date the message was actually sent.

This may not be important to some but to others the actual time and date it was sent could be very important (if the text was sent last nite, when your phone was off, the next time you turn it on and receive the msg, it will seem as though it was sent when you turned it on, etc etc)

The problem is still being worked on and a real fix will come, but this is a workaround for the time being.

regards!

Sprint TP2 running 6.1.
Fix did NOT work.

my sprint htc 6850 was affected.only SMS system was affected.

my sprint HTC Touch Pro 2 is working find. no bug and have Juicy windows 6.5.3 people have mighty mike will get it. what you expect from a very buggy rom.

Tested iPAQ 910c (WM 6.1) and UBIQUIO 503G (WM6.0) with AT&T GoPhone SIM. None of these phones have the 2016 bug.

No problem with AT&T Tilt 2. And I agree with "Anonymous" from 7:47 this morning. Setting message date & time to arrival time is a reasonable workaround, for now. But it's not a fix. There are situations where properly noting the send time is important.

Problem does not seem to occur on MightyROM "War" 12/29 Build, Telus, Touch Pro2

Problem definitely DOES occur on MightyROM "Official" 12/27, Telus, Touch Pro2

Now something that may be a factor is the MightyROM "War" is running Manilla 2.5 (full landscape) and HTC Messaging instead of the Microsoft SMS client.

sprint tp2 i have the 2016 year wow, called sprint there dumb.

No issue on UK Vodafone HTC TouchPro 2 running WM6.1

I have downloaded the file to my phone but when it finishes installing i cant find it anywhere!!! im getting very annoyed. i have a palm pro from sprint; please help!

I am on Alltel w/Touch pro, also same problem

So have any of the carrier's even acknowledged there is a bug? I have a Touch Pro, and, I'm glad the world didn't end in 2012 and everyone is texting me from 2016, but, it is getting annoying.

i just noticed it, my htc mogul have the sam problem.

DO NOT have this in the uk on my HTC Touch 2, WIndows mobile.

T-Mobile is my provider.

Looks like a BCD vs straight binary encoding issue, I noted that some other comments above said the same thing, and I concur.

For those who don't remember the "ancient past" (in terms of computer technology) there is a slightly archaic format for representing decimal number in binary called Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) representation. In the case of BCD, each base 10 digit has 4 binary bits assigned, and those bits are coded in binary to represent the digits 0 - 9, and the A - F that we are familiar with in hex are just not used at all in BCD. Kind of wasteful and "archaic", not commonly used any more that I am aware of.

It was more useful back when mechanical switches interfaced directly to hardware and there was not a layer of software to do the conversion of the codes. Like back in the early 1970's (ancient by modern standards).

So somewhere there is something in the SMS gateway system that is still using BCD, but it is being interpreted as binary elsewhere, thus 2010 in BCD == 2016 in straight binary.

Funny.

Sprint PCS HTC6800 w/ WM6.1 had the issue and the patch worked to solve it. The fix was immediate so did not have to reboot the phone for it to take effect.

Patch in Update #3.5 worked.

Thank you!!

Sprint
HTC Mogul

Have the bug... :(

No issue on my Apple iPhone

it is affecting my crappy android and there seems to be no fix yet. i can't wait to dump my android and get a windows 6.5 or 7. my android is such a crapy phone has it cant even do much than windows phone.

The SMS Service Centre Time Stamp is in Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)

http://www.dreamfabric.com/sms/scts.html

Therefore it is WM that is incorrectly interpreting this as a hexadecimal digit instead of BCD digit.

It has no affect on my Sprint HTC TP2 windows phone using windows mobile 6.5.3. it shows correct date 1/1/2010

HTC still hasn't fixed its other SMS Windows Phone bugs.

For example, the HTC HD2 has an 'SMS delay' bug, which for some users has resulted in SMSes being left in the outbox and not being sent. HTC has released a couple of software patches (which they prefer to call 'hotfixes'), but they have not worked. Another HTC/WinMo bug affects the delivery of SMS receipts. If they left the other WinMo SMS bugs remain unfixed for months, I can't imagine they'll be rushing to fix this latest one.

Sprint
Palm Treo Pro
Its 2016 around here!

i have an Htc Touch Pro from Us Cellular.

i've had this exact problem. except on picture messages all messages i recieve say 1/2/16 or whatever the date happens to be. when i send them however it says the time as it normally would if i send/recieve a message of any sort...

Hey Mal! This story made the front page of Techmeme!

Congrats!

using alltel touch pro on verizon network. picture messages are unaffected but texts dated 2016

Telus HTC Touch Pro 2 with stock firmware also affected. .cab fix worked successfully!

No issues with a text I received on the 2nd on my Samsung Epix (AT&T).

