Slow Moving...

[jhawkin1]

I recently wiped my MacBook Pro 5,5 (Mid 2009) and upgraded OS to El Capitan: it's very laggy. Is this due to software or the computer being 11 years old?

Thanks!

 

[Analias]

Are you running an ssd?

 

[DeltaMac]

Newer versions of OS X (10.10 and later) are optimized to run more efficiently on an SSD or flash storage.
If you are still using the original hard drive on your 11 year-old laptop, then, despite testing OK, you are still on a (11 year-old) spinning hard drive. The best fix is to replace the old hard drive with an SSD.

 

[jhawkin1]

Are you running an ssd?

I am not. How much do SSD run in terms of cost?; should I just invest in a new computer?

 

[Audit13]

I am not. How much do SSD run in terms of cost?; should I just invest in a new computer?

I'm not sure where you are located but I'm located in Canada and a 256 GB SSD is about $55 CAD including taxes.

Just about any SSD will result in a major speed improvement.

 

[jhawkin1]

I'm not sure where you are located but I'm located in Canada and a 256 GB SSD is about $55 CAD including taxes.

Just about any SSD will result in a major speed improvement.

Does any SSD work? I was going to go through Amazon to purchase it. I also located a DIY YouTube Vid to install. Once installed what will be the process to have it functioning at least at Factory Settings? I don't mind if I lose all memory and info from the hard drive.

Thanks!

 

[Audit13]

Does any SSD work? I was going to go through Amazon to purchase it. I also located a DIY YouTube Vid to install. Once installed what will be the process to have it functioning at least at Factory Settings? I don't mind if I lose all memory and info from the hard drive.

Thanks!

Every SSD I have tried in every MacBook and MacBook Pro have worked. I've been putting 2.5" SSDs into MBPs for the past five years.

One thing that may need replacing is the hard drive cable if the SSD seems slow. These drive cables have a tendency to slowly deteriorate over time.

You can create a Time Machine backup of your existing drive and restore the backup to the SSD.

 

[Fishrrman]

Here's what to do when you get the SSD, BEFORE you open up the MacBook:

Get an external 2.5" enclosure like this:

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

www.amazon.com

Only $9.

Put the SSD into it and connect it to the MacBook (with the old drive still inside and running).

Open disk utility and erase the SSD to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled", GUID partition format.

Now, download CarbonCopyCloner from here:

Download CCC - Bombich Software

www.bombich.com

CCC is FREE to use for 30 days -- this costs you nothing.

Use CCC to "clone" the contents of the old internal drive to the SSD.
It will take a little while to copy everything over.

Now, TEST the SSD BEFORE you open the MacBook.
Reboot and hold down the option key CONTINUOUSLY until the startup manager appears.
Does the SSD show up as a bootable choice?
Then... select it with the point and hit return.

You should boot from the SSD in the external enclosure.
Do you get "a good boot"? (It will look EXACTLY like the old drive when you get to the desktop, because "it's a clone").

If so, NOW is the time to shut everything down and "do the drive swap".
BE SURE YOU USE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved for your particular MacBook.

When done, if you get a good boot with the SSD now inside the MacBook, take the old drive and put it into the USB enclosure. It can now serve as your backup drive.

 

[Analias]

Here's what to do when you get the SSD, BEFORE you open up the MacBook:

Get an external 2.5" enclosure like this:

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

SABRENT 2.5 Inch SATA to USB 3.0 Tool Free External Hard Drive Enclosure [Optimized for SSD, Support UASP SATA III] Black (EC-UASP)

www.amazon.com

Only $9.

Put the SSD into it and connect it to the MacBook (with the old drive still inside and running).

Open disk utility and erase the SSD to "Mac OS extended with journaling enabled", GUID partition format.

Now, download CarbonCopyCloner from here:

Download CCC - Bombich Software

www.bombich.com

CCC is FREE to use for 30 days -- this costs you nothing.

Use CCC to "clone" the contents of the old internal drive to the SSD.
It will take a little while to copy everything over.

Now, TEST the SSD BEFORE you open the MacBook.
Reboot and hold down the option key CONTINUOUSLY until the startup manager appears.
Does the SSD show up as a bootable choice?
Then... select it with the point and hit return.

You should boot from the SSD in the external enclosure.
Do you get "a good boot"? (It will look EXACTLY like the old drive when you get to the desktop, because "it's a clone").

If so, NOW is the time to shut everything down and "do the drive swap".
BE SURE YOU USE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB.
Go to ifixit.com to see what's involved for your particular MacBook.

When done, if you get a good boot with the SSD now inside the MacBook, take the old drive and put it into the USB enclosure. It can now serve as your backup drive.

I wouldn't do that. El Capitan is too old to be useful. Get dosdude1's High sierra patcher and install it to the ssd, then put the hdd into an enclosure and migrate from it.

 

[pshufd]

I find Mojave to be the most stable version of macOS though I haven't tried Catalina yet. HS might be the latest for the 2009 though. I thought that El Capitan was okay (this was on my 2008 MBP).