terrydude

Q: We have an early 2008 imac and we realize it is not long for this world but we would like to get a few more months out of it until we can afford a newer one. Can we put in a larger hard drive and add some memory?

Would it be worthwhile to put in a larger hard drive and boost the memory on our early 2008 iMac? We realize it is on borrowed time but we would like to squeeze a little more time out of it.

iMac, OS X Mavericks (10.9.3)

Posted on Dec 18, 2014 8:48 PM

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Q: We have an early 2008 imac and we realize it is not long for this world but we would like to get a few more months out of it until ... more

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  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Dec 18, 2014 9:18 PM in response to terrydude
    Level 6 (14,147 points)
    iPad
    Dec 18, 2014 9:18 PM in response to terrydude

    Your year and model iMac can take a total of 6 GBs of RAM.

    Correct, compatible and reliable Mac RAM can ONLY be purchased from online RAM sources Crucial memory or OWC (macsales.com).

    OWC ( macsales.com) is the only Mac RAM seller that has the 6 GB RAM kit.


    http://eshop.macsales.com/item/Other%20World%20Computing/6400DDR2S6GP/


    It is cheaper and less aggravation if you forget about installing yourself or having an authorised Apple reseller/repair center install a new internal hard drive and just purchase a high quality, large capacity, external FireWire 800 hard drive  from OWC, as well.


    http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB


    You can transfer all of your data from your Mac's internal drive and have it on an external drive and you can even partition the drive so you can use it, also, as a backup drive and backup your entire OS X system and data using a data cloning app such as CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper to create a bootable copy(clone) of your current system onto this external drive.

    The advantage is that you get to keep this drive and use it with your next Mac computer when you are ready to purchase a new or "newer" Mac.

    Plus, it is still cheaper than having a new internal drive, actually, installed inside of your iMac as you will pay for both, the cost of the drive AND the labor to install it.

    AND you would still need some sort of external drive, anyways, to backup all of your data before installing a new internal drive into your iMac.

    No computer shops or repair/install places save any of your data for you. This would be completely your responsibility to do, anyways.

  • by terrydude,

    terrydude terrydude Dec 18, 2014 10:01 PM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 18, 2014 10:01 PM in response to MichelPM

    That sounds like the solution, but I'm not clear on the external drive issue. Does that mean I would be running off of that instead of my internal drive?

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Dec 18, 2014 10:10 PM in response to terrydude
    Level 6 (14,147 points)
    iPad
    Dec 18, 2014 10:10 PM in response to terrydude

    No.

    If your Macs's Internal hard drive is still good, but just getting full, you would simply transfer all your data to the external drive.

    Is your iMac's internal drive failing or is it just getting full?

    Is your iMac running slow? There maybe other issues causing such a slowdown.

  • by terrydude,

    terrydude terrydude Dec 18, 2014 10:35 PM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 18, 2014 10:35 PM in response to MichelPM

    I have 204.95GB available and my  capacity says 319.21GB, so I don't suppose it is getting full, but yes it does run slow and freezes up quite a bit. Are those death throes or would the increased RAM help?

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Dec 18, 2014 11:00 PM in response to terrydude
    Level 6 (14,147 points)
    iPad
    Dec 18, 2014 11:00 PM in response to terrydude

    As I stated, your slowdown issues could be other things.

    Your internal hard drive is no where near full, yet.

    Is this why you think you need a new internal hard drive?

    Please go ahead and download, install and run Etrecheck.

    Etrecheck was developed as a simple Mac diagnostic report tool by a regular Apple Support forum user and technical support contributor named Etresoft. Etrecheck is a small, unobstrusive app that compiles a static snapshot of your entire Mac hardware system and installed software.

    This is a free app that has been honestly created to provided help in diagnosing issues with Macs running newer OS X systems.

    It is not malware and can be safely downloaded and installed onto your Mac.

     

    http://www.etresoft.com/etrecheck

     

    Copy/paste and post its report here in another reply thread so that we have a complete profile of your Mac's hardware and installed software so we can all help with your Mac performance issues.

     

    ThanX.

  • by K Shaffer,

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Dec 18, 2014 11:19 PM in response to terrydude
    Level 6 (14,523 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 18, 2014 11:19 PM in response to terrydude

    What is the current total amount of RAM memory installed in your Early 2008 iMac?