A bank in Australia had it's EFTPos and ATM's switch to 2016 also. It rejected all cards based on the fact that the card had expired (by 2016). Wonder what else we will find has the issue.

i've been having this problem. all outgoing messeges are sent with correct timestamp but all incoming have a 2016 date. i have threaded texts and it becomes pretty annoying because the texts are no longer in date relevance for easy viewing they get all jumbled up depending on if i sent one (with correct timestamp) or just recieved one (with problem). I figured it was my POS touch pro, (it has more problems than a stuttering nerd at a speed date gathering) on sprints network. It was funny at first, but now its more annoying than a cross eyed boss telling you to look him in the eye while he's talking to you.

TP sprint.. same issue 2016 but time stamp on MMS correct!

HTC Touch HD unaffected!

Ok, Hate to burst anyone's bubble on this, but has anyone really considered that this ISN'T a Windows Mobile bug? If you think about it, anyone that received a text on 1/2, 1/3, or even today, 1/4, THAT WOULD CHANGE THE BINARY CODING, AS IT WOULD BE 010210, 010310, OR 010410.

THIS APPEARS TO BE AN ISSUE WITH OUR CARRIERS, NOT OUR PHONES. IF THIS WAS JUST AN ISSUE WITH WINDOWS MOBILE, NON-WINDOWS PHONES WOULD NOT BE EXPERIENCING IT.

"Today's date 010110 is binary for 16 (hex)" =))
010110 hex = 22

Palm Treo Pro.
Running WM 6.1.
Telus network.

Sent texts are showing 2010 (Sent 1/1/10), Rec'd are showing 2016 (Received 1/1/16).

If you'd like an installer for the fix that also has a soft-reset option and a slightly easier interface, try this out:

http://aurigroup.com/y2k16bugfix/

Best,

-Auri

I am getting bug on my HTC Android phone. Ohhh I am dumping android and going for Windows Mobile it has more useful features. I should never go for a new market Android phone. total waste...

A similar problem is affecting EFTPOS terminals in Australia.

See http://www.smh.com.au/business/welcome-to-2016-eftpos-glitch-spreads-201...

My Sprint HTC Touch Pro is all out of wack with this 2016 bug

HTC Touch running older WM 6 Pro - i've got the bug! Also noteworthy is my inability to update Windows...

OH COME ON PPL... THERES NOTHING WRONG WITH ALL YOUR PHONES ITS HTCS PROBLEM.. LET THEM FIX FOR CHRIST SAKE ... THIS IS WHY I HAVE A BLACKBERRY HAHAHA U SUCKERS

This is not affecting my HTC Touch HD with stock rom on T-Mobile US.

I actually called my carrier. They have done all the due diligence and put it to HTC to fix. I called HTC. They have determined this is a Microsoft issue, as it is not only HTC phones which have the issue. According to HTC, the workaround has been tested and may be used, though they don't support it. And they say Microsoft is aware of the issue, working on it, and should release an official CAB fix, though no time or date was given. Hopefully, it is before 2016 itself.

I actually called my carrier. They have done all the due diligence and put it to HTC to fix. I called HTC. They have determined this is a Microsoft issue, as it is not only HTC phones which have the issue. According to HTC, the workaround has been tested and may be used, though they don't support it. And they say Microsoft is aware of the issue, working on it, and should release an official CAB fix, though no time or date was given. Hopefully, it is before 2016 itself. Oh, one more thing, the bug appears to affect CDMA carriers rather than GSM carriers. I'm with Telus, with a TouchPro 2.

Sprint Touch Diamond - 2016 baby! Customer Service and Tech Support are clueless as usual.

palm treo 800w winmo 6.1 on sprint, i do NOT seem to have the bug

Im not having problems on my samsung rant.Sprint is my carrier. I read all the reponses and u techies are geneius. Im an ameture compared to u guys.
Rock on buddies.

My LG Cookie was not affected by this so-called bug.
I'm still seeing a correct date/timestamp from the text message I received last 01/01/2010.

Seeing this with HTC touch pro from Sprint

but seeing not seeing 2016 on all txt messages. It may be coincidence, but seems to be coming from people I know with AT&T for txts from Facebook. Other txts are coming through 2010 just fine.

no problem with my Acer DX900 WM 6.1 dual sim using Smart & Sun carrier in the Philippines

Phone: Touch Pro2
Carrier: Sprint
Location: Washington State, USA
Rom: Stock 6.1 Pro
Have this bug: Yes!

Wife's phone:

Phone: Palm Centro
Carrier: Sprint
Location: Washington State, USA
Have this bug: No!

PHONE: HTC Touch
CARRIER: Sprint
HAVE BUG: YES!

well, update 3.5 worked for my treo pro. thank you soo much! actually had to send the file to my local sprint store, since they did not know how to fix the issue...love showing up the boys!

Just chatted with Sprint support today. They said, "This is happening with all HTC Touch Pro devices." They are aware and are "working on it." No timeline.

Phone: Touch Pro
Carrier: Sprint
Location: Washington DC metor areao
Rom: IDK
Have this bug: Yes! amd its bugging the heck out of me, I can sort my new text messages, they come in random, and this is recking havhoc in my life!!!, Glad to know I am not crazy because I really thought it I was, until I read this blog.

