Early 2008 MacBook Pro - Very slow start up, very hot

Hi All,
Looking for some help. Searched quite a few of the online forums and have not been able to resolve this issue.
A few months back, my old reliable MacBook Pro (early 2008) started behaving oddly. Have no idea why, but went to start it up one day, and it took forever to start up and get me to the login screen. Been like that ever since. Occassionally, when I finally get to the login screen, the keyboard will not function. After a few minutes though, it always works. This only happens about 5% of the time. Once I log in, everything about the computer from a performance perspective seems to be pretty normal In addition to the slow start up, however, system gets extremely hot at the top of the keyboard, near the monitor. Fans run fast almost all the time when the system is powered on, and often when it is 'asleep'. CPU Temp goes to about 170, and the fans are always between 2400 and 3500.
I took it to Apple a while back, and based on the incredibly slow start up time they believed it was a disk issue. I went ahead and purchased a 500GB internal drive and this past weekend used SuperDuper to copy the original boot disk. All went well and I now have a new internal disk. At the same time, I upgrade the RAM from 2GB to 4GB.
After all that, the system is still very slow at startup and runs as hot as it did before. I will say, it does seem to be slightly faster on the startup, but not what I had become accustomed to for the first 4 years of use.
I looked at the activity monitor and don't see any processes hogging resources.
No anti-virus software running.
Currently running Mac OSX 10.6.8
My battery is pretty muc shot, but I never really use the system unplugged.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance!

Hi there
I am having a similar issue, my mac is the same age but I am getting a major heat issue.
looking for some possible solutions.

