My 2008 Macbook can't be upgraded anymore after El Capitan (OS 10.11). Recently after Safari loads up, my Macbook freezes. After several hard shutdowns/re-starts, I decided to open Google Chrome instead of Safari. A pop-up showed up-- "this Chrome version needs OS 10.13 or higher." Is it time to let go? I can still use other apps like Pages, Excel, read PDFs, etc. Please advise.
MacBook, OS X 10.11
Petite Sirah Said:
"Safari freezes in my old MacBook: My 2008 Macbook can't be upgraded anymore after El Capitan (OS 10.11). Recently after Safari loads up, my Macbook freezes.[...]"
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Exiting Out of Safari:
Try Successfully Quitting an App:
You may need for Force Quit an app.
Two steps:
A. Using [command + tab]:
Use [command +tab] to get to Finder (the smileyface). Then, Force Quit the App.
II. Using Force Quit:
See if this applications open. If that is the case, save what need be (if possible), and then Force Quit.
No Success?
C. Force Shutting Down:
Is there and opened data that you are concerned of losing? If not, then hold down the power button for a few seconds, and then power it back on. Then boot up normally. Is all fixed?
Petite Sirah Said:
"Safari freezes in my old MacBook: My 2008 Macbook can't be upgraded anymore after El Capitan (OS 10.11). Recently after Safari loads up, my Macbook freezes.[...]"
-------
Exiting Out of Safari:
Try Successfully Quitting an App:
You may need for Force Quit an app.
Two steps:
A. Using [command + tab]:
Use [command +tab] to get to Finder (the smileyface). Then, Force Quit the App.
II. Using Force Quit:
See if this applications open. If that is the case, save what need be (if possible), and then Force Quit.
No Success?
C. Force Shutting Down:
Is there and opened data that you are concerned of losing? If not, then hold down the power button for a few seconds, and then power it back on. Then boot up normally. Is all fixed?
Google Chrome and other Chromium based browsers are still supported on macOS 10.11, but probably not for much longer.
Since the error message you received is regarding a browser extension, then just delete that browser extension from the browser.
https://support.google.com/chrome_webstore/answer/2664769?hl=en
Once you find macOS is too outdated for your use, then you could consider installing and using Linux Mint instead. Linux is a great way to extend the useful life of a computer, but it does require learning a new OS so Linux is not for everyone. Linux gives you access to an up to date OS with regular security updates as well as access to the popular web browsers (Firefox, Google Chrome, Vivaldi, and others) along with access to lots of free open source software from the Linux distribution's software repositories (such as LibreOffice). However, most commercial software don't have versions for Linux, so you will need to find & use some other compatible apps.
You can try Linux out by booting from a Linux Mint USB installer and selecting the "Live USB" option to see what it may be like, but it will be extremely slow when booted from a USB stick on such an old laptop. Linux works best with 4GB or more RAM, but can be used with as little as 2GB depending on how it will be used (I had a couple browser windows/tabs open, but that would be the extent with just 2GB).
If you decide to install Linux, then make sure you plan ahead. Make sure you have a good backup of your Mac. Also make sure you have any important files stored on external media which can be accessed from any device or OS so that you can access them using Linux. You definitely want to make sure to create and test a bootable macOS 10.11 USB installer since you need a Mac from 2008 to 2015 to create the macOS 10.11 USB installer so you can reinstall macOS if you don't like Linux. Otherwise you would need to use a retail copy of the OSX 10.6 Snow Leopard DVD which would be a longer process and may not always work.
How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support
If your Mac is still using the original Apple hard drive, then there is a good possibility the hard drive is worn out. While it may seem Ok now, installing an OS can sometimes reveal drive issues that may not be readily apparent since an OS install does stress a hard drive and access areas that may not currently be used.
I may not have mentioned that my main goal was to access Gmail through Safari and Google Chrome. Since it seems my Mac OS 10.11 does not support the current versions of Safari and Chrome, I downloaded a version of Mozilla Firefox that will work with OSX 10.11. Problem solved. Thank you everyone for your support.
Safari freezes in my old MacBook
