MacBook Pro Model 3.1, 17", 2.4 GHz, 2 GB RAM, SLOW after installing OS X 10.9.5

More RAM would help. The 2 places I’ve seen recommended most to buy reliable RAM are below. I have purchased RAM several times from Other World Computing and have always been very satisfied with the product and service. They have on-line instructions on how to replace the RAM. OWC has also tested RAM above what Apple states is the maximum. I now have 6GB installed on a machine supposedly limited to 4 GB.

Crucial

Other World Computing

Activity Monitor - Mavericks also Yosemite

Activity Monitor in Mavericks has significant changes

Performance Guide

Why is my computer slow

Why your Mac runs slower than it should

Slow Mac After Mavericks

Things you can do to resolve slowdowns see post by Kappy

It will unless you add RAM, but Snow Leopard is no longer receiving security updates or support from Apple, if that matters to you.

Thank you very much for the Etrecheck information. I have it and ordered RAM from Crucial (based on the Crucial recommendation after scan). There seem to be quite a few things I can clean up. I am uncertain as to the best way to remove items from my start-up disk/hard drive. Below is the snapshot from Etrecheck.

This is embarrassing, but I don't even know what to ask for the sections that have the Etrecheck blue "ask for support" links. Your suggestions are much appreciated.

Problem description:

slow macbook pro

EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)

Report generated February 23, 2015 at 8:08:00 PM CST

Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck

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

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

Hardware Information: ℹ️

MacBook Pro (15-inch 2.4/2.2GHz) (Verified)

MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro3,1

1 2.2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

2 GB RAM Upgradeable

BANK 0/DIMM0

1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHz ok

BANK 1/DIMM1

1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHz ok

Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

Wireless: en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

Battery Health: Normal - Cycle count 83

Video Information: ℹ️

GeForce 8600M GT - VRAM: 128 MB

Color LCD 1440 x 900

System Software: ℹ️

OS X 10.10.2 (14C109) - Time since boot: 0:8:31

Disk Information: ℹ️

FUJITSU MHW2120BH disk0 : (120.03 GB)

EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 119.17 GB (16.86 GB free)

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

USB Information: ℹ️

Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

Apple Computer Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

Gatekeeper: ℹ️

Mac App Store and identified developers

Kernel Extensions: ℹ️

/System/Library/Extensions

[not loaded] com.leapfrog.codeless.kext (2) [Click for support]

[not loaded] com.leapfrog.driver.LfConnectDriver (1.0.1) [Click for support]

Launch Agents: ℹ️

[running] com.brother.LOGINserver.plist [Click for support]

Launch Daemons: ℹ️

[loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: ℹ️

[failed] com.jdibackup.ZipCloud.autostart.plist [Click for support] [Click for details]

User Login Items: ℹ️

Microsoft Database Daemon Application (/Applications/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Microsoft Database Daemon)

Dropbox Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

OpenDNS Updater Application Hidden (/Applications/OpenDNS Updater.app)

HP Product Research Application (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/Customer Participation/HP Product Research.app)

HP Scheduler Application (/Library/Application Support/Hewlett-Packard/Software Update/HP Scheduler.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

Flash Player: Version: 16.0.0.305 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3

Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10

3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

Flash Player [Click for support]

Flip4Mac WMV [Click for support]

Time Machine: ℹ️

Skip System Files: NO

Auto backup: YES

Volumes being backed up:

Macintosh HD: Disk size: 119.17 GB Disk used: 102.31 GB

Destinations:

Data [Network]

Total size: 3.00 TB

Total number of backups: 32

Oldest backup: 2014-10-22 03:23:17 +0000

Last backup: 2015-02-22 01:33:05 +0000

Size of backup disk: Excellent

Backup size 3.00 TB > (Disk size 119.17 GB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