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        MacBook Pro (15-inch Early 2008) (Verified)
        MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro4,1
        1 2.5 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core
        2 GB RAM Upgradeable
            BANK 0/DIMM0
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            BANK 1/DIMM1
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        Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
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    Video Information: ℹ️
        GeForce 8600M GT     - VRAM: 512 MB
            Color LCD 1440 x 900
    System Software: ℹ️
        OS X 10.10.2 (14C109) - Time since boot: 2 days 20:25:10
    Disk Information: ℹ️
        Hitachi HTS542525K9SA00 disk0 : (250.06 GB)
            EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
            MacBook Pro Luis's HD (disk0s2) / : 249.20 GB (91.47 GB free)
            Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>  [Recovery]: 650 MB
    USB Information: ℹ️
        Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
        Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub
            Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
        Apple, Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad
        Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver
    Gatekeeper: ℹ️
        Mac App Store and identified developers
    Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
            /Library/Extensions
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            /System/Library/Extensions
        [not loaded]    com.ZTE.driver.ModemDriverMac (1.0.2d1) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.ZTE.driver.ModemDriverMacEx (1.0.6d1) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.ZTE.driver.ZTEUSBCDCACMData (1.3.9) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWDrv (10.5.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.digidesign.fwfamily.driver (8.0.5f2) [Click for support]
        [loaded]    com.digidesign.iokit.DigiDal (8.0.5f2) [Click for support]
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        [not loaded]    com.digidesign.mbox2.driver (8.0.5f2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.digidesign.usb.elevenrack.driver (1.0.1) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.intego.Family-Protector.safe-boot (10.7.5 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.driver.3G (3.0.7) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.driver.DisableAutoInstall (2.0.6) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.master (5.7.2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverInt (0.0.38) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.rim.driver.BlackBerryUSBDriverVSP (0.0.38) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraDevSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraFSCSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraFSRSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.sierrawireless.driver.SierraHSRSupport (2.0.2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.smithmicro.driver.SMSIWirelessModem (3.2.7) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    net.pocketmac.driver.BlackberryUSB (3.0.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    net.pocketmac.driver.BlackberryUSBDev (3.0.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    uk.co.voxamps.driver.JamVOXUSBAudio (1.1.4) [Click for support]
            /System/Library/Extensions/NovatelWireless3G.kext/Contents/PlugIns
        [not loaded]    com.novatelwireless.driver.3GData (3.0.7) [Click for support]
            /System/Library/Extensions/PACESupportFamily.kext/Contents/PlugIns
        [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.leopard (5.7.2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.panther (5.7.2) [Click for support]
        [loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.snowleopard (5.7.2) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.paceap.kext.pacesupport.tiger (5.7.2) [Click for support]
            /System/Library/Extensions/PTUMWDrv.kext/Contents/PlugIns
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWCDFree (10.5.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWCSP (10.5.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWDIAG (10.5.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWMdmControl (10.5.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWMdmData (10.5.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWNMEA (10.5.12) [Click for support]
        [not loaded]    com.devguru.driver.PTUMWUSBMergeNub (10.5.12) [Click for support]
            /System/Library/Extensions/SMSIWirelessModem.kext/Contents/PlugIns
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        [not loaded]    com.smithmicro.driver.SMSIWirelessSerial (3.2.7) [Click for support]
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        [running]    com.intego.commonservices.taskmanager.plist [Click for support]
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        597 MB    Free RAM
        501 MB    Active RAM
        260 MB    Inactive RAM
        407 MB    Wired RAM
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    Hello,
    My situation:
    1) First problem I encountered was kernel panic on startup. I fixed it fixed by replacing new AppleSMC.kext by older one from 10.8.* version I suppose  (i used KextWizard).
    2) Time after time MacBook restarts and then shows white screen with a message "your computer restarted because of a problem" (or something very similar). I'm able to start system after Cmd+Option+P+R and safe mode.
    3) If I don't use the way described in point 2, I receive kernel panics with reboot (screenshots made in verbose boot mode attached).
    Any help will be highly appreciated.
    http://s24.postimg.org/4r6v7sno5/photo_1.jpg
