Because many of you who read my blog are Microsoft users and use your computers as much as I do, you'll want to prepare for a glitch that could make you late for some upcoming appointments at a minimum, thanks to an earlier start for daylight saving time next month.

Congress passed legislation in 2005 lengthening the duration of daylight saving time, due to energy concerns, by four weeks. Starting this year, daylight saving time begins three weeks earlier (March 11) and ends a week later (Nov. 4).

PC users with the latest version of Windows XP (Service Pack 2) merely need to let their automatic updates do the trick or download the patch from Microsoft. The Microsoft links below will help you address this issue, particularly if you need to do some tinkering with Outlook.

Most software created before the 2005 law, however, is set to the old standard (the first Sunday in April), which means you'll have to update your software manually, so check with your software vendors for any updates.

Just a reminder, daylight saving time may also interfere with your sleep-wake cycle, so be prepared to get the right amount of sleep naturally no matter what the clock says.