My mac mini runs so slow since since I instaled mountain lion. what can I do?
I had Avira on it and I took that off. Some times Finder goes unresposive and I have to shut the comp. down. That cant be doen with the apple logo top left, I have to switch off by switch at the back of the unit. Hope some one can help?
You can get help here faster if you use your Profile and include your computer, OS X version, memory, and storage. What year is your Mac mini?
The response will vary depending on those values.
Two things you can do initially:
Does your mini still run slow after the above?
That's it until you share more.
Hello.
Thanks for your response.
The info you asked for is;
Mac Mini
OS X 10.8.2
memory 2GB
Storage 160GB
Late 2009
Hope all that helps as I am not very computer literate
Thanks again
Here is what I believe you have.
Late 2009 Mac Mini 3,1 ( w/2.26 Ghz Core 2 Duo (P7750) CPU. You also likely have the Nvidia GEforce 9400M GPU with either 128 or 256MB VRAM. Your 2GB (2x1GB) of main memory is 1066 Mhz SDRAM PC3-8500 DDR3 SO DIMMS (204 pin).
Despite what Apple suggests, your 2GB of memory will cause very poor performance with Mountain Lion. I would recommend a single 4GB (1x4GB) memory module, the official maximum, or with the EFI v1.2 firmware update, you could add an additional, single 4GB module for an unofficial 8GB of memory. Do not leave one of those 1GB memory cards in with the 4GB replacement. That 4GB memory module runs between $31.99 and $32.99 here.
There will be a noticeable performance improvement in boot time and operational speed with that additional 4GB memory.
The steps that I previously outlined may also contribute to performance improvements.
Hi Viking OSX
Firstly THANK YOU for your help.
I have took Avira off and it seems faster. Also did the "Disc utility verify/repair thing and it said its ok.
I will take your advice on the upgrade of memory. I looked at the apple web site help and is seems to say I need a professional guy to do it.
I installed more memory on a pc I had years back and it speeded that up but I don't fancy opening the Mac Mini and doing it my self.
I have not done the "Boot into safe mode" procedure because;
1. it seems to be running ok and
2. I am scared!
Some time ago I had a similar slow running problem and a friend installed "Maintenance" from app store. He said it cleared the cache. Don't know if that was true but Maintenance does not work on Mountain Lion.
Thank you Again
Lewis
Safe Boot Mode will not harm your Mac, your Mountain Lion installation, or your personal files. It is a standard Apple maintenance procedure, actually inherent to the operating system, that cleans out cache files (that will be recreated), rebuilds the font database, checks the filesystems for errors, and a few more steps. Other than the steps I previously outlined, it does all of this before the login prompt. Very simple actually. You should do this.
I have a 2011 Mac mini which requires one to rotate the plastic circular cover on the bottom and the memory slots are instantly available. Memory replacement on the 2009 Mac minis would not be something your nervous system could withstand. You want to take this to an Apple store, or an Apple Certified Reseller that has trained service staff to do this for you. Here is a video on the process, done by OtherWorldComputing, one source of memory that I provided you earlier.
Hi.
Forgot to reply the other day.
I did the safe reboot. The mac is running like new now.
I will look into adding more memory to speed it it even more but probably get it done by a local service agent after I saw the video. Seems quite a lot can go wrong!!
Thanks again for your help.
Hey thanks. Glad the advice led to a smoother Mac experience. Thanks for visiting the Apple Support Community!
mac mini runs so slow since since mountain lion.
