Fixing an old macbook pro from 2009

Hi,
i just recently was given an 15" macbook pro from 2009. I am thinking about upgrading the hard drive for the following reasons.
1. It overheats a lot and the battery then drains in about 3 hours. I don't know why this is happening.
2. It is really slow. Like, it takes 5 min to open programs and booting up is a pain.
I don't know if its worth saving, I want to use a wacom cintiq with it soon and use adobe flash, illustrator, photoshop and after effects CS6. Should I just buy a new macbook pro? I don't know if I can. Everything else works fine. Just wondering if its worth saving.
Thanks,
Rockwell

You should know that the problems you have described have nothing to do with the hard drive itself. The problem lies in either system software or third-party hardware or the motherboard. So before you spend money and time on a new hard drive I suggest you do the following:
Install or Reinstall Mavericks, Mountain Lion, or Lion from Scratch
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
OS X Mavericks- Erase and reinstall OS X
OS X Mountain Lion- Erase and reinstall OS X
OS X Lion- Erase and reinstall Mac OS X
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
because it is three times faster than wireless.
You do need to do the above as part of the following requirements: What to do before selling or giving away your Mac

Similar Messages

I have a macbook pro from 2009 and the software is 10.5.8 how do i update it so i can have more interaction with the applications

i have a macbook pro from 2009 and the software is 10.5.8 how do i update it so i can have more interaction with the applications

Note some programs may not work with Lion or later
Upgrading to 10.7 and above, don't forget Rosetta!

Macbook Pro from 2009 install OSX problem

I got the 17 inch Macbook pro from 2009. There was installed Maverick before, but previous user deleted all from the hard drive.
Previous owner explained to me that I need to instal Snow Leopard and after that to upgrade it to Maverick OS X.
Now when machine is started it starts with OS X Utilities an i can choose one of following:
Restore from Time machine Backup - I do not have any backups, since I got machine, I want clean new installation.
Reinstall OS X - this opens new screen where it tries to install Maverick OS X, whenever I proceed it throws the error, and no progress is made.
Get Online help - opens Safari
Disk Utility
What are my best next steps, to get this Macbook work again? Ordering SnowLeopard from Apple Store http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573Z/A/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard ? And after it to upgrade it to Maverick? Is there a way to order this and download without waiting it to be delivered?

Is there a way to order this and download without waiting it to be delivered?
No, you need the disk. If you do find a download it is illegal and may be corrupt.
I would get the disk, boot off the DVD, and after the language menu choose Utilities/Disk Utility. Repair the disk and repair permissions. Then select the partition tab, select the partition and erase the disk formatting as Mac OS Extended (Journaled). Click the Option button and select GUID. Then click erase. When it is erased, install 10.6, then use the combo update to get it to 10.6.8.
10.6.8 Combo Updater
Run Software Update (  menu) until there are no more updates. Then go to the App Store, sign in with your Apple ID, and download Mavericks.

Got the old MacBook Pro from my daughter; I have an Apple ID; How can I change the user of the Pro to my name

My daughter gave me her old MacBook Pro; How can I change the computer name and users account to mine; I have alraedy an Apple ID

Here are the steps to follow when giving away or selling a Mac.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5189?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

Vhy mountain lion can not mirroring my macbook pro from 2009, mountain lion can not mirroring my macbook pro from 2009

My macbook pro 15´´from mid 2009 can not mirroring vith mountain lion werry bad í did not no that befor i bought this upgrade

Welcome to Apple Support Communities
Only Apple knows that, but you can use a third-party app to mirror your computer display onto your Apple TV, like AirParrot > http://www.airparrot.com

MacBook Pro from 2009 running slow.

Hi,
I have a MacBook Pro, purchased in 2009, running Mac OS X 10.5.8.
It seems to be getting increasingly slower.
Until now, my main problem has been the spinning rainbow wheel showing up if I have too many pages open in Safari. At which point I usually just wait until it stops, or sometimes have to "Force Quit" Safari.
But now my computer won't open certain files in Pages and Numbers. If I try to open a file from the Recently Opened Tab in Numbers, I have to open the file twice before it will pop up, and my computer was having a hard time running several (around 5) programs at once - Text Edit, Pages, Numbers, Safari, and Preview. When I tried to close and save the files (since it seemed the computer was overloaded), some of the files could not be saved.
I have never had this problem before.
I have also been seeing a file that is automatically downloaded, without clicking on any OK button, every so often.
The file is simply named DownloadedFile-1 (or 2 etc), and I have been systematically deleting them but I am worried that this could be a virus?
I noticed that the file sometimes begins automatically downloading when I have the website Grooveshark.com open.
I would appreciate any help or advice!
Thanks in advance!
Carrie

Carrie,
how much RAM is installed on your MacBook Pro?
If you boot your MacBook Pro into Safe mode, does it run just as slowly as in normal mode?