    If it is less than 6GB, that could be one thing to upgrade, & you can do that yourself.

     

    Maximum Memory    6.0 GB (Actual) 4.0 GB (Apple)

    Memory Slots    2 - 200-pin PC2-6400 (800MHz) DDR2 SO-DIMM

     

    •iMac: How to remove or install memory - Apple Support

     

    {The official total RAM specification says 4GB: or two- 2GB chips; but the total after-

    market has been shown to support 6GB total: with one- 4GB chip + one- 2GB chip.}

     

    There is a chance you may have unnecessary software or add-ons, even adware or

    malware of some kind or another running in your computer; those can slow it down.

    Also, if you have a scanning antivirus application running, that could be uninstalled.

    You may have installed some kind of adware by accident, while browsing online.

    Or you may have mistakenly chosen to install a 'cleanmymac' or mackeeper bad-ware.

     

    Those kinds of things can use up processor cycles and hog limited system resources.

     

    Given the limited RAM upgrade potential, to stay at Mavericks OS X 10.9.5 max is

    recommended because Yosemite is not likely to be better in old spec hardware. Also

    the applications and other items you may have working OK in OS X 10.9, may not do

    so well, if at all, under an all new OS X version. Once you upgrade, it may be next to

    impossible to revert to Mavericks; and you cannot download it from the App store.

     

    You could look into The Safe Mac site to read on ideas of how to improve the computer

    and its situation, there are three guides that may help resolve &/or prevent issues:

     

    •The Safe Mac - Tech Guides: {Malware, Adware, & Performance guides}

    http://www.thesafemac.com/tech-guides/

     

    The above site also has another item one may try (free) if there is a hint of adware, and

    that is the Adware Medic. Some adware is advanced enough to try & stop its removal.

    The adware removal guide section in above linked site has manual methods to remove

    several kinds of bad product as well as help identify other causes of problems in OS X.

     

    Some people find a basic report of system status to be helpful, others not so much; a

    simple report that may (or not) show cause of slowness in the system can be obtained

    by running the application from Etresoft known as Etrecheck. It is free & may be helpful.

     

    about etresoft - etrecheck:

    http://www.etresoft.com/etrecheck

     

    However it is limited in that it changes nothing; learning is the key to dealing with OS X

    as most answers are already within it. At least until the Admin user or owner opens it up

    to problematic software or adware from browsing untoward web sites, or bad content.

     

    The idea to use a full bootable system clone as a backup, is good for keeping a copy of

    the computer's hard drive content accessible in case the internal hard disk drive fails,

    or if you need to restore a complete system after a major failure. Part of a backup includes

    more than just a TimeMachine interval backup. A separate externally enclosed hard disk

    drive with its own power supply, can support a bootable clone/copy of your Mac's content.

     

    A good way to make a fully bootable clone copy of your OS X:

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

     

    The OWC macsales referenced external drive series is a good bit of hardware. There are

    limits to running a system from an external hard disk drive, clone or not. USB3.0 + FW800

    are the two main connections that could be most often used. Newer Macs with Thunderbolt

    data ports could use a USB3.0 externally enclosed 7200 RPM hard disk drive via TB to USB

    adapter, and that may provide a fair experience with running a clone from external HDD.

     

    So those are some areas to look into, since slowness may be attributed to excess items

    that don't contribute to the successful function of the Mac OS X; learn of those. To add

    more than 4GB RAM would be helpful. To remove adware, antivirus software, malware,

    and other products of dubious reputation and avoid installing from pop-up prompts, are

    all things that likely need to be checked into seriously. And avoid Yosemite. Make a good

    backup (clone copy) of your working system and also learn how to make a backup of

    the Mavericks installer for offline use. You probably can't get that from Apple anymore.

     

    In any event...

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by terrydude,

    terrydude terrydude Dec 19, 2014 7:41 AM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2014 7:41 AM in response to MichelPM

    Thank you, I will try that and post the results as soon as I get an opportunity. Again thanks.

  • by terrydude,

    terrydude terrydude Dec 19, 2014 7:45 AM in response to K Shaffer
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2014 7:45 AM in response to K Shaffer

    Thanks , I  will try these ideas as well. Do you have any suggestions on how to find a Mavericks installer?