Verizon's solutions apparently is to keep sending customers replacements phones instead of actually telling them about this issue. Guess that's another reason they have the worst technical support in the industry!

I have the Palm Pro which is a window's based device provider sprint... text messages are dated 6 years from now

Just Curious if anyone else is trying to active sync one of these devices to Exchange server with SSL. I can't get sync'ed because of expired certificate which seeing as server certificate does expire 7/27/2010 This would make since if the phone thinks it is 2016?

honestly i like the g1 just not the way it looks but i do LOVE android the os is cool to play with wish the iphone had android....

Well, this proves it. The world is not going to end in 2012. Technology knows all.

I dont think its a glitch i think its mesaages from the future lol

Some slimy git on the Sprint BBS is pretending to be ziggy471 that creating the workaround for this Wm bug and released it here:
http://forum.ppcgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=104248
as "Ziggy 2016 fix.cab"
The main thread in the sprint BBS is this:
http://community.sprint.com/baw/thread/25879
The impersonator is calling himself Ziggy on the Sprint BBS.
He has changed the file name to "Ziggy 2016 fix final.cab" and is spouting some rubbish about the final version having been fixed so that the problem will not happen again on various other dates in 2010 and 2011!!
HE IS ASKING FOR DONATIONS!!
The real ziggy471 went on the BBS and pointed out that it was his work and he did not want donations but the idiots at Sprint appear to believe the impersonator and have locked the thread and deleted all the messages from the real ziggy471.
I am disgusted.

didnt the m$ Zunes have a y2k bug last new years?

yep..having the same issue since jan 1,2010 its dated 2016 which is really aggravating becuzz i like to see my text as a conversation not having to look for the response somewhere else!!! uuugghhhhhh they need to hurry and fix this how long is this going to be for a big co. like this its shouldn't be this long..they need to give someone discounts for the inconvienance.

yep..having the same issue since jan 1,2010 its dated 2016 which is really aggravating becuzz i like to see my text as a conversation not having to look for the response somewhere else!!! uuugghhhhhh they need to hurry and fix this how long is this going to be for a big co. like this its shouldn't be this long..they need to give someone discounts for the inconvienance.

This is not a fix. It merely substitutes an incorrect date (the time/date the message was received) for another incorrect date. When I turn on my WM 6.1 phone, it takes anywhere from 5 minutes to 4 hours to receive text messages, the timestamp inder the “fix” would be off considerably.

We all should start calling our service providers to have them push windows ... as individuals windows and HTC wont look to us with any merrit ... They only look at THEIR customers, which are our providers.

I have a Sprint Treo Pro... The temp fix worked for me! Thak God because Im really starting to hate this phone for plenty of reasons and this was gonna be the breaking point. I felt an insurance claim and a hammer workout coming soon if this didnt work.

I have a Sprint Treo Pro... The temp fix worked for me! Thak God because Im really starting to hate this phone for plenty of reasons and this was gonna be the breaking point. I felt an insurance claim and a hammer workout coming soon if this didnt work.

Fix from HTC is out (and I've verified that it works on new and existing 2016 messages!):
http://www.htc.com/us/support/touch-pro2-sprint/downloads/

bout time its over next thing id like them to do is maybe make a rom update with that fix included along with the latest version of IE on WM6.1 (the one in the stock rom on the tp2)

Could this be a solution for the HTC TouchPro2 (US Cellular)? I'm trying it out now...

http://www.htc.com/us/support/touch-pro2-us-cellular/downloads/

Ziggy471.. Thanks That helped. I had to apply it twice but it worked.. Thanks Zig

my htc mogul from sprint has the same problem. it sucks. the carriers should be responsible for replacing faulty phones with this type of programing problem.

I'm from kuwait and I bought HTC touch pro 2 and I don't have this problem...I never even heard of it til now....while I was searching for windows mobile 6.5 download...I happened to read this so do u know where I can find a site which allows me to download Win mobile 6.5?

FINALLY A HOT FIX FROM HTC!!!!
HTC finally has a hot fix for a few phones, see the link below to a news story with links. I have already used the HTC Touch Pro version on my Alltel device and it works great. Its back to showing the server time for the message instead of the phone time.

http://www.wirelessandmobilenews.com/2010/01/text-msg-winmo-glitches-2da...

I went to the HTC website, installed the website and it did NOT work. Not at all...nothing. NADA. All my texts are still 2016. I called HTC and their only suggestion to me was to hard reset my phone - which I REFUSE TO DO. (this is my FOURTH TouchPro2 since October because of all kinds of issues; I just got this last one yesterday and spent over an hour in the Sprint store waiting for them to set it up again and have logged over 20 hours on the phone and in the store trying to get a TP2 that actually works for me without crashing constantly)

Guess I'm stuck in the future as far as my texts go.

Affects TELUS HTC S720 for WinMo 6.1. Texts are incorrectly ordered in threaded inbox and show only a month and day text received. This patch resolves this issue.

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