What is the impact of restoring a MacBook Pro from 2009 to factory settings

I am concerned about all upgrades since original purchase as well as a verison of Office 2008 - all of which I intend to keep.

MacBook Pros are notebooks, Mac Pros are desktops.
Office 2008 was not prebundled with any Mac operating system in full release. There are some Test Drive office releases that were released at times. You'll have to find either your download direct from Microsoft, or CD from Microsoft to reinstall Office 2008. Some have had difficulty with Office 2008 installer running on Mac OS X 10.7 or later. You can try OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Zoho Docs as alternatives if all you do is Excel, Word, and Powerpoint. Some Exchange servers require Microsoft's own e-mail program, while others work fine with Mac OS X Mail. Your best bet is to backup your system at least twice before doing any restore to factory settings.

I have a MacBook Pro from 2009 that reads DVDs as CDs. It will only play the audio and not the video. Can I fix this at home?

My computer reads DVDs and CDs, playing only the audio. I need to know if I can fix my computer with resets at home instead of taking it in. It is not under warranty.

Do-It-Yourself Laptop Repair
Research YouTube's 'How To' video tutorials
FixYa

Using iCloud with MacBook Pro from 2006, running iOS Snow Leopard 10.6.8

I have an old MacBook Pro (from 2006) running OS X Snow Leopard ver. 10.6.8. I wanted to use MobileMe or iCloud to store content, but I have run into a problem. iCloud needs version 10.7.5 or higher, but I can't seem to find a way to upgrade from my version to that version. The free OS X Mavericks upgrade requires newer hardward. I can't find a way to upgrade to Lion or any version - I keep getting into a support page loop.

You need to call Apple to purchase Lion or Mountain Lion.

I see that i have a problem after installing my new hard drive on my macbook pro mid 2009 version. I put a new hard drive, with all of my information from my old drive installed on it, into the computer. but now have the blinking question mark folder

i see that i have a problem after installing my new hard drive on my macbook pro mid 2009 version. I put a new hard drive, with all of my information from my old drive installed on it, into the computer. but now have the blinking question mark folder. I see that it means that it isn't reading the new hard drive.
did i miss a step between transferring all of my information from my old hard drive to the new hard drive and installing the new hard drive into the computer. I believe that i installed properly. it was quite easy.
thanks for your help

It means there is no bootable system on the drive. If you still have access to the old drive, then I suggest you boot from it then clone it to the new internal drive. Use OPTION boot to boot from the Recovery HD on the old drive:
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
     1. Select Disk Utility from the main menu then press the Continue
         button.
     2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
     3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
     4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it
         to the Destination entry field.
     5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to
         the Source entry field.
     6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
Source means the external old drive. Destination means the new internal drive.

I have had to "re-instate" "Mail" on my 5yr old Macbook Pro after it got "lost"during an s/w upgrade to Snow Leopard v10.6.8. In reinstated version all my Email archive folders are now missing from the screen. How/where do I find them ??

I recently purchased Snow Leopard v10.6.3 in order to upgrade the OSX platform on my 5 year old Macbook Pro. That loaded without trouble. Then I needed to do an online upgrade from 10.6.3 to 10.6.8 (via 10.6.4) and there the trouble commenced !! Somewhere along the way, the "Mail" application simply disappeared! On advice from Apple telephone support, I did a "selective" reinstall of "Mail" from the Snow Leopard disk, but the version of Mail it loaded (v4.5) was wrong for use with OSX v10.6.8 and so it kept asking for the 'latest" version (v4.6) and just would not work. I tried a "Fix" download provided on the Apple site, that didn't work.
I spent 2 hours at the Genius Bar of my local Apple Store and they finally found a fix, after some difficulty. Apparently there had been a programming error somewhere in one of the Apple update downloads.
So now I have "Mail" back - but the Mailbox folders now not as they were before - particularly they do not contain my archive Folders that I had been using to store certain historic emails.
I think the folder structure on "Mail" is now identical to that on my "BT Yahoo" screen - whereas before they had been different. My local Apple Store told me that it was practice now to synchronise the "Mail" screen and (for example) the BT Yahoo screen to be identical. This is well and good going forward - but does not help me with access to my historic "email filing system" !!
Anyone help me find those missing folders ?? They must be stored somewhere, but where ??!!
Cheers
Higgins5000

