Downgrade to Yosemite - performance improvement?

[MacSafe]

Hi
I have a 15 inch MacBook Pro mid 2009 (2.8ghz) with 4 gb of ram, running 10.11.6
I'm wondering if downgrade to Yosemite will boost performance for this machine?
Thanks.

(And how to do it without losing data???)

 

[iizmoo]

Umm, have you thought about upgrading RAM? and while you're in there, if not done so already, maybe stick an SSD in? If you're still going to use it for a while, it's more worthwhile than downgrading the OS.

 

[SoyCapitanSoyCapitan]

El Capitan runs better with integrated Intel graphics. If you're using discrete GPU there won't be a difference. If you want to boost performance use Mavericks.

 

[MacSafe]

Umm, have you thought about upgrading RAM? and while you're in there, if not done so already, maybe stick an SSD in? If you're still going to use it for a while, it's more worthwhile than downgrading the OS.

I have SSD

El Capitan runs better with integrated Intel graphics. If you're using discrete GPU there won't be a difference. If you want to boost performance use Mavericks.

It has Nvidia graphics. Ok , how to downgrade without losing data?

 

[Qaanol]

Hi
I have a 15 inch MacBook Pro mid 2009 (2.8ghz) with 4 gb of ram, running 10.11.6
I'm wondering if downgrade to Yosemite will boost performance for this machine?
Thanks.

(And how to do it without losing data???)

I do not know if it will do anything for performance.

However I *can* tell you the steps to downgrade:

1. Back up your computer. Time Machine is good.

2. Create a bootable install disk for the OS X version you want. I recommend using a drive that connects with USB 3 or faster. USB 2 takes forever to copy the files over.

3. Make sure your backup was successful.

4. Boot from your install disk.

5. Use Disk Utility to erase your start-up disk. See why the backup was important?

6. Install the version of OS X you want.

7. Restore your data from your backup. Time Machine makes this easy.

I know this works because I just did it myself a few weeks ago. I backed up my computer, upgraded to Sierra, then immediately realized that some of the programs I rely on (Seil and Karabiner) do not function there.

So I had to erase my laptop and reinstall El Capitan, then restore from Time Machine.

Time Machine does a great job, however I had to reapply my tweaks to the system itself. For instance, I use the folder icons from Yosemite because they look way better than the gaudy newer ones, and Time Machine did not restore them so I had to copy the icons manually again.

Also one or two programs from outside the app store made me re-enter my registration information. Boom for sure, and I think there was something else too.

 

[MacSafe]

I do not know if it will do anything for performance.

However I *can* tell you the steps to downgrade:

1. Back up your computer. Time Machine is good.

2. Create a bootable install disk for the OS X version you want. I recommend using a drive that connects with USB 3 or faster. USB 2 takes forever to copy the files over.

3. Make sure your backup was successful.

4. Boot from your install disk.

5. Use Disk Utility to erase your start-up disk. See why the backup was important?

6. Install the version of OS X you want.

7. Restore your data from your backup. Time Machine makes this easy.

I know this works because I just did it myself a few weeks ago. I backed up my computer, upgraded to Sierra, then immediately realized that some of the programs I rely on (Seil and Karabiner) do not function there.

So I had to erase my laptop and reinstall El Capitan, then restore from Time Machine.

Time Machine does a great job, however I had to reapply my tweaks to the system itself. For instance, I use the folder icons from Yosemite because they look way better than the gaudy newer ones, and Time Machine did not restore them so I had to copy the icons manually again.

Also one or two programs from outside the app store made me re-enter my registration information. Boom for sure, and I think there was something else too.

Thanks for your answer!
Last time I tried I didn't have enough space to use time machine .
Is there any alternative?

 

[hallux]

You can't use Time Machine to back up onto the same physical drive, you need an external to use for your backups.