Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Possible to downgrade operating system?

Hello experts,

My Macbook is a 13" early 2009 (Core 2 Duo 2.0). I have 6 GB of RAM (recently installed the last 2 GB). The operating system currently is OS X 10.11.3. I feel that since that OS was installed (a few months ago) that the machine has slowed down considerably. The "page outs" is almost always going up. I re-start often to get the "page outs" back to zero but they're soon going back up. Almost any process gets me a lot of "beachball" activity. My main use for this computer is using iPhoto to show slides shows to various groups (I haven't found that Photos is suitable for a variety of reasons).


I know that this is considered an "older" machine, but since it's my secondary computer I'd rather not spend the money on a complete replacement. Is it possible to go back to an older version of OS X? Might that speed up, or put less strain on, this Macbook? If I could go back to 10.10 or 10.9 how would I do it?


Thanks,

JimH

MacBook, OS X El Capitan (10.11.3), Early 2009, Core 2 Duo 2.0, 6GB Ram

Posted on Feb 23, 2016 3:12 PM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Feb 23, 2016 10:40 PM

Your computer won't be any faster were you to downgrade OS X. There is nothing wrong with El Capitan. Page Outs increase because you don't have enough RAM and are trying to run too many processes concurrently.


If you want to downgrade for a performance increase, then erase the disk and install Snow Leopard.


Ways to help make a slow Mac faster


17 Reasons Why Your Mac Runs Slower Than it Should

Slow Mac Performance? This Article Solves It!

Fix slow start-ups in OS X | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews

How to fix slow shutdown and startup times. | MacTip.net

6 Easy Tips to Speed Up OS X Yosemite on Your Mac


Avoid using any third-party software that claims to clean up your computer. Usually this software does more bad than good. Furthermore, you don't need it. Note that all computers will become slower over time even under normal use. Experienced users typically erase the hard drive and do a clean install from scratch at least once a year or whenever installing a major OS upgrade. Of course doing so also means you must maintain regular and multiple backups.


Add more RAM or cut back on the number of concurrently running applications and utilities. Remove unnecessary software such as anti-malware and software that promises to clean your Mac. Check for runaway processes: Runaway applications can shorten battery runtime, affect performance, and increase heat and fan acti… Also see:


Pre-Mavericks


Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the Processes dropdown menu. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.


Mavericks and later


Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the View menu. Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the %CPU column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of %CPU, then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.


The Ultimate Fix


Backup everything, erase the drive, reinstall OS X, and restore your data from the backup. Reinstall third-party software from original media/scratch.

1 reply
Question marked as Best reply

Feb 23, 2016 10:40 PM in response to JimH

Your computer won't be any faster were you to downgrade OS X. There is nothing wrong with El Capitan. Page Outs increase because you don't have enough RAM and are trying to run too many processes concurrently.


If you want to downgrade for a performance increase, then erase the disk and install Snow Leopard.


Ways to help make a slow Mac faster


17 Reasons Why Your Mac Runs Slower Than it Should

Slow Mac Performance? This Article Solves It!

Fix slow start-ups in OS X | MacFixIt - CNET Reviews

How to fix slow shutdown and startup times. | MacTip.net

6 Easy Tips to Speed Up OS X Yosemite on Your Mac


Avoid using any third-party software that claims to clean up your computer. Usually this software does more bad than good. Furthermore, you don't need it. Note that all computers will become slower over time even under normal use. Experienced users typically erase the hard drive and do a clean install from scratch at least once a year or whenever installing a major OS upgrade. Of course doing so also means you must maintain regular and multiple backups.


Add more RAM or cut back on the number of concurrently running applications and utilities. Remove unnecessary software such as anti-malware and software that promises to clean your Mac. Check for runaway processes: Runaway applications can shorten battery runtime, affect performance, and increase heat and fan acti… Also see:


Pre-Mavericks


Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the Processes dropdown menu. Click twice on the CPU% column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of CPU time (>=70,) then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.


Mavericks and later


Open Activity Monitor in the Utilities folder. Select All Processes from the View menu. Click on the CPU tab in the toolbar. Click twice on the %CPU column header to display in descending order. If you find a process using a large amount of %CPU, then select the process and click on the Quit icon in the toolbar. Click on the Force Quit button to kill the process. See if that helps. Be sure to note the name of the runaway process so you can track down the cause of the problem.


The Ultimate Fix


Backup everything, erase the drive, reinstall OS X, and restore your data from the backup. Reinstall third-party software from original media/scratch.

Possible to downgrade operating system?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.