    http://s24.postimg.org/5uqzjr8b9/photo_3.jpg
    You can see contents of system console below. The first line is the last log message before unexpected reboot. After - some info about next successful boot.
    09.11.13 17:17:24,354 com.apple.SecurityServer[14]: Session 100000 created
    09.11.13 17:45:13,000 bootlog[0]: BOOT_TIME 1384011913 0
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.appstore" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.authd" sharing output destination "/var/log/system.log" with ASL Module "com.apple.asl".
    Output parameters from ASL Module "com.apple.asl" override any specified in ASL Module "com.apple.authd".
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.authd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.bookstore" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.eventmonitor" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.install" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.iokit.power" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.mail" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.MessageTracer" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.performance" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.securityd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.securityd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.securityd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.securityd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.securityd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.securityd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 syslogd[16]: Configuration Notice:
    ASL Module "com.apple.securityd" claims selected messages.
    Those messages may not appear in standard system log files or in the ASL database.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Longterm timer threshold: 1000 ms
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Darwin Kernel Version 13.0.0: Thu Sep 19 22:22:27 PDT 2013; root:xnu-2422.1.72~6/RELEASE_X86_64
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: vm_page_bootstrap: 758086 free pages and 28346 wired pages
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: kext submap [0xffffff7f807a5000 - 0xffffff8000000000], kernel text [0xffffff8000200000 - 0xffffff80007a5000]
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: zone leak detection enabled
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: "vm_compressor_mode" is 4
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: standard timeslicing quantum is 10000 us
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: standard background quantum is 2500 us
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: mig_table_max_displ = 74
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: SAFE BOOT DETECTED - only valid OSBundleRequired kexts will be loaded.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: "name" not a kext
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: AppleACPICPU: ProcessorId=0 LocalApicId=0 Enabled
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: AppleACPICPU: ProcessorId=1 LocalApicId=1 Enabled
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: calling mpo_policy_init for Sandbox
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Security policy loaded: Seatbelt sandbox policy (Sandbox)
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: calling mpo_policy_init for Quarantine
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Security policy loaded: Quarantine policy (Quarantine)
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: calling mpo_policy_init for TMSafetyNet
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Security policy loaded: Safety net for Time Machine (TMSafetyNet)
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Copyright (c) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: MAC Framework successfully initialized
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: using 15728 buffer headers and 9912 cluster IO buffer headers
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: AppleKeyStore starting (BUILT: Sep 19 2013 22:20:34)
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: IOAPIC: Version 0x20 Vectors 64:87
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: ACPI: sleep states S3 S4 S5
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: pci (build 22:16:29 Sep 19 2013), flags 0x63008, pfm64 (36 cpu) 0xf80000000, 0x80000000
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: [ PCI configuration begin ]
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: console relocated to 0xf80060000
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: [ PCI configuration end, bridges 7, devices 17 ]
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement: (built 22:16:38 Sep 19 2013) initialization complete
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: mcache: 2 CPU(s), 64 bytes CPU cache line size
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: mbinit: done [64 MB total pool size, (42/21) split]
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Pthread support ABORTS when sync kernel primitives misused
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: BTCOEXIST off
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: wl0: Broadcom BCM4328 802.11 Wireless Controller
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: 5.10.131.36
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: rooting via boot-uuid from /chosen: A48BC419-641A-3D6D-9E79-1B30F915702B
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Waiting on <dict ID="0"><key>IOProviderClass</key><string ID="1">IOResources</string><key>IOResourceMatch</key><string ID="2">boot-uuid-media</string></dict>
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: com.apple.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless kmod start
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: com.apple.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib kmod start
