Mac Blues
Oct 23, 2016 18:04:48 #
About two months ago my Mac PowerBook 17 (early 2011) began to slow down very badly whatever I asked it to do. Soon it started informing me that I was out of disc space, even though I had over 250 GB left on my hard drive.
The action I took made it better, but not good, or even acceptable. I replaced the four GB of RAM with 16, and upgraded the OS to El Capitan. Some of the software runs worse on El Capitan than it did on Lion, but nothing runs well. It takes forever to load most internet pages. Photoshop is way too slow. IMovie stalls forever on most tasks, and crashes often.
My Apple and MacTuneup utilities tell me there is nothing wrong with my hard drive. I have two photo jobs, a video job, and a writing job that are past due. Only Microsoft Word works well enough to use in any business setting. The only thing I can think of, short of ditching this computer, is to replace the hard drive with a solid state one. I would appreciate informed ideas on what might be the problem, and how to proceed against it.
The action I took made it better, but not good, or even acceptable. I replaced the four GB of RAM with 16, and upgraded the OS to El Capitan. Some of the software runs worse on El Capitan than it did on Lion, but nothing runs well. It takes forever to load most internet pages. Photoshop is way too slow. IMovie stalls forever on most tasks, and crashes often.
My Apple and MacTuneup utilities tell me there is nothing wrong with my hard drive. I have two photo jobs, a video job, and a writing job that are past due. Only Microsoft Word works well enough to use in any business setting. The only thing I can think of, short of ditching this computer, is to replace the hard drive with a solid state one. I would appreciate informed ideas on what might be the problem, and how to proceed against it.
Oct 23, 2016 18:25:41 #
Unfortunately you will discover Sierra is even more problematic than El Capitan. It's time to replace the computer - whether you switch your allegiance is up to you. Sorry, there will be better days.
Oct 23, 2016 18:40:43 #
rjaywallace wrote:
Unfortunately you will discover Sierra is even more problematic than El Capitan. It's time to replace the computer - whether you switch your allegiance is up to you. Sorry, there will be better days.
Time to replace the computer? Not necessairly.
Regardless of which computer or OS one uses, they can and will get clogged up with to much overhead, too many applications, too much stuff running in the background and of course viruses and all the other various malware.
Whatever the reason, sometimes the best course is to do a fresh, clean install. Of course backup everything that needs to be backed up first.
Oct 23, 2016 18:43:30 #
PNagy wrote:
About two months ago my Mac PowerBook 17 (early 20... (show quote)
Run hardware tests (diagnostics) to determine if all the hardware is running properly, then backup all your files or at least all your important files. Then reformat the drive and reinstall the OS. Start off clean and watch just how fast your computer can be again.
Oct 23, 2016 19:03:51 #
There are limited reasons for it slowing down. Activity monitor should show you your cpu and ram useage. A clean install without third party tune up utilities should have things running smoothly your cpu usage when not actively doing anything should be less than 10%. It's possible vents and fans could be clogged with lint.
With 16GB of ram you should have zero swop file usage and plenty of real ram free. So start with activity monitor and find out what it is busy with.
With 16GB of ram you should have zero swop file usage and plenty of real ram free. So start with activity monitor and find out what it is busy with.
Oct 23, 2016 19:15:52 #
blackest wrote:
There are limited reasons for it slowing down. Activity monitor should show you your cpu and ram useage. A clean install without third party tune up utilities should have things running smoothly your cpu usage when not actively doing anything should be less than 10%. It's possible vents and fans could be clogged with lint.
With 16GB of ram you should have zero swop file usage and plenty of real ram free. So start with activity monitor and find out what it is busy with.
With 16GB of ram you should have zero swop file usage and plenty of real ram free. So start with activity monitor and find out what it is busy with.
If the laptop gets too hot, it will more than just slow down, it will stall or lockup. There are thermal safeties built into the processor and or motherboard, or didn't you know that? Heck, even my cellphone will shut itself down if it detects that it is getting too hot.
Oct 23, 2016 19:33:44 #
Earworms wrote:
If the laptop gets too hot, it will more than just slow down, it will stall or lockup. There are thermal safeties built into the processor and or motherboard, or didn't you know that? Heck, even my cellphone will shut itself down if it detects that it is getting too hot.
It will shut down if left for long enough but it will try to underclock the cpu if it's getting too hot prior to that, personally I'm looking at the third party cleaners and tuneup utilities. Most are at best snake oil, or malware. Apple have the source code to OSX same as Microsoft has the source code for windows. How is a third party supposed to be able to change the way the operating system works without that knowledge?
