Date: 2005-05-12 10:19 am (UTC)
The date reset is a classic symptom of a dead PRAM battery. Starting without video (it may have only been the backlight) is common too. (This is assuming your PowerBook has one. Some don't. None of the iBooks do.)

If the backup battery's not dead, try resetting the PMU:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=14449

If the backup battery's dead, you can replace it. This is an Apple service job, but if your Mac's out of warranty and you feel like you're up to it, buy your own, DIY and save a hundred or two in bench fees.

Part numbers:
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=86181

Walkthrough:
http://www.pbfixit.com/Guide/54.6.0.html

Then again, it may be something else entirely. But when I was a Mac tech, the majority of dead-mac complaints stemmed from PRAM batteries. Backup/PRAM batteries have a lifespan of about three years; considerably less if the computer spent a long time unused, a little longer if it was used heavily. Fortunately for you, they tend to be socketed; I think it was Apple's 5300-series laptops which soldered the battery leads.
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Jacob Haller

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