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: com.apple.AppleFSCompressionTypeDataless load succeeded
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: com.apple.AppleFSCompressionTypeZlib load succeeded
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: AppleIntelCPUPowerManagementClient: ready
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: Got boot device = IOService:/AppleACPIPlatformExpert/PCI0/AppleACPIPCI/SATA@1F,2/AppleICH8AHCI/PR T0@0/IOAHCIDevice@0/AppleAHCIDiskDriver/IOAHCIBlockStorageDevice/IOBlockStorageD river/Hitachi HTS542525K9SA00 Media/IOGUIDPartitionScheme/HDD@2
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: BSD root: disk0s2, major 1, minor 2
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: jnl: b(1, 2): replay_journal: from: 23162880 to: 2019328 (joffset 0x747000)
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: FireWire (OHCI) TI ID 8025 built-in now active, GUID 002241fffe5a2404; max speed s800.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: jnl: b(1, 2): journal replay done.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: hfs: mounted HDD on device root_device
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: AppleYukon2: Marvell Yukon Gigabit Adapter 88E8055 Singleport Copper SA
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: AppleYukon2: RxRingSize <= 1024, TxRingSize 256, RX_MAX_LE 1024, TX_MAX_LE 768, ST_MAX_LE 3328
    09.11.13 17:45:58,000 kernel[0]: hfs: Removed 0 orphaned / unlinked files and 1 directories
    09.11.13 17:45:19,072 com.apple.launchd[1]: *** launchd[1] has started up. ***
    09.11.13 17:45:19,072 com.apple.launchd[1]: *** Shutdown logging is enabled. ***
    09.11.13 17:45:57,316 com.apple.SecurityServer[13]: Session 100000 created
    09.11.13 17:45:57,996 com.apple.kextd[11]: Safe boot mode detected; invalidating system extensions caches.
    09.11.13 17:45:58,046 com.apple.kextd[11]: Cache file /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/Directories/System/Library/Extensi ons/KextIdentifiers.plist.gz is out of date; not using.
    09.11.13 17:45:59,475 hidd[45]: void __IOHIDPlugInLoadBundles(): Loaded 0 HID plugins
    09.11.13 17:45:59,476 hidd[45]: Posting 'com.apple.iokit.hid.displayStatus' notifyState=1
    09.11.13 17:46:00,178 fseventsd[46]: event logs in /.fseventsd out of sync with volume.  destroying old logs. (312 47 508)
    09.11.13 17:46:01,000 kernel[0]: VM Swap Subsystem is ON
    09.11.13 17:46:01,589 fseventsd[46]: log dir: /.fseventsd getting new uuid: 0E4C2C6C-E362-4761-9030-59394DABCA00
    09.11.13 17:46:01,000 kernel[0]: ucode: no updates in safe mode
    09.11.13 17:46:01,662 com.apple.launchd[1]: (com.apple.ucupdate.plist[24]) Exited with code: 1
    09.11.13 17:46:01,000 kernel[0]: IO80211Controller::dataLinkLayerAttachComplete():  adding AppleEFINVRAM notification
    09.11.13 17:46:01,904 DumpPanic[49]: Saved panic report for kernel to /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Kernel_2013-11-09-174601_Oleksandrs-MacBook-Pro .panic
    09.11.13 17:46:02,355 revisiond[31]: sandbox cache error 3850
    09.11.13 17:46:02,394 xpcd[64]: sandbox cache error 17: database schema has changed
    09.11.13 17:46:03,323 opendirectoryd[20]: sandbox cache error 11: database disk image is malformed
    09.11.13 17:46:05,000 kernel[0]: Waiting for DSMOS...
    09.11.13 17:46:07,000 kernel[0]: AirPort: Link Down on en1. Reason 8 (Disassociated because station leaving).
    09.11.13 17:46:07,425 configd[17]: dhcp_arp_router: en1 SSID unavailable
    09.11.13 17:46:07,448 configd[17]: setting hostname to "Oleksandrs-MacBook-Pro.local"
    09.11.13 17:46:07,453 configd[17]: network changed.
    09.11.13 17:46:07,816 com.apple.SecurityServer[13]: Entering service
    09.11.13 17:46:08,438 com.apple.usbmuxd[23]: usbmuxd-323.1 on Oct  3 2013 at 12:43:24, running 64 bit
    09.11.13 17:46:09,167 mDNSResponder[37]: mDNSResponder mDNSResponder-522.1.11 (Aug 24 2013 23:49:34) starting OSXVers 13
    09.11.13 17:46:09,594 digest-service[65]: label: default
    09.11.13 17:46:09,594 digest-service[65]:           dbname: od:/Local/Default
    09.11.13 17:46:09,594 digest-service[65]:           mkey_file: /var/db/krb5kdc/m-key
    09.11.13 17:46:09,594 digest-service[65]:           acl_file: /var/db/krb5kdc/kadmind.acl
    09.11.13 17:46:10,600 apsd[59]: CGSLookupServerRootPort: Failed to look up the port for "com.apple.windowserver.active" (1102)
    09.11.13 17:46:11,064 UserEventAgent[10]: Captive: CNPluginHandler en1: Inactive
    09.11.13 17:46:11,229 UserEventAgent[10]: Failed to copy info dictionary for bundle /System/Library/UserEventPlugins/alfUIplugin.plugin
    09.11.13 17:46:11,381 airportd[61]: airportdProcessDLILEvent: en1 attached (up)
    09.11.13 17:46:11,726 digest-service[65]: digest-request: uid=0
    09.11.13 17:46:13,267 com.apple.kextd[11]: Cache file /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.kext.caches/Startup/IOKitPersonalities_x86_64. ioplist.gz is out of date; not using.
    09.11.13 17:46:13,000 kernel[0]: flow_divert_kctl_disconnect (0): disconnecting group 1
    09.11.13 17:46:13,771 systemkeychain[79]: done file: /var/run/systemkeychaincheck.done
    09.11.13 17:46:13,786 configd[17]: network changed.
    09.11.13 17:46:13,787 configd[17]: network changed: DNS*
    09.11.13 17:46:13,979 digest-service[65]: digest-request: netr probe 0
    09.11.13 17:46:13,980 digest-service[65]: digest-request: init request
    09.11.13 17:46:14,012 mDNSResponder[37]: D2D_IPC: Loaded
    09.11.13 17:46:14,012 mDNSResponder[37]: D2DInitialize succeeded
    09.11.13 17:46:14,016 mDNSResponder[37]:   4: Listening for incoming Unix Domain Socket client requests
    09.11.13 17:46:14,199 digest-service[65]: digest-request: init return domain: BUILTIN server: OLEKSANDRS-MACBOOK-PRO indomain was: <NULL>
    09.11.13 17:46:15,053 networkd[93]: networkd.93 built Aug 24 2013 22:08:46