  • by K Shaffer,Helpful

    K Shaffer K Shaffer Dec 19, 2014 3:19 PM in response to terrydude
    Level 6 (14,523 points)
    Desktops
    Dec 19, 2014 3:19 PM in response to terrydude

    Not sure if you could use the Recovery mode to actually get a second installation

    of Mavericks; but if you upgrade to Yosemite, that option for many ceased to exist.

     

    Your online App store may still be able to provide a download of Mavericks, if you

    computer still is running that. ~Be sure if you do go there, and are running 10.9.5,

    it does not try or succeed in upgrading you to Yosemite.

     

    The ability to download from the internet servers may or may not give you another.

    Since I'm looking to get an old stock computer with Mavericks, I would be sure to

    make an offline bootable clone (copy) by use of SuperDuper from Shirtpocket.com

    as they still offer a clone utility for use in demo that should work for free. The other

    contender no longer offers a demo or free-running version. I have an older version

    of Bombich's Carbon Copy Cloner saved in archive for a vintage OS X; it still works.

     

    There had been some product known as Disk MakerX that may (or not) be able to

    be of help. Perhaps conditional, for some, it may. Here's a link to that product:

    http://liondiskmaker.com/  -- new name diskmaker x -- said to make an installer.

     

    A search of the topic & question may  yield a pile of results; a few may be valid.

    Some you'd want to run away from, such as there are bad downloads out there.

     

    Sorry to not have a simple exact answer...

    Good luck & happy computing!

  • by terrydude,

    terrydude terrydude Dec 19, 2014 5:59 PM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 19, 2014 5:59 PM in response to MichelPM

    I downloaded the etrecheck, but I'm having trouble copying and pasting to this site. I keep getting sent to the homepage and having to work my way back to this post. as you can probably tell, my computer skills are self taught, meaning a lot of the time I don't know what questions to ask. How do I get the report to this site?

  • by MichelPM,

    MichelPM MichelPM Dec 19, 2014 7:18 PM in response to terrydude
    Level 6 (14,147 points)
    iPad
    Dec 19, 2014 7:18 PM in response to terrydude

    You need to navigate to this site and this posting, first. Then hit the reply button to bring up the text editor box. In the Etrecheck report list, click the copy to clipboard button, then instead of hitting the Go to Apple Support Communities button, hit the continue button, then go back to your reply post editor and paste the info into your reply then hit the reply button

  • by terrydude,

    terrydude terrydude Dec 20, 2014 11:45 AM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 20, 2014 11:45 AM in response to MichelPM

    Problem description:

    This iMac is running awfully slow, and freezes up often

     

    EtreCheck version: 2.1.5 (108)

    Report generated December 20, 2014 at 1:40:32 PM CST

     

    Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.

    Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.

    Click the [Adware] links for help removing adware.

     

    Hardware Information: ℹ️

      iMac (24-inch, Early 2008) (Verified)

      iMac - model: iMac8,1

      1 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

      4 GB RAM Upgradeable

      BANK 0/DIMM0

      2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok

      BANK 1/DIMM1

      2 GB DDR2 SDRAM 800 MHz ok

      Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

      Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

     

    Video Information: ℹ️

      ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro - VRAM: 256 MB

      iMac 1920 x 1200

     

    System Software: ℹ️

      OS X 10.9.5 (13F34) - Uptime: 21:42:10

     

    Disk Information: ℹ️

      Hitachi HDP725032GLA380 disk0 : (320.07 GB)

      EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

      Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 319.21 GB (204.84 GB free)

      Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>  [Recovery]: 650 MB

     

    USB Information: ℹ️

      Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

      Logitech USB Receiver

      Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub

      Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

      Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

     

    Gatekeeper: ℹ️

      Mac App Store and identified developers

     

    Kernel Extensions: ℹ️

      /System/Library/Extensions

      [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecDriverCore (5.0.1) [Support]

     

      /System/Library/Extensions/Seagate Storage Driver.kext/Contents/PlugIns

      [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_4 (5.0.1) [Support]

      [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.PowSecLeafDriver_10_5 (5.0.1) [Support]

