If your computer is a 2010 computer, you can upgrade to at least El Capitan and possibly higher. I would do the factory reset suggested by Kappy before doing anything.
Check that your computer is compatible with Mountain Lion/Mavericks/Yosemite/El Capitan.
To check the model number hold down the option/alt key, go to the Apple menu and select System Information.
MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer) model number 5,1 or higher
MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer) model number 3,1 or higher
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Your Mac needs:
OS X v10.6.8 or OS X Lion already installed
2 GB or more of memory (More is better - 4 GB minimum seems to be the consensus)
8 GB or more of available space
Check to make sure your applications are compatible.
Application Compatibility
El Capitan 10.11 Compatibility information
macOS Sierra 10.12: Compatible Apps
Also check to make sure there is a compatible driver for your printer.
Do a backup before installing, preferable 2 backups on 2 different drives.
macOS 10.12 (Sierra) requires one of the following Macs:
MacBook (Late 2009 or later) Model 6.1 and higher
MacBook Pro (Mid 2010 or later) Model 6.2 and higher
How to get macOS High Sierra
Sierra download
You can try to download it at the link below. If it won't let you, then your only options are to upgrade to Sierra/High Sierra or find an older computer where you can download it using your Apple ID.
El Capitan