13% WindowServer

12% com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

3% com.apple.WebKit.Networking

3% sysmond

2% mds_stores

Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

116 MB com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

90 MB Finder

87 MB mds_stores

75 MB Dropbox

58 MB mtmd

Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

21 MB Free RAM

853 MB Active RAM

838 MB Inactive RAM

380 MB Wired RAM

1.65 GB Page-ins

5 MB Page-outs

Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

Feb 23, 2015, 07:52:42 PM Self test - passed

Feb 21, 2015, 08:48:47 AM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/discoveryd_2015-02-21-084847_[redacted].crash

Feb 20, 2015, 11:23:15 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DesktopServicesHelper_2015-02-20-232315_[redact ed].cpu_resource.diag [Click for details]

Feb 20, 2015, 11:09:09 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DesktopServicesHelper_2015-02-20-230909_[redact ed].cpu_resource.diag [Click for details]

Feb 20, 2015, 09:12:54 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DesktopServicesHelper_2015-02-20-211254_[redact ed].cpu_resource.diag [Click for details]

Feb 20, 2015, 08:49:29 PM /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/DesktopServicesHelper_2015-02-20-204929_[redact ed].cpu_resource.diag [Click for details]

gidget555 wrote:

This is embarrassing, but I don't even know what to ask for the sections that have the Etrecheck blue "ask for support" links. Your suggestions are much appreciated.

Those are only if you have questions about some 3rd party product. People here on Apple Support Communities know Apple software, but may not know anything about any particular 3rd party software. Usually our advice is just to remove it to see if it is interfering with the normal operation of the system. On Windows, viruses are the big problem. On Macs, low quality, obsolete software is the big problem. And unlike Windows, the Mac doesn't have any method for removing 3rd party software. You have to track down the developer of the app and ask an uninstaller or uninstallation instructions. In some cases, they will not provide that. The "click for support" links are just to try to help with tracking that down.

In your case, you don't appear to have any problem with 3rd party software. You have a problem with Apple software. Apple should not allow Yosemite to be installed on a machine as old as yours. In addition to memory, you also need to purchase a new, SSD hard drive. Your current hard drive is too slow for Yosemite, almost full, and positively ancient. You are lucky that it hasn't died yet. They usually fail after 3 years or so. Use the "Other World Computing" link above to purchase a new hard drive. SSD hard drives are very inexpensive now. You could double your disk space to 240 GB for very little money.

To reiterate - your current hard drive is too small, too old, and too slow. Replacing it with an SSD is not optional.

Thank you very much! I am ordering a new SSD hard drive from OWC. I appreciate all the detail and information you shared. I also very much appreciate the app you created to help with these questions.

QUESTION: Would upgrading RAM to the max. 3GB solve the problem,

The max RAM for a 3.1 MacBook Pro is 6 Gigs, not 3 Gigs. That's what I had and used in mine until it fried its 2nd graphics chip last year. I bought my RAM from OWC.

Hey Lanny, what software is that?

It's called, "Mactracker." Funny that I don't remember it as being "free," but that's what is showing up as on the AppStore now.

Thanks! It seems to report two different models for my machine. I e-mailed the author and sent him the code I use in EtreCheck to query Apple for the exact model.

I have noticed that there are some instances where Apple has used the same model identifiers for minor upgrades, i.e, cpu speed bumps. Is that what's applicable for you?

Lanny wrote:

I have noticed that there are some instances where Apple has used the same model identifiers for minor upgrades, i.e, cpu speed bumps. Is that what's applicable for you?

No. You actually have to call up a server at Apple and send a portion of your machine's unique serial number. Then it will return the correct model number. Usually.

I was talking about model identifiers, not model numbers.

Lanny wrote:

I was talking about model identifiers, not model numbers.

There's no such thing. I shouldn't have said "model number" but, rather, "marketing name". The only automated way to identify a given species of Mac is via its marketing name. The "model identifier" of my machine is "MacBookPro8,1". But there are two different machine that share that "model identifier". Since this isn't unique, it really isn't an identifier. There is a "model number" or "marketing number" that is unique, but can't be obtained via software. The best you can do is query the serial number and send a portion of it to an Apple server that will reply with something like "Mac mini (Late 2014) ". Usually.