my macbook choking on OSX

[terrauomo]

I have an 'older' macbook air laptop that I recently updated to OSX, and apparently my machine does not have enough RAM to adequately run it. It has 2 GB of RAM, and is not expandable, so I'm stuck. There is not enough RAM left over now to even run Safari without the dang beachball recurrently showing up. SO.... I think I am relegated to go back to OS9. I'm no tech, but I think I can't just 'peel' off OSX, right? I am assuming that I'll have to do a complete reset to the original settings (which might be to OS8, and then Ill have to upgrade to OS9) ? Can someone experienced give me some guidance/reassurance on the how-to, esp. how to make sure all my 'stuff' (files, etc.) don't disappear! Thank you!!

 

[honestone]

What exact Macbook Air model do you have? And which "flavor"/version of OS X did you install?

I have a mid 2013 13" MacBook Air, and I am using El Capitan, OS 10.11.6, now. (I'll be upgrading it to Sierra, OS 10.12.1, this weekend). It does have 4 gig of RAM, although (supposedly) the OS X operating system requires a minimum of 2 gig of RAM.

I'm not sure whether or not a Mac Book Air will support OS 9. That is a question maybe someone else can answer. My "gut" feeling says No.

 

[terrauomo]

What exact Macbook Air model do you have? And which "flavor"/version of OS X did you install?

I have a mid 2013 13" MacBook Air, and I am using El Capitan, OS 10.11.6, now. (I'll be upgrading it to Sierra, OS 10.12.1, this weekend). It does have 4 gig of RAM, although (supposedly) the OS X operating system requires a minimum of 2 gig of RAM.

I'm not sure whether or not a Mac Book Air will support OS 9. That is a question maybe someone else can answer. My "gut" feeling says No.

See, this is why I need some good advice! It probably already had OSX on it, just an earlier version. I got it in about 2009 or 2010 -- it's one of the first macbook air (11") models and the existing RAM (2GB) cannot be expanded. So, my revised question would be, I guess I just re-set it to it's original settings?? BTW, I recently updated it to Sierra OSX 10.12.1. I was having no RAM issues before that. What I had before this was whatever came before, i.e., I have always applied the updates as they came along. My guess is that I have finally run out of RAM to run the latest-and-greatest version, and so I have to back-track a bit to a less RAM-hongry version.

 

[honestone]

First of all, since you have just been upgrading "in place", ie, without doing anything else, that could be "problematic". Myself, for the last 2 OS releases (and I'll do the same for Sierra), I first Erase and Format the internal drive on my MacBook Air (actually an SSD; do the same with my Mac Mini), then do a clean, "virgin" installation of the OS, and then use Migration Assistant to "migrate"/copy any needed "stuff" from my (SuperDuper!) backup. That works well.

Additionally, for Sierra (OS 10.12), your MacBook Air machine needs to be at least a Late 2010 model or later. And, 2 gig of Ram should be enough. Just about every "recent" version of the Mac OS states that 2 gig of RAM is the minimum amount you need. But, there are other factors which can influence the performance of a machine, even with more RAM.

So, it seems you need to provide more information:

1. Again, what exact MacBook Air model do you have?

2. Have you been making any backups to an external device?

3. Have you ever done any disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs?

4. If you are using any third party software (like Microsoft Office 2011/2016, SuperDuper!, Carbon Copy Cloner, 1Password, etc., etc.), did you insure that the version you have is compatible with OS 10.12? (Typically, such companies, if needed, will issue updates).

I suspect the solution would be to Erase and Format your internal drive, and then do a clean, "virgin" installation of the Mac OS. But, without knowing whether or not you have a backup, it is difficult to provide assistance. Having a backup is definitely critical, and especially in your situation.

One other thing that could help is whether or not you have access to another working Mac (either your own, or a friend).

 

[Ormond]

I also have a 2009 Macbook with 2GB of Ram. The operating system you want for that is Snow Leopard. It's one of the better versions of OSX and will run fine on that machine. You'll have to upgrade someday, but this should hold you for awhile if you're just doing email and web.

Yes, you understand the situation correctly. The new versions of OSX require more RAM, which you don't have, and can't add.

What I would do is....

1) Backup your existing setup to an external drive. The app SuperDuper is great for this, and a free version is available.

2) Boot from the backup, and then wipe the drive inside your Mac clean using Disk Utility, which is found in the Utilities folder inside the Applications folder. Only takes a minute, just a few clicks.

3) Buy Snow Leopard on Amazon or elsewhere and install on your Macbook. If you choose Amazon, look for vendor "MacInstaller", who is a nice guy.

4) Copy your applications and files from the backup to the Macbook.

5) Test the Macbook for a few days and make sure all is well.

6) Make a backup of your new setup to the external drive.

 

[honestone]

While the post above is, in most respects, accurate, there are a couple of things you need to be aware of.

First, yes, Snow Leopard, OS 10.6.8, is a very good OS. But, if you are using any third party applications, you need to insure that they are compatible with OS 10.6.8. Some third party apps have "advanced", in that they will not work with older versions of the Mac OS.

Secondly, be aware that there could be some apps that will be updated, and especially for Security Reasons, but that you will not be able to apply such updates, assuming they will no longer work with OS 10.6.8. In particular, that could be true of the Safari Browser. The version that comes with OS 10.6.8 should work fine, but any security concerns will, most likely, not be addressed by Apple with older versions of their software. The same thing could be true of other browsers, like Firefox, Google Chrome, and Opera.

Third, when you purchase Snow Leopard, it will be on a DVD. So, hopefully you have a DVD drive.

Fourth, there is the possibility that you could start with a newer OS, which could alleviate some of the compatibility/security issues I stated above. But, without knowing what exact Mac Model you have, it just might be better to go with OS 10.6.8.

Fifth, yes, SuperDuper! is great! However, be aware that the newest version, V2.9.1, is compatible with OS 10.8 and above (see, that's an example of what I stated above). However, V2.8 is compatible with OS 10.6.x. This link explains all that:

http://www.shirt-pocket.com/SuperDuper/SuperDuperDescription.html

Sixth, the step:

4) Copy your applications and files from the backup to the Macbook.

is not what will actually be done. After the installation of Snow Leopard (or whatever Mac OS) is done, you'll be offered the opportunity to "migrate"/copy all your needed "stuff" from the SuperDuper! backup. You need to choose that, and then all the needed "stuff" will be "copied" from that backup. You will not do the actual copying. In fact, don't just copy the stuff yourself. Let Migration Assistant do it for you.

Additionally, it is best if you get into the habit of making backups as often as "possible". I use SuperDuper!, and backup both of my Macs to two different external devices (one is a "standard" 1 TB HDD, the other is a 512 gig SSD) once a week. Also, make sure your external device is OK. You can use Disk Utility to check it out.

 

[oldscribe]

Hi,

My personal thoughts are that Snow Leopard was one if not the best OSX apple have made.

 

[honestone]

Yeah, I could not agree more. A very stable OS that performed very, very well. I still have my old 17" MacBook Pro with OS 10.6.8, and I am always pleasantly surprised how good it still runs.

 

[Cory Cooper]

Hello,

-I think they meant OS X 10.9.x Mavericks, not OS 9.
-How much free space is left on the SSD?
-You could try checking  > System Preferences... > Accessibility > Display > Reduce Transparency and Reduce Motion

C