    iTMM wrote:
    My iSight camera ... does not work on any Apple OSX software on my early 2008 MacBook PRO 17" - Mavericks 10.9.2...
    Having "performed all of the iSight Troubleshooting", you have already reinstalled OS X, Firefox, and Chrome, updated all of them to the latest versions, uninstalled all third-party mirroring software, and tested in more than one OS X login user account.
    If you now restart your Mac and launch only Photo Booth, does not the PB window now display the image your camera is viewing?
    If the answer is no, even for the simple Photo Booth app, we are left wondering how scratch.mit.edu (a Flash-based web site) can find a working camera when using the Chrome browser.
    If the answer is still no, my first suggestion would be to click the "Check Now" button in your  > System Preferences... > Flash > Advanced menu command.  If there is a later update, apply it, and test your camera again using Apple's iSight troubleshooting suggestions.
    If you were already using the current Flash version, or if updating it does not change any troubleshooting results, I would try reinstalling OS X one more time in case you had a bad download or install on your previous try.  Then test again with Apple's troubleshooting suggestions.
    Message was edited by: EZ Jim
    Mac OSX 10.9

  • I'd like to replace my hard drive.  How do I know what to buy for my 15-inch early 2008 MacBook Pro?

    I am out of room on my hard drive.  I'd like to get a new hard drive and restore my data to the new drive from Time Machine.  How do I know what kind of hard drive to buy for my 15-inch, early 2008 MacBook Pro?  Also, how hard is this to do? 

    I have changed HDDs several times on the old MBP.  Currently it has a Hitachi 500 GB HDD that came out of my new one.  My adage is that one cannot have too much storage and I think that the 1TB HDD is an excellent choice.  Not only do you get generous capacity, the performance should be (theoretically) comparable to a 750 GB 7200 rpm HDD.  I will be very surprised if there are compatibility problems.
    If you bought the HDD from OWC, you should have received Installation instructions.  If not, go to the OWC website and look at the video.  I actually downloaded it so that I could hand write the instructions down step by step.  Also check out iFixit website.  They have step by step instructions that may prove to be useful.
    Tools you need:  00 Phillips and #6 Torx Drivers (get good ones).   The instructions make mention of a plastic pry bar (spudger).  I use a stiff piece of plastic like a credit card.
    Tips to keep in mind:  Get a large open table space and place a large clean towel on it.  That will protect your MBP and when you drop a screw (and you will) it will not bounce far so you will not have to spend an hour looking for it.
    As you take out a set of screws, keep them together (I use wide masking tape.  The little screws will stick to it.)
    Keep the sets in sequence.  That will make reassembly much, much easier.
    The most difficult steps are removing the keyboard from the MBP body and removing the ribbon cable from the mother board.  In case of the former, work from the back (the display) to the front.  You will initially have to pry it up and then do a lot of jiggling to remove it.  Don't be too timid about it.  At the end of the ribbon cable there is a rectangular connector.  Use your credit card to remove it.  Just pry it off.
    The #6 Torx driver is used to take off the 4 mounting pins on the HDD and if I remember correctly there is another place where it is needed, specifically in the battery compartment ( I think).  If the instructions don't say so, keep that in mind and inspect the screw before you select the driver.
    Good luck and make sure that you don't have parts left over.
    Ciao.

