All things that should be addressed, but let’s take this in order from easiest to hardest.Now the Mac operating system is pretty good about managing memory (the reader’s system has 4 gigabytes or gb), but having a ton of programs and windows actively running at the same time can cause the Macbook Pro to hiccup. And lastly, running Disk Utility showed that the hard drive had disk errors and file permission errors. And a quick look at the desktop shows the reader routinely has 4 or 5 programs running with multiple documents open, along with 25 or so tabs open in the web browser (Google Chrome in this case). So first, let’s look at some things anyone can do to solve Mac problems like this.A quick check with the reader revealed that everything else is working ok, but that in addition to this problem, the hard drive was almost full – mostly movies and TV shows downloaded from the iTunes store. And doing it yourself is possible, but takes some skill and the right tools.Mac’s operating system can comfortably run a few things at the same time with this amount of RAM, but things will work spiffier if you don’t overload the system. You can also use the program’s menu, the last item on the first menu list is to quit the program.It’s a good practice to quit programs that you’re not actively using, especially if your Macbook has 4gb of RAM or less. So the more programs you have running, the more of your precious RAM (that 4gb) is being used up.So you might want to actually quit a program – the easiest way (with the window showing and active on your screen) is to press the command key along with the Q key. Clicking the red dot with an x in it at the top-left corner of the window just hides the program, but part of it is still using up memory. With Macs, when you stop using a program you don’t really stop it completely.Since the reader has purchased a number of movies on iTunes, they can be easily deleted to free up space. If you need more space, you can empty the trash (both the main trash can on the Dock, and other trash cans like in iPhoto). For the reader’s 500gb hard drive, that means 50gb or more free (I think 100gb is even better). A Mac (or PC) works best if you have at least 10% or more of the available hard drive space free. So close out those tabs and make it a habit of not having more than 5-10 tabs open at any time.The next issue to tackle is the almost-full hard drive.Click the Verify Disk Permissions button and let it complete (it may take a few minutes). You’ll first want to select your hard drive on the left-hand side,and then you’ll see two buttons on the right side of the window. To check for problems with your hard disk, you run Disk Utility – click the magnifying glass at the top-right of your screen, type ‘disk utility’ and press your enter key to open the program. Just download it, watch it, and delete it afterwards.Which brings me to the problems we discovered using Disk Utility. It’s a good habit to keep large files (movies, TV shows and other video) off your laptop unless you are watching a particular show. I should mention that new Macbook Pros often come with very fast solid-state hard drives, and those are more expensive – so often the new Macbook Pro will be outfitted with less hard drive space than an older model.
Release the keys and wait for the system to boot up. To do this, you’ll restart your computer, while holding down both the command key and the R key until you hear the startup sound. When it’s done, you may see a list of problems, and you should click the Repair Disk button to fix them.When you click Repair Disk, you may see a pop-up telling you to use the Recovery HD. Click the Verify Disk button and let it complete (it may take a few minutes). Your only option at this point is to make sure you have a recent backup of your files (either using Time Machine or any external hard drive, and then reformat the disk and start over. This can happen especially with older hard drives. Yay! That should solve the problem of your system locking up.But there may be significant problems that prevent the repair from completing. After a while, the repair will complete, and you’ll see a bunch of entries in the details box.Assuming the hard drive is repairable, you’ll see a confirmation message, and you can restart the computer normally. This will open the same Disk Utility window as above, so again click your hard drive on the left side, and then click the Repair Disk button on the right side. Click that and the Continue button. And I’d certainly suggest replacing the spinning hard drive in your Macbook Pro with a new, solid-state hard drive, now that the prices of these have come down and the capacities have gone up. If you choose to have your Macbook Pro repaired, one other thing you should have them do is replace the cable that connects the hard drive to the logic board – there are a number of cases of 2011 vintage Macbooks that had cables that went bad on them. It is doable yourself, but can be a bit complicated and requires some dexterity and comfort with tools. You can do this at an Apple Store, or a Mac service repair shop. If you have a good and recent Time Machine backup, you can restore your Mac right from the Mac OS X Utilities window (when you started up using the Command + R key combo).One other thing you can do short of replacing the entire Macbook Pro is to have the hard drive replaced. And then copy your personal files back in. Ik multimedia irig hd studio quality guitar interface for ios and macMy job is to translate geek-speak into clear and concise advice and give you easy-to-understand how-to’s and instructions about your consumer technology products and services.Browse my library with over 1,000 of the types of questions and answers we all have about our consumer technology. Or spend about $1,500 for a replacement.Hi! I’m Chris Gardner, Your Tech Coach giving you Practical Help for Your Digital Life® since 1996. So for about $600, you can breathe another 5 years of life into your Macbook Pro. Os X Can’T Repair The Disk “My Passport . How To Use SiriI don’t profess to know everything about everything, but I’m great at finding and giving you exactly the right answer in the way you need to hear it. Please consider supporting me by sending any amount via or If you need more immediate or direct support, please see my 1-on-1 Tech Support page. This gives you better ways to use your consumer technology – helping you get more out of the gadgets and services you already own and use.I provide all the above, supported by my readers who find my answers valuable ( patronage model). I take arcane language from manuals and translate that into easy-to-follow instructions. I answer questions large and small, from how to use Siri on an iPhone to how to protect your computer, tablet or smartphone. And please sign up for my free weekly digest and occasional email alerts!If you don’t find the answer to your question in my library, ask me a question – anything about consumer technology.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMegan ArchivesCategories |