Use the trackpad to scroll, thats what it was designed for. The scroll bars automatically disappear when not being used and will appear if you scroll up or down using the trackpad.
This is a user-to-user forum and most people will post on here if they have problems. You very rarely get people posting to say there update went smooth. The fact is the vast majority of Mountain Lion users will not be experiencing any major problems with the OS, or maybe with apps which are not compatible, but thats hardly Apple's fault if developers don't update their apps.

Can I swap the hard drive from MacBook Pro 17 (2009) to MacBook Pro 15 (2006)?

My MacBook Pro 17 (2009) died. Pushing the power button gets no response. I had had problems with it for some time turning it on, it usually taking many many tries. Plus when I'd try to do a restart after updating software, instead of doing so it'd shut off super quick with a *pop* sound. There was never any of the typical hard drive going bad sounds I've read about and seen in videos. Since it has refused to turn on I've gone through every suggestion I can find to get it to turn back on. Unhook the battery and try starting from just the power cord; the shorting the power pads move; some thing undoing the battery, counting to 10, and then the next steps now escape my memory, but doing more counting to 10 inbetween; unplugging the battery and leaving it sit for 2 days with no power cord plugged in either, then hook it to a power cord and turn it back on; and so many more.
Also the symptoms just before this fiasco were as follows: I had a CD in the internal drive and was browsing through the images on it via the handy previewer using the space bar. Then I decided to quite, tried ejecting the CD by dragging the icon to the trash, and nothing. I tried again. The same. Then I pushed on the eject key, with the ejct icon popping up on the screen momentarily, but still nothing. Then it appreared as though some things worked and other things were not working. In my frustration I went to the Apple menu and clicked restart with a wince knowing it was going to take forever to turn back on. It did the usual quickly off with a *pop* and made super short lame attempts to turn back on when using the power button. Of course the CD kept trying to spin for a split second and then the little indicator light on the front would go out, then no noise at all.
Since I do not believe it is the hard drive (of course I could be wrong not being a Mac nerd at all), I was wondering if I can switch the hard drive to my Macbook Pro 15 (2006)?
I tried this, but it would not read the hard drive. Just a blank grey screen. If it is possible to do this swap, what are the exact steps to do? Please answer like I'm completely illiterate on this, because I really am. I'm super scared of losing everything on the dead MacBook's hard drive. Yeah yeah, I know: then why have I not been backing things up? I had the week prior. Believe me I WILL be doing it daily from now on if I get this mess straightened out!
Here are the specs for each MacBook Pro:
Name: MacBook Pro 17 (info gained from the serial on the bottom and then looked up online)
Model: A1297
Model Code: mbp_17_early_09
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
CPU Speed: 2.8GHz
RAM Type: DDR3 PC8500 SODIMM 1066MHz
RAM Slots: 2
Max RAM by Slot: 2 x 4GB
Maximum RAM: 8GB
RAM Pairing: Modules may be installed individually
Hard Drive Connection: SATA 300
Hard Drive Platter Size: 2.5"
Device Connectivity: USB 2.0, FireWire 800
Video Output (base graphics option): Mini DisplayPort
Expansion Slots: ExpressCard/34
Max Operating System Version: 10.6.8 (I believe that is what was last on the computer)
Name:    MacBook Pro 15" (retrieved from the System Profiler on this Mac)
Model Identifier:    MacBookPro2,2
Processor Name:    Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed:    2.33 GHz
Number Of Processors:    1
Total Number Of Cores:    2
L2 Cache:    4 MB
Memory:    3 GB
Bus Speed:    667 MHz
Boot ROM Version:    MBP22.00A5.B07
SMC Version (system):    1.12f5