For all we know he might have a torrent client that also mines for bitcoins on the go. It's almost certainly a software issue.
Oct 23, 2016 19:50:45 #
blackest wrote:
It will shut down if left for long enough but it w... (show quote)
I have an older MacBook that currently has a broken cooling fan. I can use the laptop for about half an hour before it locks up!
Oct 23, 2016 20:35:12 #
Ummm How so?? Sierra just came out.... No problems with My Computer after the Sierra upgrade...............
The great thing about Mac is the Free Tec support. If the OP had some free time I would call and have them run through the computer and see if they can help. More likely to pin point the problem..
The great thing about Mac is the Free Tec support. If the OP had some free time I would call and have them run through the computer and see if they can help. More likely to pin point the problem..
rjaywallace wrote:
Unfortunately you will discover Sierra is even more problematic than El Capitan. It's time to replace the computer - whether you switch your allegiance is up to you. Sorry, there will be better days.
Oct 23, 2016 20:50:13 #
Earworms wrote:
Time to replace the computer? Not necessairly.
Regardless of which computer or OS one uses, they can and will get clogged up with to much overhead, too many applications, too much stuff running in the background and of course viruses and all the other various malware.
Whatever the reason, sometimes the best course is to do a fresh, clean install. Of course backup everything that needs to be backed up first.
Regardless of which computer or OS one uses, they can and will get clogged up with to much overhead, too many applications, too much stuff running in the background and of course viruses and all the other various malware.
Whatever the reason, sometimes the best course is to do a fresh, clean install. Of course backup everything that needs to be backed up first.
That may be what I need to do. I fear, however, that given the way the thing runs, it will either take forever to back things up, and/or repeatedly crash while I am trying. Gotta give it a try, though. Thanks.
Oct 23, 2016 20:52:43 #
martinfisherphoto wrote:
Ummm How so?? Sierra just came out.... No problems with My Computer after the Sierra upgrade...............
The great thing about Mac is the Free Tec support. If the OP had some free time I would call and have them run through the computer and see if they can help. More likely to pin point the problem..
The great thing about Mac is the Free Tec support. If the OP had some free time I would call and have them run through the computer and see if they can help. More likely to pin point the problem..
That could be a good thing to do, too. Same stumbling block, however; will the sluggish computer be able to back up my data and software? Thanks.
Oct 23, 2016 20:53:53 #
Earworms wrote:
I have an older MacBook that currently has a broken cooling fan. I can use the laptop for about half an hour before it locks up!
At least you know what the problem is. A fan can be replaced.
Oct 23, 2016 21:06:49 #
blackest wrote:
There are limited reasons for it slowing down. Activity monitor should show you your cpu and ram useage. A clean install without third party tune up utilities should have things running smoothly your cpu usage when not actively doing anything should be less than 10%. It's possible vents and fans could be clogged with lint.
With 16GB of ram you should have zero swop file usage and plenty of real ram free. So start with activity monitor and find out what it is busy with.
With 16GB of ram you should have zero swop file usage and plenty of real ram free. So start with activity monitor and find out what it is busy with.
Still trying to make heads or tails of Activity Monitor, but it does tell me I have 8, not 16 gb of RAM. Could the computer be failing to read one of the cards? It also tells me 7.62 GB of the memory are being used. Seems way too high. CPU is over 90% idle.
Oct 23, 2016 21:13:06 #
Earworms wrote:
If the laptop gets too hot, it will more than just slow down, it will stall or lockup. There are thermal safeties built into the processor and or motherboard, or didn't you know that? Heck, even my cellphone will shut itself down if it detects that it is getting too hot.
Mine seldom runs hot, except when I run IMovie. Then the fan comes on.
Oct 23, 2016 22:33:42 #
PNagy wrote:
Still trying to make heads or tails of Activity Monitor, but it does tell me I have 8, not 16 gb of RAM. Could the computer be failing to read one of the cards? It also tells me 7.62 GB of the memory are being used. Seems way too high. CPU is over 90% idle.
You cannot just arbitrarily add more and more RAM, you have to make sure that your laptop can actually utilize 16 gigs of RAM. I'd go to the Apple website and check their specs for your particular model. If your laptop can indeed access 16 Gigs, then I'd remove and reinsert the RAM, reseat it, otherwise maybe you do have a hardware problem. Then too, you have to be certain, make sure that your version of Mac OSX can also utilize 16 Gigs of RAM.
Regardless of how slow your computer may be, you should do periodic backups.
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