problem with my emac

[effingcustie]

Whenever I start up my computer, I get a message saying that the date is before March 2001 (I guess when the computer was made) and that this may make some programs perform erratically. I think the finder must be one of these programs since I can't open any files or folders. If I look at the date it says December 31st, 1969. When I try to open the Date and Time control panel, I just get the spinning icon instead of the mouse and it never opens. So basically my computer won't work because the date is wrong but I can't change the date because my computer won't work and I'm wondering what to do about it 😕

 

[Frisco]

Try resetting the PRAM.
Restart holding down command-option-p-r until you hear three sets of chimes (or until 30 seconds or so if you don't hear any chimes at all), then release the keys.

Or you can try:
Resetting NVRAM (thing of that as a superset of resetting PRAM): restart holding down the command-option-o-f keys; at the "Welcome to Open Firmware" black text on a white screen type in the following commands and press return after each (case sensitive, no spaces):
reset-nvram
set-defaults
reset-all
The Mac should restart after reset-all (if it doesn't, type mac-boot and press Return)

If that doesn't work you need to replace the Backup Battery They are cheap