I need help. - Slow MBP please advise.

[HattieGrace]

im a student and my mid 2012 MacBook Pro 1TB hard drive is very slow and after the high Sierra update, I had to wipe it clean and reinstall. my options are to try to install a ssd and I have no idea what else it needs. I have not abused it. I had a lot of documents and photos (dslr) and I have removed those. I just got major sticker shock from looking at the 2017 entry macbook pro!!!

anyone have advice for a novice? is this something I can fix on my own? or do I bite the bullet and buy a new 2017 model?

thanks in advance,
Gracie

details:
optical drive
1 TB hard drive
4GB memory
processor 2.5Ghz
i5

 

[MacInTO]

Once you put in a SSD it will feel like a totally new machine.

You can also install up to 16GB of RAM.

You can do this on your own.

Check out iFixit.com for the how to videos.

 

[HattieGrace]

Once you put in a SSD it will feel like a totally new machine.

You can also install up to 16GB of RAM.

You can do this on your own.

Check out iFixit.com for the how to videos.

should I order the Samsung on amazon and is 16 gb of ram enough? I would love to get 3 more years out of this.

 

[MacInTO]

should I order the Samsung on amazon and is 16 gb of ram enough? I would love to get 3 more years out of this.

The Samsung drives are probably the best SSDs.

16GB is enough. It's also the maximum. You might as well put in the max if you're going to upgrade as it's not much more.

You'll also need a #0 Phillips screwdriver to remove the bottom cover of the MacBook and a Torx T6 screwdriver for the hard drive/SSD mounting posts.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
You can fix these things yourself.

Get an SSD.
You don't have to spend the $$$ for a 1tb SSD.
I'd suggest 250 or 500gb.
If you have "more stuff than that", just leave the things you don't access much on the old hard drive. Put it into a 2.5" USB3 enclosure.
ANY SSD will do with an older MBPro.
I like Crucial and Sandisk Plus.

Get ONE 8gb DIMM.
This saves you money, and when you put it in you'll have 10gb.
THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER NEED for this MacBook.
Put the DIMM in "the topmost slot" when you change the drive, and leave the other one where it is.
Folks will jump in with the dire warning "it will slow things down!"
You'll never notice the difference, particularly with an SSD.

YOU CAN DO THIS YOURSELF.
It's that easy.
Go to ifixit.com to see the procedure.

BE SURE TO USE THE RIGHT TOOLS!
You need a Phillips #00 driver and a TORX T-6 driver.

Get a USB3 external enclosure when you order the drive.
Then put the old drive into the enclosure.

TIP:
BEFORE you take the MacBook apart, "prep and test" the new SSD by putting it into the external enclosure.
Use Disk Utility to initialize it to HFS+ with journaling enabled.
Now it's ready for the OS.
Put the OS onto it, then you can setup the OS and "migrate" your existing stuff over.
If you get a smaller SSD, be careful what you migrate.
You'll want to bring over apps, data, and accounts, but... leave seldom-accessed stuff on the old drive.

I WOULD NOT put High Sierra onto it, but perhaps that's too late now.
I'd use either El Capitan or Low Sierra. But that's just me.

Again, you can upgrade the MBPro easily yourself.
It's one of the last MBPro's that is "user upgradeable".

 

[MikeThicke]

I think you need to be realistic about what improvements you can expect from upgrading to a SSD or expanding your RAM. Yes, these will speed up your computer, but I wouldn’t expect miracles here, except perhaps if your current hdd was malfunctioning in some way.

I would start with trying to improve performance without hardware updates: free up space by getting rid of old programs or data you don’t need, minimize the number of applications you have running in the background, make sure everything is up-to-date, etc. If that isn’t enough, investigate downgrading to an older OS (though I don’t know if this is possible or how High Sierra compares in terms of performance to previous versions).

 

[HattieGrace]

I think you need to be realistic about what improvements you can expect from upgrading to a SSD or expanding your RAM. Yes, these will speed up your computer, but I wouldn’t expect miracles here, except perhaps if your current hdd was malfunctioning in some way.

