Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Web browsers are about to face a Y2K-type problem

Google Chrome and Firefox could be facing serious technical problems in the near future that would not be unlike the Y2K problem from the end of the last century.

According to ZDNet, as both browsers prepare to launch the 100th version of their desktop browsers, it could create a situation where most websites fail to load on the new versions. That’s all due to an upcoming Y2K-type coding issue.

A MacBook with Google Chrome loaded.
Firmbee / Unsplash

For younger readers, Y2K was a software problem in the late 1990s. Most computer programs at the time couldn’t properly read four-digit year dates, and the transition to the year 2000 caused some of these programs to work improperly.

Recommended Videos

This quirk of software development quickly gained traction in conspiracy circles, which proclaimed that the bug would create a global catastrophe. Fortunately, that didn’t happen. While some countries certainly had issues, most began preparing years in advance.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

The issue with the 100th version of browsers comes down to something called a “user-agent,” a string of code that tells servers what browser is being used. Most website programs can only read double-digit UAs. Late in the first decade of this century, websites ran into a similar issue when the first double-digit UAs were introduced. That resulted in a lot of sites not loading properly, or at all.

Google and Firefox are working ahead to make sure most sites don’t encounter any issues. However, there are simply too many websites for Google and Firefox to handle the problem on their own.

Google is already offering instructions on how to make your site read three-digit UA strings. If you run a website, you may want to put in the legwork now to ensure your site is compatible with the newest version of Chrome.

Firefox and Chrome are the two most popular desktop browsers, and as of now this issue is limited to them. Other browsers are a long ways off from version 100, so they should run fine for the foreseeable future. That includes DuckDuckGo’s upcoming privacy browser.

It shouldn’t be anything world-ending, but being prepared in advance for issues like this will keep your site up and running while others run into problems.

Caleb Clark
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Caleb Clark is a full-time writer that primarily covers consumer tech and gaming. He also writes frequently on Medium about…
DuckDuckGo’s new web browser won’t rely on any Chrome technology
Homepage of DuckDuckGo.

DuckDuckGo, the popular privacy-focused search engine, is developing its own desktop browser, as reported by ZDNet. However, what will make DuckDuckGo’s browser unique from other “privacy browsers” is that it won’t be based on Chromium. It’s the latest product from the company encouraging users to switch from Google products such as Chrome.

Pretty much every popular desktop browser is based on Chromium, an open-source project that powers Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and many others.

Read more
Microsoft Edge’s new Performance Mode could make it a more powerful web browser
microsoft edge gets startup boost feature take on chrome new

Microsoft Edge could be getting a bit of a performance boost. Now in testing with the Canary version of the web browser is a new "Performance Mode" option, which helps optimize your browsing experience for speed and efficiency.

Though the feature is currently hidden away in Edge Canary Build 91.0.856.0, Microsoft's official in-browser description for the feature seems quite promising.

Read more
Get Copilot+ features for less with this Asus laptop deal
An Asus ProArt P16 laptop on a white background.

One of the best laptop deals right now is perfect for anyone who is seeking a Copilot PC. If you’re looking to enjoy AI features, check out the Asus ProArt P16 laptop which is $200 off at Best Buy. The laptop normally costs $1,900 but right now, you can buy it for $1,700. A high-end productivity-focused laptop which also packs a punch for some gaming too, this is an ideal workhorse of a PC. Here’s all you need to know about it alongside some insight into the wonders of Copilot.

Why you should buy the Asus ProArt P16 laptop
Asus features in our look at the best laptop brands thanks to the company being great at developing all-rounder laptops. The Asus ProArt P16 laptop is one such highlight. It has an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 CPU, 32GB of memory, 1TB of SSD storage, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU.

Read more