Macintosh Daylight Savings Time

The Energy Policy Act of 2005 lengthened Daylight Saving Time in the US, starting in 2007. It begins on March 11, three weeks earlier than before and ends November 4, a week later. As a result computers and other devices that keep time and adjust themselves to DST need to be updated to account for the new start and end. Recently IT Services published directions on the adjustments needed for Oracle Calendar. Your Macintosh operating system may need an update as well.

Here are the directions to determine what patch you will need:

Look at the apple in the upper left corner of the screen.

1. If it is rainbow colored, you are running Mac OS 9 or earlier. There is no patch available for OS 9 and you will have to adjust the clock manually.
   1. Click on the apple and choose "Control Panels", then "Date and Time".
   2. Uncheck "Set Daylight-Saving Time Automatically
2. If the apple is a solid color, click on it and choose "About This Mac" from the menu. Note the version number shown.
   1. If the version is 10.2.8 or earlier:
      1. download and install the patch (thanks to the folks at the University of New Hampshire for creating this patch)
   2. If the version is 10.3 to 10.4.5:
      1. close the "About This Mac" window
      2. click on the Apple again and choose "Software Update…"
      3. Follow the prompts to install system updates to 10.4.8 and the Java updates. You will be prompted for a password. It is the same as the one you use to log into the computer when you start it up
   3. If the version is 10.4.6 or later, you have the necessary patches and do not have to take further action, though updating is still a good idea.

Please contact the IT Services Helpdesk if you have any further questions.

UNH Daylight Savings Time fix website

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Last modified: October 26, 2007