I would start with trying to improve performance without hardware updates: free up space by getting rid of old programs or data you don’t need, minimize the number of applications you have running in the background, make sure everything is up-to-date, etc. If that isn’t enough, investigate downgrading to an older OS (though I don’t know if this is possible or how High Sierra compares in terms of performance to previous versions).

it was wiped clean due to the High Sierra install nightmare. It wasn't horrible until high Sierra. I had over 7k photos and way too many documents. I still think its worth a try, even if I get a year and wait until 2018 MacBooks. I will end up investing right under 300, including an installer as I don't feel comfortable trying it myself.
[doublepost=1512017063][/doublepost]

OP:
You can fix these things yourself.

Get an SSD.
You don't have to spend the $$$ for a 1tb SSD.
I'd suggest 250 or 500gb.
If you have "more stuff than that", just leave the things you don't access much on the old hard drive. Put it into a 2.5" USB3 enclosure.
ANY SSD will do with an older MBPro.
I like Crucial and Sandisk Plus.

Get ONE 8gb DIMM.
This saves you money, and when you put it in you'll have 10gb.
THAT'S ALL YOU'LL EVER NEED for this MacBook.
Put the DIMM in "the topmost slot" when you change the drive, and leave the other one where it is.
Folks will jump in with the dire warning "it will slow things down!"
You'll never notice the difference, particularly with an SSD.

YOU CAN DO THIS YOURSELF.
It's that easy.
Go to ifixit.com to see the procedure.

BE SURE TO USE THE RIGHT TOOLS!
You need a Phillips #00 driver and a TORX T-6 driver.

Get a USB3 external enclosure when you order the drive.
Then put the old drive into the enclosure.

TIP:
BEFORE you take the MacBook apart, "prep and test" the new SSD by putting it into the external enclosure.
Use Disk Utility to initialize it to HFS+ with journaling enabled.
Now it's ready for the OS.
Put the OS onto it, then you can setup the OS and "migrate" your existing stuff over.
If you get a smaller SSD, be careful what you migrate.
You'll want to bring over apps, data, and accounts, but... leave seldom-accessed stuff on the old drive.

I WOULD NOT put High Sierra onto it, but perhaps that's too late now.
I'd use either El Capitan or Low Sierra. But that's just me.

Again, you can upgrade the MBPro easily yourself.
It's one of the last MBPro's that is "user upgradeable".

its too late, I ordered the 16. but I did find an installer.

 

[HattieGrace]

Install went fine. My problem now is it doesn’t recognize the SSD. I am trying to use a USB to download high sierra but no luck. Please help!

 

[MacInTO]

Install went fine. My problem now is it doesn’t recognize the SSD. I am trying to use a USB to download high sierra but no luck. Please help!

The SSD needs to be initialized and formatted, but it requires the OS X installer. You need an empty 8GB USB stick or SD card.

Here are the instructions,

https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT201372

You probably need to reinstall the original working hard drive and download High Sierra and then create the USB or SD card installer. After the installer is created, you can then install the SSD and then boot up the machine from the USB or SD card by holding down the Option key and selecting the USB or SD card.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"My problem now is it doesn’t recognize the SSD. I am trying to use a USB to download high sierra but no luck. Please help!"

(sigh) Wish you had read my advice in reply 5 above first. Especially THIS part:
"BEFORE you take the MacBook apart, "prep and test" the new SSD by putting it into the external enclosure..."

 

[HattieGrace]

Old thread, a lot has happened in my life. The laptop was fixed. I also purchased a small MacBook for back up.

Thanks to everyone!

 

[pshufd]

4 GB is not really enough these days. Your browser can use a GB of RAM if you have a lot of open tabs.

You said that you are a student. High-school or college? If college, see if you can find a friend with experience on MacBook Pros to help you do the upgrade. I can do these easily as I have the specialized tools to work on them and I've had a lot of practice. If you haven't done one before, it can feel intimidating. There are videos and instruction guides from iFixit but it's still scary the first time you do it.