Q: Early 2011 Macbook Pro speed problems

Perform SMC and NVRAM resets:

http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063

then try a Safe Boot:

http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

If there is no meaningful change boot into the recovery partition and select from the 4 option menu Disk Utility.

Run Disk Utility>first Aid, Verify and Repair.

If the disk cannot be repaired, it will have to be replaced.

Ciao.

Problem description:

The MacBook Pro runs showing very little free memory when more than one app is running and 0-5% when backing up to TimeMachine. Usually never shows more than 20% free memory.  Suggestions, maybe more memory

Richard

EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)

Report generated February 24, 2015 at 4:48:34 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, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009) (Verified)

    MacBook Pro - model: MacBookPro5,4

    1 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU: 2-core

    4 GB RAM Upgradeable

        BANK 0/DIMM0

            2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

        BANK 1/DIMM0

            2 GB DDR3 1067 MHz ok

    Bluetooth: Old - Handoff/Airdrop2 not supported

    Wireless:  en1: 802.11 a/b/g/n

    Battery Health: Check Battery - Cycle count 268

Video Information: ℹ️

    NVIDIA GeForce 9400M - VRAM: 256 MB

        Color LCD 1440 x 900

System Software: ℹ️

    OS X 10.10.2 (14C109) - Time since boot: 0:37:24

Disk Information: ℹ️

    FUJITSU MJA2320BH FFS G1 disk0 : (320.07 GB)

        EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

        MacBookProHD (disk0s2) / : 319.21 GB (199.16 GB free)

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

    HL-DT-ST DVDRW  GS23N 

USB Information: ℹ️

    Apple Inc. Built-in iSight

    WDC WD1001FALS-00E8B 1 TB

        EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB

        Lois Time Machine  1Tb (disk1s2) /Volumes/Lois Time Machine  1Tb : 999.86 GB (638.02 GB free)

    Apple Internal Memory Card Reader

    Apple Inc. Apple Internal Keyboard / Trackpad

    Apple Computer, Inc. IR Receiver

    Apple Inc. BRCM2046 Hub

        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller

Gatekeeper: ℹ️

    Mac App Store and identified developers

Kernel Extensions: ℹ️

        /Applications/Utilities/DiskWarrior.app

    [not loaded]    com.alsoft.Preview (4.4) [Click for support]

        /System/Library/Extensions

    [not loaded]    com.Susteen.driver.PL2303 (1.2.0) [Click for support]

    [not loaded]    com.flipvideo.IOUSBCameraMassStorage (1.0.1) [Click for support]

    [loaded]    com.honestech.htvad (1 - SDK 10.6) [Click for support]

    [not loaded]    com.mcafee.kext.Virex (1.0.0d1) [Click for support]

    [not loaded]    com.prolific.driver.PL2303 (1.2.1) [Click for support]

Startup Items: ℹ️

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

    Startup items are obsolete in OS X Yosemite

Launch Agents: ℹ️

    [not loaded]    com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]

    [running]    com.flipvideo.FlipShare.AutoRun.plist [Click for support]

    [running]    com.trusteer.rapport.rapportd.plist [Click for support]

Launch Daemons: ℹ️

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

    [running]    com.flipvideo.FlipShareServer.launchd.plist [Click for support]

    [running]    com.memeo.WDMemeod.plist [Click for support]

    [loaded]    com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]

    [running]    com.trusteer.rooks.rooksd.plist [Click for support]

User Launch Agents: ℹ️

    [loaded]    com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist [Click for support]

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

    [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]

User Login Items: ℹ️

    iTunesHelper    Application  (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)

    Dropbox    Application  (/Applications/Dropbox.app)

    Safari    Application  (/Applications/Safari.app)

    ElementsAutoAnalyzer    Application  (/Applications/Adobe Elements 12 Organizer.app/Contents/ElementsAutoAnalyzer.app)

    ElementsOrganizerRevelAgent    Application  (/Applications/Adobe Elements 12 Organizer.app/Contents/MacOS/ElementsOrganizerRevelAgent.app)

    WDMemeoAgent    Application  (/Library/Application Support/Memeo/WD Anywhere Backup/Agents/WDMemeoAgent.app)

Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

    Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10

    Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 3.0.0.126   - SDK 10.8 [Click for support]

    OfficeLiveBrowserPlugin: Version: 12.3.6 [Click for support]

    AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

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

    Silverlight: Version: 5.1.10411.0 - 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

    iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0

    SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.8 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    GarminGpsControl: Version: 4.0.3.0 Release - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]

    JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 15.0.0 - SDK 10.10 Check version

User internet Plug-ins: ℹ️

    fbplugin_1_0_3: Version: Unknown [Click for support]

