Early '09 MacBook (13") date & time reset itself to June,2000, nothing works!

[leef]

My early '09 MacBook (model A118) reset it's date and time to June,18, 2000, date and time pref. freeze up when I try to reset it. As a result, nothing works any more. Have tried many ways to reset, but it keeps reverting to 2000. (the month and date advance, but the year stays stuck in 2000) A millenium bug? Sure likes that year! So now, none of the programs, the browser (Firefox), Gmail, nothing works, I guess because they are all from 2016, and aren't recognized (?)
My brother (a Mac user for many, many yrs., tho' not a tech) and I have been trying all kinds of things we've come up with, from various books ( O Reilly/ Pogue says nil on this, that I can find) and the internet, nada!
Everything ran great before the change, one day, boom, she no work!
Any help any of you can suggest would be deeply appreciated, I love the Mac, and the OS (Yosemite 10.9.5)--lot's better than Windows/Dell backup I've been using.
Thanx in advance, Leef

 

[leef]

p.s.-Leef again-- forgot to say, an info window opens when I turn the MacBook on, says
"You're computer clock is set to a date before Jan. 1, 2008. This may cause some applications to behave erratically.
To reset, open date& time pref........" understatement!
That's all I've got !

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello and welcome.

Depending on the exact model MacBook, it could contain a PRAM battery that has exhausted, which is what keeps the date & time correct. It is not a user-serviceable part however. If your particular MacBook doesn't have a PRAM battery, then the main battery would keep the date & time correct.

It's not that the software you are using is newer that the date & time that the clock resets to. It is probably due to the way networking and the Internet work. Many networks will not allow you to logon or access the Internet if the date & time are off by a certain amount.

-Do you have any issues with your main battery at all?
-Does it regularly discharge totally so that the MacBook goes to sleep or will not power on without AC?

Enter the serial number of your MacBook here and let us know what it reports:

Check Your Service and Support Coverage

C