Help for an old MacBook Pro

[bstromsoe]

Hi.

I have a 10 year old MacBook Pro that needs a refresh. It's not broken, but it's super super slow, so I think it needs reformatting and updating and anything else that can be done.

Where can I take it? Somewhere in Sandton, Bryanston or Sunninghill would be the most convenient.

Thanks!!

 

[NodeCore]

Hi.

I have a 10 year old MacBook Pro that needs a refresh. It's not broken, but it's super super slow, so I think it needs reformatting and updating and anything else that can be done.

Where can I take it? Somewhere in Sandton, Bryanston or Sunninghill would be the most convenient.

Thanks!!

Couple of Questions;

Do you know the base OS - OSX, or OS9?
Intel based CPU or Power PC?

 

[bstromsoe]

I have no idea! How do I check that on the MacBook?

 

[wezzcoetzee]

I have no idea! How do I check that on the MacBook?

http://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-find-your-macs-basic-specs-in-os-x/

 

[bstromsoe]

Thank you.

System info says that it's "Mac OS X".

Also says: "Version 10.7.5"; "Processor: 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5"; "Memory: 4 GB"

 

[greg0205]

Thank you.

System info says that it's "Mac OS X".

Also says: "Version 10.7.5"; "Processor: 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5"; "Memory: 4 GB"

OSX 10.7.5 is the OS version (it's Lion incidentally), the important bit is Intel Core i5. Your processor should be good to go. RAM is an easy update to speed the system up and you could also look at a hybrid or SSD hard drive.

 

[bwana]

Thank you.

System info says that it's "Mac OS X".

Also says: "Version 10.7.5"; "Processor: 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5"; "Memory: 4 GB"

With a 2.53ghz i5 that can't be older than 2010, right?

 

[greg0205]

With a 2.53ghz i5 that can't be older than 2010, right?

Mid 2010, yeah.

 

[wezzcoetzee]

I just upgraded my MacBook Pro Late 2011.

I got this SSD

http://www.rebeltech.co.za/ssds/50-...-sata6g-sequential-read-write-540-520mb-.html

I got 2 x 8GB RAM

http://www.rebeltech.co.za/1333-160...c3-12800-cl11-135v-204pin-so-dimm-lead-a.html

Took me around 20min to change everything out , to clean my fan etc and put it back together. Laptop is an absolute beast now

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Late+2011+RAM+Replacement/7651
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Late+2011+Hard+Drive+Replacement/7656

There are two guides you can use to do it, it's super simple, just check the screws you need to remove, there are a few that need a Trox Screwdriver.

You're going to need to get a back up of El Capitan and create a bootable USB, use DiskMakerX, also make sure you use a USB 3.0 drive. There are numerous guides online on how to do this.

Hope this helps.

 

[bwana]

Mid 2010, yeah.

So it's a 6 year old mac max, not 10 as specified in the OP?

I'm trying to figure out if it's worth putting a top of the range SSD in it, would it support SATA6?

 

[greg0205]

So it's a 6 year old mac max, not 10 as specified in the OP?

I'm trying to figure out if it's worth putting a top of the range SSD in it, would it support SATA6?

Up to SATA3 I believe.

 

[itareanlnotani]

Install an SSD, more ram.
IMHO - Its not an "old" MBP if it has an i5.

I still have Machines rocking dual cores that are in daily use, without issues.


Will be sata3.

One issue, if it has the NVidia SATA chipset (MCP79), its not compatible with a number of SSD's as auto-negotiate is broken. Stick to the Samsung EVO series if so.

 

[bwana]

Up to SATA3 I believe.

He should check before he invests in a SSD - might save himself a few bucks if SATA 3 is the best it can handle.

Then again I have a vague recollection that on some of the models they put a 6 in the main bay but the superdrive bay was 3.

 

[dryburn.macbook]

it's most likely the hdd that is acting up from age, get a ssd and it will feel like you have a new macbook, also depending the current battery life

 

[greg0205]

He should check before he invests in a SSD - might save himself a few bucks if SATA 3 is the best it can handle.

Then again I have a vague recollection that on some of the models they put a 6 in the main bay but the superdrive bay was 3.

Could very well be... OP should start with a RAM update 'tho... Cheap, quick and easy and there will be a noticeable performance bump.

 

[greg0205]

I just upgraded my MacBook Pro Late 2011.

I got this SSD

http://www.rebeltech.co.za/ssds/50-...-sata6g-sequential-read-write-540-520mb-.html

I got 2 x 8GB RAM

http://www.rebeltech.co.za/1333-160...c3-12800-cl11-135v-204pin-so-dimm-lead-a.html

Took me around 20min to change everything out , to clean my fan etc and put it back together. Laptop is an absolute beast now

https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Late+2011+RAM+Replacement/7651
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/MacBook+Pro+13-Inch+Unibody+Late+2011+Hard+Drive+Replacement/7656

There are two guides you can use to do it, it's super simple, just check the screws you need to remove, there are a few that need a Trox Screwdriver.

You're going to need to get a back up of El Capitan and create a bootable USB, use DiskMakerX, also make sure you use a USB 3.0 drive. There are numerous guides online on how to do this.

Hope this helps.

Oddly, I miss being able to do this on newer MacBooks.

 

[itareanlnotani]

You can upgrade the SSD on all pretty much all macbooks except for the Macbook 12", as thats soldered in.
Only issue is that its proprietary, so expensive.
Nonetheless, I've done that with most of my 128G or 64G original units -> 256G or 512G

I usually end up using the smaller original drives in my desktop Mac Pro's with a suitable adaptor.

Ram, less so, although if you have access to the right tools, you can solder more on.
Thats not for the end user though, although I've had it done to some machines over in China.

 

[SauRoNZA]

Thank you.

System info says that it's "Mac OS X".

Also says: "Version 10.7.5"; "Processor: 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5"; "Memory: 4 GB"

That's not 10 years old.

Samsung Evo SSD will do nicely and you just format it yourself.

Upgrade it first via the Appstore to the latest OS and then do a clean install using a Flash Drive.

 

[Rickster]

Hi.

I have a 10 year old MacBook Pro that needs a refresh. It's not broken, but it's super super slow, so I think it needs reformatting and updating and anything else that can be done.

Where can I take it? Somewhere in Sandton, Bryanston or Sunninghill would be the most convenient.

Thanks!!

Thank you.

System info says that it's "Mac OS X".

Also says: "Version 10.7.5"; "Processor: 2.53 GHz Intel Core i5"; "Memory: 4 GB"

I loled

 

[bstromsoe]

We definitely bought it in 2006 (might have been early 2007 but definitely not after that. we bought it while we were still living in London, and we came back home in April 2007).

Thank you for all the advice - sounds really positive! But, where can I take it in to get all of this done? (Somewhere around Sandton/Sunninghill is easiest).