  • Early 2008 MacBook Pro hard drive was killed; how to sync stuff

    My early 2008 MacBook Pro hard drive was reimaged (not by me) and they lost everything on there, and have now put in a new hard drive, saying nothing was salvageable on the original HD. I have an iPhone, iPod, iPad. When i get the MBP back, how will I be able to get those devices synced so that everything I've bought/have goes back onto the HD?
    The original HD was being reimaged because my work requires use of Windows, and I was using Windows via Boot Camp. Windows got a terrible rogue virus (from my clicking on a link), which shut everything down on that side. Work tech folks said they needed to reimage the Windows part of the drive, but said in the process, the reimaging took everything, Mac stuff included. That's why I'm in this situation. They are going to put in a new hard drive, but it is a blank slate.
    Long story short: last time I backed up was 2 years ago, and it wasn't using Time Machine, but an external hard drive. That was also before I got my current iPhone, the iPad and made some additions to iTunes. (For those who say shame on me, for not doing a backup sooner, you're right: But we have gone through 3 moves in 18 months, so it has been kinda nuts.)
    I expect the MBP to get sent back to me in the next day. I have no idea how to put these pieces back together. I'm not even sure about data recovery, but am most concerned about iTunes/iPhone/iPod/iPad.
    Thanks for your help!

    suzannemacuser wrote:
    Long story short: last time I backed up was 2 years ago, and it wasn't using Time Machine, but an external hard drive. That was also before I got my current iPhone, the iPad and made some additions to iTunes.
    Two years ago??? Shame on you!!! 
    I found this the other day. It's old but still applies. This should be more than enough to help you get back on track. See the comments by Zevoneer
    https://discussions.apple.com/message/7217190#7217190
    You will have to check on each of these. Some of the links are outdated but there is more than enough to get you started. See this article about transferring purchases. The link is in the other thread as well.
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1848?viewlocale=en_US
    Backup! Backup! Backup!
    Message was edited by: Demo

  • My early 2008 Macbook Pro is suffering from black screen after Yosemite update

    My early 2008 Macbook Pro is suffering from black screen after Yosemite update. It ran beta 5 great but failed on restart after beta 6 install. There is no cursor but I can hear the HDD spooling up. I have tried booting in safe mode, PRAM reset and SMC reset but nothing works. After the first 5 days of every now and then trying to start it, it started fine. I used the machine all day with no problems, it had rolled back the install and was back on beta 5. I decided to try the update again, the same thing happened and it has stayed black for over a week now. It wont work with a monitor either. Help!

    Hello Adam,
    I would try instead of installing the beta software, to install the official build of OS X Yosemite from the Mac App Store to see if that gets you passed the no video issue when updating the beta software. 
    How to install OS X Yosemite on your Mac
    http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT6412
    Regards,
    -Norm G.  

  • Early 2008 MacBook Pro has no chime/keyboard/USB/video

    Since I can no longer view the relevant Apple TS for the famous NVIDIA GPU problem, I'm not sure what the cause of the problem is with my early 2008 MacBook Pro running Mavericks.
    I was using it last night to watch a recorded news show while getting ready for dinner and the news show seemed to stop early. Didn't think anything of it at the time because it was time to eat, however I noticed that the browser was still open and the screen was still on, as would have been expected.
    After eating, I went to wake up the computer and, while it seemed to be sleeping, which usually happens after about 15 minutes, it wouldn't respond to the keyboard or trackpad. Before long I realized that it also had no USB power. I also can't connect via FireWire or Ethernet.
    Since it will not respond to the keyboard, there are a number of options which are not available to me (like resetting NVRAM or starting in Target Disk Mode, etc.).
    Since there is a CD inconveniently already in the SuperDrive, I can't start up from the system disc.
    I have removed/replaced the RAM, tried resetting the SMC numerous times, and I've quadruple-checked that the keyboard/trackpad ribbon is attached to the logic board. Not sure what other options are available to me.
    The main reason that I think it is not the NVIDIA problem is because it seemed in those cases that the keyboard would light, at least the Caps Lock key, and I have nothing except the sleep indicator by the latch and the sound of the optical drive spinning up and then eventually spinning down, oh, and the fans seem to be working.
    Any suggestions? Relevant details left out?

    No chime means your Mac has not passed it's startup diagnostics.
    Take your Mac in for service >  Apple - Find Locations

  • Early 2008 Macbook Pro Should I upgrade to 6gb ram and SSD?