Safari Extensions: ℹ️

    Facebook Cleaner

    Add To Amazon Wish List

    Better Facebook

    Facebook Photo Zoom

    1-ClickWeather

    SafariRestore

    Twitter for Safari

    AdBlock

    Awesome Screenshot

3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️

    3ivx MPEG-4  [Click for support]

    Déjà Vu  [Click for support]

    Flash Player  [Click for support]

    Flip4Mac WMV  [Click for support]

    Trusteer Endpoint Protection  [Click for support]

Time Machine: ℹ️

    Skip System Files: NO

    Mobile backups: OFF

    Auto backup: NO - Auto backup turned off

    Volumes being backed up:

        MacBookProHD: Disk size: 319.21 GB Disk used: 120.05 GB

    Destinations:

        Lois Time Machine  1Tb [Local]

        Total size: 999.86 GB

        Total number of backups: 17

        Oldest backup: 2014-02-27 22:44:55 +0000

        Last backup: 2015-02-24 22:22:01 +0000

        Size of backup disk: Excellent

            Backup size 999.86 GB > (Disk size 319.21 GB X 3)

Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️

         6%    WindowServer

         0%    coreservicesd

         0%    rapportd

         0%    fontd

         0%    AppleSpell

Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️

    442 MB    Image Capture Extension

    206 MB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent

    133 MB    Safari

    107 MB    Finder

    103 MB    WindowServer

Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️

    56 MB    Free RAM

    1.63 GB    Active RAM

    1.60 GB    Inactive RAM

    613 MB    Wired RAM

    4.39 GB    Page-ins

    446 KB    Page-outs

Diagnostics Information: ℹ️

    Feb 24, 2015, 04:08:13 PM    Self test - passed

    Feb 23, 2015, 10:22:37 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/com.apple.WebKit.WebContent_20 15-02-23-222237_[redacted].crash

    Feb 23, 2015, 09:38:58 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5_2015-02-23-213858_[redacted].crash

    Feb 23, 2015, 09:05:30 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/garcon_2015-02-23-210530_[reda cted].crash

    Feb 23, 2015, 09:05:18 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/dynamiclinkmanager_2015-02-23- 210518_[redacted].crash

Be advised that with Mavericks, OSX tries to use as much RAM as possible for efficiencies sake:

http://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201464

Your cause would be helped if you installed additional RAM.  Your MBP will support up to 8 GB RAM.  The best sources of Mac compatible RAM are OWC and Crucial.

Also rid you MBP of Mcafee AV.  Your MBP does not need it and may be contributing to poor performance.

Ciao.

Modern Intelligence wrote:

 

*** I'm sorry, that was a typo! I have 8GB of ram the maximum capacity allowed.

My last post was responding to rthomaslyons and not directed at you.  He has 4 GB RAM installed in his MBP. 

Ciao.

Thanks, I am trying to see where Mcafee AV is installed so I can get rid of it but it doesn't show up on my searches.....

Download from the App store Easyfind.  That often will locate items that Spotlight misses:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/easyfind/id411673888?mt=12

Ciao.

Go to the next step he told you in recovery and check or repair you startup volume. Also when there run permissions repair. If you have virus software remove it. If you have mackeeper or cleanmymac remove it. Go to utlities and activity monitor. Select all processes and look you any thing using a lot of memory. You can kill the process there. Since you run fine in safe mode, you have some apps that are using up memory.https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203987 This is in case you have adware.

Modern Intelligence wrote:

 

Do you think I have a RAM problem? I was able to check my MacBook and to verify I am actually running 16GB of ram. 8GB in each memory slot.

Not likely.  RAM will either work or not work.  So long as the Mac recognizes all the RAM you have installed, it is fine.

What should my next course of action be? Thank you so much for your help so far.

If every thing is running satisfactorily, then simply continue using your MBP.  If not describe the problem and then we can make a decision. 

Ciao.

I suggest to buy 2x 4GB ram and install it to mac, i have also MacBook Pro Early 2011 and buy 2x 4GB ram, then mac is about 2x faster.

In safe mode it disables  certain programs. Thats why you are able to run in it.https://support.apple.com/kb/PH18938?locale=en_US&viewlocale=en_US Your problem is not memory. You have something running that is using up your memory or trying to load and causing system lag. If you can get to the activity monitor in utilities and set it to all processes. Look for an file or program that is using a lot of memory or CPU.If you are able you could download and run Etrecheck. Then post if here.     http://www.etresoft.com/etrecheck

Modern Intelligence wrote:

 

In safe boot I went "Run disk utility> first aid, verify and repair. It then said the disk was repaired. But now I boot it in the normal mode but I'm still having troubles getting applications to open without the pinwheel coming on and my Macbook basically freezing up.

Boot into the recovery partition and select Disk Utility>First Aid from there and then run Verify and Repair.

Ciao.