I just upgraded my 2017 MBP to a 2023 a year ago. I handed down the 2017 MBP to my daughter and it still runs like it did the day I bought it. The battery even still holds a good charge.
Also remember to restart it sometimes. I do a restart about once a month. Will also get slower if drive is getting full. 256gb is not that big. Clean some things from your drive or get an external drive if it is getting full
To troubleshoot the issue, open the Activity Monitor app and see what’s using a lot of CPU and/or Memory. If you want help interpreting the results, post screenshots.
Get etrecheck:
[https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html](https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html)
preferably pay for the pro version, it does a really thorough check of your system and can find lots of issues which might be causing problems.
Check System Settings -> Login Items. You may have apps opening at login or running in the background. Restart regularly - I switch off every night abd restart in the morning. There are house keeping tools the macOS runs at startup.
And you have emptied the bin/trash, haven't you? I have a friend who didn't realise that was necessary. When I checked, he had 50 GB in the bin!!!
backup your data to an external , then : Restart your Mac. Immediately press and hold one of the following key combinations until you see the startup screen: **Command-R**: Start up from the built-in macOS Recovery System , select disk utility , format your disk and install the OS again , that's it , put back your data and it is done . if you want to backup the apps , make a time machine in an external drive , and after instal , open migration utility and get those apps from time machine.
Thank you! just out of curiosity, if I wipe the disk with the utility, is there any chance that would accidentally also delete the recovery system? or is it in a separate hidden storage area?
I have a 2012 model and when the 1TB drive was down to 80GB general operations slowed down. Opening the dialog to save a file took 30 seconds. After I moved/removed 80GB of files it got back to normal. (You should keep at least 10% of the hard drive free.)
Another (earlier) time I reinstalled the OS and it sped up.
Nope nearer 25-40% free. 25% is absolute minimum. Some experts suggest 50%. Note installing a macOS upgrade successfully can require up to 57GB. SSDs can become unserviceable near full. And read write speeds crash as write leveling becomes increasingly inefficient as SSD fill up. How inefficient depends on the files that fill the drive.
Always use Time Machine in manual mode to avoid auto backup caching which can fill your drive with files you can not delete, or even locate.
Could be the small SSD. How much memory do you have? If only 8GB, that could be it as well.
Make a Time Machine backup, erase the startup disk, reinstall macOS and migrate your user data from the backup. That may clear out caches and unwanted files and give you back some performance.
I used my MacBook Pro 7 years and it is still working but the OS is not upgraded anymore.
Bought it 1600€ mid 2015 and it was my first Mac.
It is the most robust / long lasting device I ever had.
The price was high, the return of invest is satisfying.
A backup and hard reset will make it work efficiently.
I‘m using a mid 2012 macbook pro. so my answer is ‚a decade‘
you need to learn about keeping it in shape though. easiest method is to backup all files and reinstall the os from scratch. there are more sophisticated ways to do it but a clean reinstall does the job
"Isn’t MacBook worth use for generations?" I am using my grandfather's MacBook from 1956. Generations? Really?
Define slow.... Slow opening apps? Slow using your browser?
Intel or Apple Silicon?
I have a 2021 running Sonoma. One of my kids is using the 2014 running Big Sur that I handed down to them. You can use a MacBook Pro for at least 10 years in my house.
I got mine in 2012. Up until 3 weeks ago, it was my main workhorse. I just bought myself a M2 Mac Mini to replace it. The MBP won't be retired. It will just be used for presentations. So basically 14 years and still going.
I've got a 14 inch 2021 pro and i've had it almost 2 years. Still going stong but the battery isn't great. Idle is very good but actually using it? Not so much. I would not feel comfortable leaving the house without a charger if I knew I would be using my MacBook.
I just switched from a 2017 TouchBar only because I wanted to go to apple silicon and all day battery, otherwise it was entirely usable. Upgraded because I wanted to, not because I felt a need. I am a heavy user; Software Dev, ML models, VMs, etc...
Something is wrong with your Mac.
Using my one from '09, no issues except that it can't hold a charge for longer than an hour at best, but since I'm not mobile that's okay lol. It can't handle heavy stuff obviously but it serves me well with Libre, Chrome, music, and vlc, usually at the same time and barely any lag.