    In the last few months, I've entered the world of 64-bit computing. I learned that this now means that my Early 2008 Macbook Pro, that has been fantastic and flawless for 6 years, needs an upgrade or replacement. I'm hard-hard stuck on whether I should upgrade it or replace it.
    My current configuration is:
    Processor  2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
    Memory  4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
    Storage 200 GB SATA Disk
    I need to run OSX Mavericks and Windows 7 in VMWare or Bootcamp (I don't really like bootcamp).
    I am eyeing two upgrades
    1) Crucial 4GB Single DDR2 667MHz (PC2-5300) CL5 SODIMM 200-Pin Notebook Memory Module CT51264AC667
    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001RB21JY/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1& smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
    2) Crucial M500 240GB SATA 2.5-Inch 7mm (with 9.5mm adapter) Internal Solid State Drive CT240M500SSD1
    http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-Inch-adapter-Internal-CT240M500SSD1/dp/B00BQ8R M1A/ref=sr_1_10?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1392961391&sr=1-10&keywords=ssd
    My question is: Is it worth it for me max out my computer by upgrading again for $250? Will this hold me over for another 2-3 years, or should I look to replace?

    Well, I have researched and researched and researched and come to a conclusion. I've compared many brand new replacement computers, and also reviewed my options for upgrading my computer. Upgrading to a new computer altogether, I have come across a few very attractive offers, but they're all in the $800+ price range.
    I've decided that OSX Mavericks is my main issue. My early 2008 Macbook Pro was 100% perfectly sufficient for everything I needed it for when using OSX Snow Leopard. After the upgrade, VMWare Fusion runs like a sloth and everything else runs like a slug (maybe a slug that had a 5 hour energy...). Seriously. Just now, I am running Safari and MS Word while copying files to my backup drive. The beachball is all over the place, whereas the CPU is only at 15% use and RAM is at 3.97/4.00. I'm barely using the computer, and it's ridiculously hot and the fans are screaming.
    First thing I'm going to do is 'upgrade' back to Snow Leopard to recover my RAM and regain the ability to effectively run my VMWare virtual machine. Then, I'm going to opt for the $100 upgrade to total 6GB of RAM and $150 upgrade to a SSD.

  • Is 8 gb of RAM safe to install in my early 2008 MacBook Pro? Apple says 4 gb is the maximum.

    Apple says that my early 2008 MacBook Pro can only have a maximum of 4 gb of RAM. Has anybody tried adding more than the recommended max? I have heard people say 8 gb is ok but wanted to know if anybody has actually done this. I run parallels desktops with windows 8 and it is incredbily slow. I was thinking if I upgraded the RAM I could dedicate more RAM to both Windows and OSX.

    It would appear that the maximum of RAM that an early 2008 MBP will accept is 6 GB.  The specifications are:  200-pin PC2-5300 (667MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMM.  I cannot give you a definitive answer since I do not know the exact model number of your MBP. I suggest that you check with OWC and/or Crucial for a definitive answer to your question. 
    Ciao.

  • How can I connect my early 2008 MacBook Pro to a tv through HDMI?

    I was wondering if there is a way to connect my early 2008 MacBook Pro to a tv using an HDMI port. My MacBook Pro has a DVI output. In the past I bought a DVI to VGA adapter and connected it to a TV that had a PC input that took VGA and a 3.5mm audio cable. I was wondering if anybody has found an adapter or cable that takes a DVI and 3.5 mm audio cord and has only an HDMI cord at the other end. I have a new TV that only has HDMI inputs and would like to be able to connect my laptop to it.

    Since you have not identified exactly what MBP you have, but mention DVI, I suspect a cable such as this is what you will need.
    http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/380694416929?lpid=82
    Understand that 2009 MBPs and earlier do not support audio via DVI or minidisplay port.  You would have to tap the audio output port  with a cable such as this:
    http://http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=691009&Q=&is=REG&A =details
    I am not endorsing these cable specifically, these are just examples that represent what connections that are required.
    Ciao.

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