First thing to do when one of these 'Books won't start is to disconnect the PRAM battery and then try to startup. Failed or failing PRAM batteries give this exact symptom. I hate to say how many simlar era 'Books I've been able to acquire for a song and was able to revive just by unplugging the PRAM batt. To disconnect the PRAM batt on your 'Book, you'll have to remove the bottom plate and then lift the optical drive up to gain access. hth, dan k ................................. macdan at comcast dot net http://macdan.n3.net/ carracho://dankephoto.dhs.org hotline://dankephoto.dhs.org:9500 .................................