Slow 2006 MacBook

[ladypau]

Even though my laptop is reaching it's last years, I would like to extend it's life a bit longer because right now I can't afford a new one
I was thinking about formatting/deleting the whole thing and starting from the scratch...would that help?
The problem is, the MacBook doesn't have a CD/DVD reader anymore (oops!) so my question is...Can I re-install the OSX from an external hard disk?
How do I re-install the operative system?
I have never formatted/deleted my MacBook so any tips for this would be appreciated!
Thanks a lot!

 

[thomasslaughter]

Even though my laptop is reaching it's last years, I would like to extend it's life a bit longer because right now I can't afford a new one
I was thinking about formatting/deleting the whole thing and starting from the scratch...would that help?
The problem is, the MacBook doesn't have a CD/DVD reader anymore (oops!) so my question is...Can I re-install the OSX from an external hard disk?
How do I re-install the operative system?
I have never formatted/deleted my MacBook so any tips for this would be appreciated!
Thanks a lot!

Have you ever repaired the disk permissions?

also what version of OS X are you running

 

[ladypau]

Hi!
Thanks for your reply.
No, I have never repaired the disk permissions...I don't even know what that means
I'm running Mac OS X 10.5.8 (9L30)
Thanks!

 

[dime21]

You don't need to format anything. Your Macbook can run OS 10.6 Snow Leopard. 10.6 is much faster and leaner than the 10.5 "Leopard" that you are running now. And it's only a $29 upgrade. Go buy it, and you'll enjoy a faster machine.

Also consider replacing the hard drive with a newer faster one. The hard drive is the slowest part of any machine, and a modern 500 GB 7200 rpm drive will be more than twice as fast as your 2006 hard drive. ifixit.com has good step-by-step procedures for how to do this.

Lastly, upgrade your RAM to the maximum amount that your machine will support. RAM is very inexpensive, and can make a big difference in your overall system performance. I recommend www.crucial.com for this, just select your Macbook model from the "Memory Advisor" tool on the home page.

All three of these things, OSX 10.6, faster hard drive, more memory all together will cost only about $150 and will breathe new life into your machine! I have a late 2006 Macbook Pro that I've done these 3 things to, and it flies, very fast at everything I use it for!

 

[ladypau]

Thanks a lot Dime21!!