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MacBook Pro is really slow after yosemite update.

Hi my mbp 2011 model runs extremely slow after the yosemite update. All programs take forever to open and I constantly get the spinning rainbow wheel.

Please help me!!!

MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), OS X Yosemite (10.10)

Posted on Oct 25, 2014 9:48 PM

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Posted on Oct 27, 2014 10:48 AM

Hi I have a MBP 15in early 2011 model but have not updated it yet fearing what you have just told me. It might be caused by the lower hardware specs of 2011 models or due to Yosemite working in the background. I have seen people talking about Yosemite indexing their computers which takes time and also a decent amount of CPU.

55 replies

Nov 2, 2014 2:49 AM in response to gabe010

NOT happy with Apple's so-called yosemite 'upgrade'... 2012 MBP with 8GB ram and the thing reminds me of when I ran Windows! This was precisely why I moved to Mac back in the day... and now, looks like Microsoft engineers have been hired in to Apple because the boot-up takes minutes now, the HD is frequently re-indexing and programs 'feel' heavy and lethargic.


What a retro-grade step! Well done Apple, you've managed to sabotage all the gains you made over your rivals and make a really responsive environment just as bad as the rest of them!!!


It would appear there isn't much to choose between the experience of either a mac of windows machine now - a very sad day for all. What's worse is that we're going to have to waste time idling watching a machine run unnecessary subroutines... what a hash! 😕 I guess the only saving grace is you don't have to reboot as often as windows - but maybe that will change also for the next upgrade??!!

Nov 2, 2014 5:15 AM in response to leturtle

yes, it's exactly like windows now; I have to reboot 1-2 times a day; and the worst is that the spinning wheel, which I was never used to see, it always there, even with plenty of free memory. This is happening on two different computers so the update IS the culprit.


so, I'm going to have a waste an entire day reinstalling everything but I don't know if I should try a fresh yosemite install, just to see, or go back to Maverick which always worked well.


And, of course, Apple plays it silent "it's not happening", as usual, when something goes wrong.

Nov 4, 2014 11:37 PM in response to ThomasD3

I have exactly the same problem. It takes minutes to do anything at all, but it didn't start out that way. The install on my 2011 13" MacBook Pro went flawlessly. But when I did my 2007 iMac it crashed. I repaired the disk and did a clean install and it worked great for a couple of days. I hardly installed anything non-Apple, EyeTV and Toast, and then after a while it just started lagging. Even if I restart with the shift key, it'll run fine for a few minutes and then it's back to creeping along. I've never seen this in a Mac in 28 years. I'm trying to do a reinstall, but just trying to change the startup disk is taking forever.

Nov 7, 2014 11:47 AM in response to gabe010

Clean install seem to be the solution. I've upgraded to Yosemite on my early 2013 rMBP i7/16GB/500GB SSD/GeForce GT650M and noticed the speed lag and unstableness of the system. Maverick was running perfect on it. Did a clean install on my late 2011 Mac Mini i7/8GB/250GB SSD/Intel HD3000 and its blazing fast. Much faster than the rMBP with much better specs. rMBP run "ok" just to get the job done if I turn on "reduce transparency". I should not have to do that.


Did my Time Machine backup already, will do a clean install and hope it doesn't transfer all the junks that cause the system to slow down.

Dec 4, 2014 7:12 AM in response to Pod89

Instead of typing up everything you just wrote, I will just say that you describe the issue perfectly. Have you done anything that was able to fix it? I was not even able to make a genius bar appointment because I know longer have protection. Seems a little weird that Apples own updates are the reason my computer now *****, You would think they would tell old computer owners not to download them.

MacBook Pro is really slow after yosemite update.

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