OGELTHORPE really sorry to keep bugging you, but it's obvious you know what you are talking about and I'm stuck on thin ice here getting this fixed, because there are no authorized Apple reps here. I would rather shoot myself for messing up, then to trust someone who "says" they can fix my Mac down here.
I checked out a company owned by ebay that is the same down here, called MercadoLibre. There are quite a few adapters listed there. I'd like to give you links for some and was wondering if you minded taking a look to tell me if any seem to fit the bill. Some have specs in English, others don't. (Google translater is my friend!)
#1. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-415826915-adaptador-usb-a-ide-y-sata-con -cables-y-fuente-envio-gratis-_JM
#2. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416270876-usb-20-to-ide-sata-25-35-hard- drive-_JM#D[S:HOME,L:HISTORY,V:1]
#3. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416384859-adaptador-usb-20-a-sataide-_JM
#4. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-415596152-adaptador-usb-20-para-sata-e-i de-manhattan-_JM
#5. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416061182-adaptador-de-usb-a-sata-o-ide- 3525-con-fuente-externa-_JM
#6. http://articulo.mercadolibre.com.uy/MLU-416061069-convertidor-usb-20-a-sata-hdd- 25-soporta-hasta-1tb-_JM
These are all cost effective enough that I don't care the price - cheap, expensive - whichever will work the BEST!
I've also looked for the 7200 rpm HDD, and although I found some, I'll be danged if they are not 3.0, instead of the 2.5 that I have. Grrrr! I was willing to spend the $90 for 1tb... or being the non-techie that I am, can this 3.0 go into my 2006 MBP??
Just so you can see what all is listed right now:
http://listado.mercadolibre.com.uy/7200-rpm-hdd-2.5-macbook-pro
Another newbie question: How do I check what the amount if RAM is presently installed in it? (I might be a greenhorn, but I take pride in not being a dumbie and I learn when taught)
Right now, I'm willing to spend almost anything. I want a few files that are on the HDD at the moment that I was stupid and did not backup on my external. One file I worked on all day due to the dimensions I had to design it at and each effect took a long time to render. I really don't want to do that one again!.. I'm also willing to spend anything that won't cost me the price of a new iMac. Figure that should be the next one I buy that is affordable, but won't be overworked like the MBP was.
Once again, thanks much for all of your help!

If I buy a new MacBook Air will the Apple Store help me transfer everything from my old MacBook Pro?

Will Apple help to copy over all the settings, apps, programs, files, etc. from an old MacBook Pro 15" on OS X 10.6.8 to a new MacBook Air 15"? Will it work easily and painlessly? Will they help me set it back to factory once everything is copied so that it can be sold or given to someone else? Will they charge for this?
I want to get the new MacBook Air 13".
The current 15" 2.53 GHz MacBook Pro Mid 2009 has the following specs and OS:
Mac OS X version 10.6.8
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,4
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.53 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache: 3 MB
Memory: 4 GB
Bus Speed: 1.07 GHz
Boot ROM Version: MBP53.00AC.B03
SMC Version (system): 1.49f2
Serial Number (system):
Hardware UUID:
Sudden Motion Sensor: Enabled
According to Apple's serial number identifier it's this: https://support.apple.com/kb/SP544
Thanks.

You sure about this? https://www.apple.com/why-mac/better-support/
"Purchase a One to One membership at the same time you get your new Mac from an Apple Retail Store, and you won’t have to spend hours transferring all your stuff. Just bring in your old PC, and we’ll do it for you. A Specialist will move all your files — email, contacts, music, photos, documents, calendar, desktop items — and make sure everything is exactly where it should be. One to One costs just $99, and it includes a year’s worth of one-hour, face-to-face training sessions. It’s like getting a head start before you start."
This is really disappointing. Buy a $3,000 computer from them and then buy another one for $1,000+ and all they want to do is screw you over, nickle and dime you and price gouge you on setting it up.

Macbook Pro Mid 2009 Processor 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Memory 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3. iOS 10.10.1 (14B25). My mac is running slow and have ran EtreCheck. Please help me fix my mac. Thanks!