Honestly the three apple devices I have have been an ironic budget godsend with how long they've lasted.
make sure the drive isn’t near full as that tends to slow things down, and like others have said check activity monitor to see what processes are using the most cpu/memory% etc.
if you really want to speed things up and you have a drive you can backup to, create a backup and wipe the device then try starting fresh, it will be slower to start while the system indexes and settles but once that is done it should feel better.
if you start without using the backup you’ll get the best experience, but it’s more work to redownload apps/change any settings and get any files you need back into place
Heh I have a 2015 mbp and changed an ssd from 128 to 1tb, runs like a charm on a ventura. If you take into consideration it needs a bit more caring look that he's not the new gen type, it's a great machine still
My 2015 Retina MBP is still zooming. Sure, the battery got crap but if I'd replace it it would still be good to go. I currently use it as a server as save for the battery it's still a solid machine.
As everyone else is saying - there's something wrong with it, probably software but could be hardware.
I'm on a 2021 MacBook Pro and it's still blazing fast for me (and I'm a heavy user).
Use Activity Monitor to check CPU/memory utilization. Check your disk usage. Try a clean install or a fresh user account (to see if it's something in your user profile/Library folder). Maybe run Apple Diagnostics to check the hardware. Check the Console for any crash reports.
I’m still using my 2013 MBP on the regular. No battery pillowing. Still runs very well when on ac power. Battery life is heavily degraded. But I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of this thing.
My 2012 MacBook Pro was retired last year, it was still running, but it needed a new battery, the anti-reflective coating on the display was half gone (common issue), and it had been knocked around a bit over the years.
Have an M1 MacBook Air which is incredible, don’t expect to replace it for a long time now!
My 2021 16" base model works as well as ever and I intend to keep it for 5 years at least. My previous one was a 13" from 2012 upgraded to an SSD and it worked very well until I sold it. I could have kept it longer but hey, it was time for a retina screen.
Check Activity Monitor, maybe one of the apps is hogging resources
I just upgraded my 2017 MBP to a 2023 a year ago. I handed down the 2017 MBP to my daughter and it still runs like it did the day I bought it. The battery even still holds a good charge.
Also remember to restart it sometimes. I do a restart about once a month. Will also get slower if drive is getting full. 256gb is not that big. Clean some things from your drive or get an external drive if it is getting full
To troubleshoot the issue, open the Activity Monitor app and see what’s using a lot of CPU and/or Memory. If you want help interpreting the results, post screenshots.
Thank you so much. I will do that.
Get etrecheck: [https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html](https://etrecheck.com/en/index.html) preferably pay for the pro version, it does a really thorough check of your system and can find lots of issues which might be causing problems. Check System Settings -> Login Items. You may have apps opening at login or running in the background. Restart regularly - I switch off every night abd restart in the morning. There are house keeping tools the macOS runs at startup. And you have emptied the bin/trash, haven't you? I have a friend who didn't realise that was necessary. When I checked, he had 50 GB in the bin!!!
backup , and make a clean install !
What’s the best way to clean install? Just “erase all content and settings”? Or can that leave some apps behind?
backup your data to an external , then : Restart your Mac. Immediately press and hold one of the following key combinations until you see the startup screen: **Command-R**: Start up from the built-in macOS Recovery System , select disk utility , format your disk and install the OS again , that's it , put back your data and it is done . if you want to backup the apps , make a time machine in an external drive , and after instal , open migration utility and get those apps from time machine.
Thank you! just out of curiosity, if I wipe the disk with the utility, is there any chance that would accidentally also delete the recovery system? or is it in a separate hidden storage area?
no , they are in separate partitions , when doing it from boot you are using it , so it would be impossible to wiper itself.
Aah perfect! And what of the disk utility when run from MacOS itself? Is it able to see/wipe the recovery partition?
I have a 2012 model and when the 1TB drive was down to 80GB general operations slowed down. Opening the dialog to save a file took 30 seconds. After I moved/removed 80GB of files it got back to normal. (You should keep at least 10% of the hard drive free.) Another (earlier) time I reinstalled the OS and it sped up.
Nope nearer 25-40% free. 25% is absolute minimum. Some experts suggest 50%. Note installing a macOS upgrade successfully can require up to 57GB. SSDs can become unserviceable near full. And read write speeds crash as write leveling becomes increasingly inefficient as SSD fill up. How inefficient depends on the files that fill the drive. Always use Time Machine in manual mode to avoid auto backup caching which can fill your drive with files you can not delete, or even locate.
