I had tweaked my ubuntu 7.10 from the following link: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=89491. I had turned off certain services and also tweaked it under the heading: **UPDATE**: speed up/clean system reboot or shutdown process.. The servies that I had turned off according to the link I eventually had turned back on. So, the services isn't the problem.

However, it's possible that info the issue comes from info from the above mentioned heading. When I enter codes: cd /etc/rc0.d and then ls K*, I get an error that states that no such file or directory exists. Whereas before, I was able to tweak my computer through these codes before. I'm not able to now.

At bootup before I reach the desktop, this is the error message I get:
The computer clock appears to be wrong. The session might encounter issues if the computer clock is not properly configured. Please consider adjusting it. Current date is 01/01/1988.

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Is this error seen at BIOS load or when the Linux kernel starts loading? If it's at BIOS, then I highly suspect your motherboard CMOS battery is dying and you need to change it.

I extremely doubt this is the case since this error occured right after twaking my computer. Did you completely read my post?

In /etc/rc0.d there is nothing related to a clock - as suggested by your title.
The failure message you see could be from a startup-script attempting to syncronize your clock - but not getting a connection to a time-server at the time the script is run.
This in turn could be because the network is not connected until you actually log in - only then the NetworkManager starts a connection. (NOT really sure, but at least for wireless connections this seems to be true - they are only established after login)

Is your clock still wrong after you connected to the net? (rather: some time afterwards)

Hi, jomen. Yes, the clock still reads wrong after I connect to the net. It reads 1/1/1988, 2:15pm. This is making me crazy! Any suggestions?

Your motherboard battery may indeed be dying as bsdunix said - normally the system clock should be saved to the hardware clock when the computer is shut down - so it would be correct next time you boot.
If this is not so - it could be the battery...
Are you booting another OS in the meantime - which could cause the hardware-clock to be set differently?

try the command:
sudo /etc/init.d/hwclock.sh start
once you are connected
and see if it survives a reboot

Hey, jomen. I did enter that code in terminal and the problem persists. I'm also having a hard time getting XP up since it's installed as a guest in my ubuntu host. Xp as guest depends on the time/date of the host as well. Also, the internet tries to make a connection long after the computer boots up. It's never done this before. Usually, the connection is fresh as the computer boots up, but not always. What must I do now? This is getting annoying and I really depend on ubuntu with my work.

Would upgrading to 8.04 solve this issue? I really don't want to upgrade just yet for reasons I might not be able to access files stored in XP guest.

I greatly appreciate all your attention and what you're doing for me. Please, let me know what I must do now. Thanks.

I read your original post, but you've edited it since I posted my comment. Good luck.

I'm really sorry that you have such problems.
Only thing I can say right now: retrace your steps - undo what you have done since it was working before you did it.
The fact it is not working as before tells that you have not completely reverted your changes.
Upgrading ... could help, but usually it leaves your configurations alone - you would have newer programs but the problem might persist.
...retrace your steps

Like others have said, the bad date is due to a bad battery for the RTC.
Even if you run NTPD it will probably not synchronize the clock (too big a time difference), so you would need to replace that battery and set the clock using the BIOS. Rebooting with a bad clock is not good; fsck will go crazy.

As a fallback, you can check that the network is up and then invoke 'ntptime' to set the clock before starting ntpd - this is a desperate act though and you shouldn't rely on it working (for example, the net may be temporarily inaccessible).

I don't understand your comment on /etc/rc0.d - I would expect a lot of K* symlinks since that is the runlevel for a shutdown. Personally I can't understand step 5 in the link you posted - that recommendation is just so incredibly stupid (renaming from K* to k*). When the scripts are invoked with 'stop', they exit very quickly when they discover that the service isn't actually running so that particular post is full of crap. It also happens to mention that the post applies to pre-6.10 versions - since you have 7.x you shouldn't have been following that post anyway (despite the fact that I think no one should ever follow that post under any circumstance).

Pinniped, thanks for responding. I'll buy a new battery today and see how that resolves the issue. You mentioned I'd need to replace the battery then set the clock using the BIOS. How do I set the clock using the BIOS?

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pinniped, I bought a new battery and replaced the old one. However, the problem still persists. What must I do now? You mentioned before that I need to set the clock using the BIOS in addition to replacing the battery. How do I do set the clock using the BIOS?

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When the computer boots up it displays a few messages.
They are going by rather quickly.
One of the those is the mentioning of something like:
press "F12" to access BIOS menu
or
press "DEL" to enter SETUP

It depends on the BIOS what key you need to press - but it will tell you which (if only for a rather short time).
Do it a few times if you don't catch it on the first round.
From there you are on your own - but it should be possible to decipher the rather short help on what key does what (the arrow-keys will let you navigate - go through all the entries and find the clock...)

Another way of recovering a sane state could be:
sudo apt-get remove sysv-rc-conf
sudo apt-get -o=--reinstall upstart
( I have derived the syntax from "man apt-get" - it could therefore be wrong...
also try:
sudo apt-get -o=reinstall upstart
should the first not work)

This will at first uninstall the package "sysv-rc-conf" which you installed while following that wiered posts instructions...
It will (should) then re-install the "normal" init-program (upstart) which is used as the standard way in Ubuntu.
In theory - this should get you back to a normal init-process - as it was before you changed anything according to the "guide" in that post...

If it does not work (since I can't/will not test it) you could also try to use the "synaptic" package manager to uninstall the first and re-install the second - but I'd try the command-line as I wrote here first.

Try setting the clock first...and these recommendations only after this does not work.

Yet another way would be to install "upstart-compat-sysv" (the name should say what it does) - it will ensure that init-scripts in /etc/rc*.d are still run even if "upstart" is not the progran managing the init-process anymore now...

Hey, jomen. I did what you asked and the problem is gone, thank god!!! BUT, I'm getting a 24 hour time format. When I went into BIOS, I get a 24-hour format, not a 12-hour format. By the way, I did check for a 12-hour format on the date and time settings by going into: Administration > Time and Date. But, the time is still in the 24-hour format. Any thoughts on how to correct for this? Let me know... Thanks so far, jomen!!!!

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