      [not loaded] com.seagate.driver.SeagateDriveIcons (5.0.1) [Support]

     

    Startup Items: ℹ️

      HP IO: Path: /Library/StartupItems/HP IO

      Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite

     

    Launch Agents: ℹ️

      [running] com.seagate.SeagateStorageGauge.plist [Support]

     

    Launch Daemons: ℹ️

      [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]

      [running] com.memeo.Memeod.plist [Support]

     

    User Launch Agents: ℹ️

      [loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]

      [invalid?] com.leadertech.PowerRegister.EPS2.fa8d34509cfddcea6fdfd2f145193825.plist [Support]

     

    User Login Items: ℹ️

      iTunesHelper UNKNOWN (missing value)

     

    Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

      DirectorShockwave: Version: 11.5.0r600 [Support]

      Flash Player: Version: 15.0.0.246 - SDK 10.6 Mismatch! Adobe recommends 16.0.0.235

      FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 15.0.0.246 - SDK 10.6 [Support]

      iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0

      QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

      Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9

     

    User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

      BrowserPlus_2.9.8: Version: 2.9.8 [Support]

      Move-Media-Player: Version: npmnqmp 071505000006 [Support]

     

    3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

      BrowserPlus  [Support]

      Flash Player  [Support]

     

    Time Machine: ℹ️

      Skip System Files: NO

      Mobile backups: OFF

      Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off

      Destinations:

      FreeAgent GoFlex Drive [Local]

      Total size: 1.00 TB

      Total number of backups: 1

      Oldest backup: 2014-06-08 05:27:16 +0000

      Last backup: 2014-06-08 05:27:16 +0000

      Size of backup disk: Excellent

      Backup size 1.00 TB > (Disk size 0 B X 3)

     

    Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

          2% WindowServer

          2% com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

          1% fontd

          0% AppleSpell

          0% aosnotifyd

     

    Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

      292 MB Safari

      219 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

      180 MB mds_stores

      150 MB softwareupdated

      120 MB installd

     

    Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

      1.61 GB Free RAM

      1.86 GB Active RAM

      277 MB Inactive RAM

      543 MB Wired RAM

      626 MB Page-ins

      0 B Page-outs

     

    Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

      Dec 19, 2014, 03:58:57 PM Self test - passed

  • by MichelPM,Helpful

    MichelPM MichelPM Dec 20, 2014 8:44 PM in response to terrydude
    Level 6 (14,147 points)
    iPad
    Dec 20, 2014 8:44 PM in response to terrydude

    I don't see any real issues in the report.

    I would try the RAM upgrade to see if this will help.

    The 4 GB RAM module isn't so expensive not to try and see if it makes a difference in your iMac's performance.

    You may want to download and install FindAnyFile to locate all of those Seagate drive software/extensions and get rid of them because they are not needed by OS X and might be causing some issues your system.

     

    http://apps.tempel.org/FindAnyFile/

  • by terrydude,

    terrydude terrydude Dec 20, 2014 9:49 PM in response to MichelPM
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 20, 2014 9:49 PM in response to MichelPM

    I thank you once again for your help and your patience. We'll give that a try. I would like to take advantage of your knowledge and have you take a glance at my laptop, and give me your input. I don't really have any issues, but perhaps I could catch any problems before they appear.

     

    EtreCheck version: 2.1.5 (108)

    Report generated December 20, 2014 at 11:45:42 PM CST

     

    Click the [Support] links for help with non-Apple products.

    Click the [Details] links for more information about that line.

    Click the [Adware] links for help removing adware.

     

    Hardware Information: ℹ️

      MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011) (Verified)

      MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro8,3

      1 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7 CPU: 4-core

      4 GB RAM Upgradeable

      BANK 0/DIMM0

      2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

      BANK 1/DIMM0

      2 GB DDR3 1333 MHz ok

      Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

      Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

     

    Video Information: ℹ️

      Intel HD Graphics 3000 - VRAM: 384 MB

      AMD Radeon HD 6770M - VRAM: 1024 MB

      Thunderbolt Display 2560 x 1440

     

    System Software: ℹ️

      OS X 10.9.5 (13F34) - Uptime: 64 days 13:43:38

     

    Disk Information: ℹ️

      TOSHIBA MK7559GSXF disk0 : (750.16 GB)

      EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

      Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 749.30 GB (573.70 GB free)

      Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted>  [Recovery]: 650 MB

     

      MATSHITADVD-R   UJ-898 

     

    USB Information: ℹ️

      Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in)

      Logitech USB Receiver

      Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

      Apple Inc. BRCM2070 Hub

      Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

      Xitel MP3-Streamer

      LaCie Rugged Key USB Drive 15.94 GB

      Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

      Apple Inc. Apple Thunderbolt Display

      Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Display)

      Apple Inc. Display Audio

     

    Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️

      Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus

      Apple Inc. Thunderbolt Display

     

    Gatekeeper: ℹ️

      Mac App Store and identified developers

     

    Adware: ℹ️

      Geneio [Remove]

     

    Kernel Extensions: ℹ️

      /Library/Application Support/MacKeeper/AntiVirus.app

      [not loaded] com.zeobit.kext.AVKauth (2.3.1 - SDK 10.7) [Support]

      [not loaded] com.zeobit.kext.Firewall (2.3.1 - SDK 10.7) [Support]

     

    Problem System Launch Daemons: ℹ️

      [failed] com.apple.wdhelper.plist

     

    Launch Agents: ℹ️

      [loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Support]

     

    Launch Daemons: ℹ️

      [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Support]

      [loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist [Support]

      [running] com.zeobit.MacKeeper.AntiVirus.plist [Support]

     

    User Launch Agents: ℹ️

      [loaded] com.genieo.completer.download.plist Adware! [Remove]

      [loaded] com.genieo.completer.ltvbit.plist [Support]

      [running] com.genieo.completer.update.plist Adware! [Remove]

      [invalid?] com.leadertech.PowerRegister.EPS2.fa8d34509cfddcea6fdfd2f145193825.plist [Support]

      [invalid?] com.zeobit.MacKeeper.Helper.plist [Support]

     

    User Login Items: ℹ️

      EEventManager Application (/Applications/Epson Software/Event Manager.app/Contents/Resources/Assistants/Event Manager/EEventManager.app)

      Applications Folder (/Applications)

      CapSee UNKNOWN (missing value)

      Macintosh HD Volume

      CapSee UNKNOWN (missing value)

      EEventManager Application (/Applications/Epson Software/Event Manager.app/Contents/Resources/Assistants/Event Manager/EEventManager.app)

     

    Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

      JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version

      FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 15.0.0.246 - SDK 10.6 [Support]

      Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9

      AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.06 - SDK 10.6 [Support]

      AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.06 - SDK 10.6 [Support]

      Flash Player: Version: 15.0.0.246 - SDK 10.6 Mismatch! Adobe recommends 16.0.0.235

      QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

      iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 6.0

     

    User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

      Google Earth Web Plug-in: Version: 7.1 [Support]

     

    Safari Extensions: ℹ️

      Omnibar [Installed] Adware! [Remove]

     

    3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

      Flash Player  [Support]

     

    Time Machine: ℹ️

      Skip System Files: NO

      Mobile backups: OFF

      Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off

      Destinations:

      Clickfree_Storage [Local]

      Total size: 499.89 GB

      Total number of backups: 4

      Oldest backup: 2011-10-26 10:09:47 +0000

      Last backup: 2013-11-17 19:19:43 +0000

      Size of backup disk: Excellent

      Backup size 499.89 GB > (Disk size 0 B X 3)

      FreeAgent GoFlex Drive [Local]

      Total size: 1.00 TB

      Total number of backups: 2

      Oldest backup: 2014-11-22 09:14:21 +0000

      Last backup: 2014-11-22 12:42:14 +0000

      Size of backup disk: Excellent

      Backup size 1.00 TB > (Disk size 0 B X 3)

     

    Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

          4% WindowServer

          0% AppleSpell

          0% EEventManager

          0% Google Chrome

          0% fontd

     

    Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

      210 MB Google Chrome Helper

      163 MB Google Chrome

      137 MB Mail

      94 MB Living Wallpaper HD free

      82 MB mds_stores

     

    Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

      58 MB Free RAM

      1.34 GB Active RAM

      1.29 GB Inactive RAM

      1.24 GB Wired RAM

      103.80 GB Page-ins

      3.15 GB Page-outs

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