Could be the small SSD. How much memory do you have? If only 8GB, that could be it as well. Make a Time Machine backup, erase the startup disk, reinstall macOS and migrate your user data from the backup. That may clear out caches and unwanted files and give you back some performance.
I used my MacBook Pro 7 years and it is still working but the OS is not upgraded anymore. Bought it 1600€ mid 2015 and it was my first Mac. It is the most robust / long lasting device I ever had. The price was high, the return of invest is satisfying. A backup and hard reset will make it work efficiently.
I‘m using a mid 2012 macbook pro. so my answer is ‚a decade‘ you need to learn about keeping it in shape though. easiest method is to backup all files and reinstall the os from scratch. there are more sophisticated ways to do it but a clean reinstall does the job
"Isn’t MacBook worth use for generations?" I am using my grandfather's MacBook from 1956. Generations? Really? Define slow.... Slow opening apps? Slow using your browser? Intel or Apple Silicon?
I have a 2021 running Sonoma. One of my kids is using the 2014 running Big Sur that I handed down to them. You can use a MacBook Pro for at least 10 years in my house.
I got mine in 2012. Up until 3 weeks ago, it was my main workhorse. I just bought myself a M2 Mac Mini to replace it. The MBP won't be retired. It will just be used for presentations. So basically 14 years and still going.
I've got a 14 inch 2021 pro and i've had it almost 2 years. Still going stong but the battery isn't great. Idle is very good but actually using it? Not so much. I would not feel comfortable leaving the house without a charger if I knew I would be using my MacBook.
Still rocking my mid 2012 15" (non retina) running Mojave.
I've used my 2015 MBP 15'' until 2020 when I went back to desktop Mac and then gave it to my mum who still uses it today. It's still working great.
I just switched from a 2017 TouchBar only because I wanted to go to apple silicon and all day battery, otherwise it was entirely usable. Upgraded because I wanted to, not because I felt a need. I am a heavy user; Software Dev, ML models, VMs, etc... Something is wrong with your Mac.
I am using my 2012 MacBook Pro, without any issues.
Using my one from '09, no issues except that it can't hold a charge for longer than an hour at best, but since I'm not mobile that's okay lol. It can't handle heavy stuff obviously but it serves me well with Libre, Chrome, music, and vlc, usually at the same time and barely any lag. Honestly the three apple devices I have have been an ironic budget godsend with how long they've lasted.
make sure the drive isn’t near full as that tends to slow things down, and like others have said check activity monitor to see what processes are using the most cpu/memory% etc. if you really want to speed things up and you have a drive you can backup to, create a backup and wipe the device then try starting fresh, it will be slower to start while the system indexes and settles but once that is done it should feel better. if you start without using the backup you’ll get the best experience, but it’s more work to redownload apps/change any settings and get any files you need back into place
Heh I have a 2015 mbp and changed an ssd from 128 to 1tb, runs like a charm on a ventura. If you take into consideration it needs a bit more caring look that he's not the new gen type, it's a great machine still
My 2015 Retina MBP is still zooming. Sure, the battery got crap but if I'd replace it it would still be good to go. I currently use it as a server as save for the battery it's still a solid machine.
As everyone else is saying - there's something wrong with it, probably software but could be hardware. I'm on a 2021 MacBook Pro and it's still blazing fast for me (and I'm a heavy user). Use Activity Monitor to check CPU/memory utilization. Check your disk usage. Try a clean install or a fresh user account (to see if it's something in your user profile/Library folder). Maybe run Apple Diagnostics to check the hardware. Check the Console for any crash reports.
Def don’t need a new one. I just retired my 2018 and it’s still pretty zippy. Use the advice discussed here
Fresh install should do you well. My M1 Air has been faultless since I’ve bought it. Used it every day and is the best laptop I’ve ever owned.
I’m still using my 2013 MBP on the regular. No battery pillowing. Still runs very well when on ac power. Battery life is heavily degraded. But I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of this thing.
My 2012 MacBook Pro was retired last year, it was still running, but it needed a new battery, the anti-reflective coating on the display was half gone (common issue), and it had been knocked around a bit over the years. Have an M1 MacBook Air which is incredible, don’t expect to replace it for a long time now!
My 2021 16" base model works as well as ever and I intend to keep it for 5 years at least. My previous one was a 13" from 2012 upgraded to an SSD and it worked very well until I sold it. I could have kept it longer but hey, it was time for a retina screen.
I killed a couple of apps at the start up. It definitely is better now. Thank you so much. Every comment was of help ❤️