Delayed EAD arrival, what is my status? Please Help!

[Gonçalo Mègre Pires]

So I requested my start date for OPT to be July 17th. It is already September 10th (55 days already), and I have only now received notification that my OPT was approved, and am still waiting for my EAD card. Do my unemployment days count from July 17th, even though I am not able to work? Or from when I receive my EAD?

Also, will the dates printed on my OPT be July 17th 2014 to July 17th 2015?