Macbook Pro Mid 2009 Processor 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, Memory 2 GB 1067 MHz DDR3. iOS 10.10.1 (14B25). My mac is running slow and have ran EtreCheck. Please help me fix my mac. Thanks!
Problem description:
My mac has been very slow lately. Any suggestions?
EtreCheck version: 2.1.2 (105)
Report generated December 14, 2014 at 8:15:29 PM PST
Hardware Information: ℹ️
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009) (Verified)
MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro5,5
1 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core
2 GB RAM Upgradeable
BANK 0/DIMM0
1 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
BANK 1/DIMM0
1 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok
Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported
Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Video Information: ℹ️
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M - VRAM: 256 MB
Color LCD 1280 x 800
System Software: ℹ️
OS X 10.10.1 (14B25) - Uptime: 0:54:52
Disk Information: ℹ️
Hitachi HTS545016B9SA02 disk0 : (160.04 GB)
S.M.A.R.T. Status: Verified
EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
MacHD (disk0s2) / : 159.05 GB (49.15 GB free)
Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
HL-DT-ST DVDRW GS23N
USB Information: ℹ️
Apple Inc. Built-in iSight
Apple Internal Memory Card Reader
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
Startup Items: ℹ️
DVD3EnablerService: Path: /Library/StartupItems/DVD3EnablerService
Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite
Problem System Launch Agents: ℹ️
[failed] com.apple.AirPlayUIAgent.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.CallHistoryPluginHelper.plist
[failed] com.apple.coreservices.appleid.authentication.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.icloud.fmfd.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.secd.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.security.cloudkeychainproxy.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.telephonyutilities.callservicesd.plist [Details]
Problem System Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[failed] com.apple.ctkd.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.icloud.findmydeviced.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.ifdreader.plist
[failed] com.apple.nehelper.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.softwareupdate_download_service.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.wdhelper.plist [Details]
[failed] com.apple.xpc.smd.plist [Details]
Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]
[invalid?] com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Support]
[not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer.plist [Support]
[not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_desktop.plist [Support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
[running] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Support]
[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]
[loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist [Support]
[invalid?] com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Support]
[not loaded] com.teamviewer.teamviewer_service.plist [Support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
[loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Support]
[invalid?] com.nds.pcshow.plist [Support]
[invalid?] com.nds.pcshow.uninstall.plist [Support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
None
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
WidevineMediaOptimizer: Version: 6.0.0.12757 - SDK 10.7 [Support]
FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.235 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.235 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10
Silverlight: Version: 5.1.30514.0 - SDK 10.6 [Support]
iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
Flash Player [Support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
Mobile backups: OFF
Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off
Volumes being backed up:
MacHD: Disk size: 159.05 GB Disk used: 109.90 GB
Destinations:
KINGSTON [Local]
Total size: 30.88 GB
Total number of backups: 0
Oldest backup: -
Last backup: -
Size of backup disk: Too small
Backup size 30.88 GB < (Disk used 109.90 GB X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
      6% WindowServer
      0% AppleSpell
      0% SystemUIServer
      0% powerd
      0% Google Chrome
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
131 MB softwareupdated
112 MB Google Chrome
41 MB Finder
34 MB Google Chrome Helper
32 MB WindowServer
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
51 MB Free RAM
587 MB Active RAM
551 MB Inactive RAM
350 MB Wired RAM
10.96 GB Page-ins
865 MB Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
Dec 14, 2014, 07:37:58 PM Install Adobe Flash Player_2014-12-14-193758_[redacted].crash
Dec 14, 2014, 07:21:27 PM Self test - passed

Please describe the problem in as much relevant detail as possible. The "etrecheck" fad hasn't made that step any less necessary. The usual results of posting etrecheck output on this site without a full description of the problem are very poor.
The many "failed" warnings that etrecheck sometimes spews mean nothing. Those warnings are not a reason to reinstall the OS, or to do anything else at all. They should be ignored.
The better your description of the problem, the better the chance of a solution.
For example, if the computer is slow, which specific actions are slow? Is it slow all the time, or only sometimes? What changes did you make, if any, just before it became slow? Have you seen any alerts or error messages? Have you done anything to try to fix it? Most importantly, do you have a current backup of all data? If the answer to the last question is "no," back up now. Ask if you need guidance. Do nothing else until you have a backup.

How to get audio to tv from 4 year old macbook pro

I have a 4 year old macbook pro, i am trying to view it on my samsung tv, i can get video thru the mini port adapter and hdmi cable, but i cant get audio?

If you Macbook Pro is a 2009 model the mini display port does not carry audio. You must use a separate audio cable from your computer's audio out to your TV's audio in.

Fixing an old macbook pro from 2009

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for