How to Speed up a Sluggish MacBook Pro

Improve the speed on your MacBook Pro to resume your normal computing habits.

Even though the MacBook Pro is Apple's high-end laptop, it can also suffer from performance issues due to a variety of reasons. A sluggish MacBook Pro can make performing even the most simple tasks on the machine a frustrating endeavor. Fortunately, you don't have to take your MacBook Pro to an Apple Store for repair because there are several troubleshooting steps you can perform to increase the laptop's speed. One or several of these steps can improve the speed of your MacBook Pro.

Instructions

1. Delete old files. The more files that are on your MacBook Pro's hard drive, the slower it may perform. Search through the files on your MacBook and delete any file that you no longer use to improve the laptop's speed. Drag files to the "Trash" folder, then select the option to "Empty Trash" from the Finder menu.

2. Stop Login Items. Login Items are programs that start automatically when you log in to the MacBook Pro. These programs start whether you need them or not and can slow down your computer's performance. Access the option to stop Login Items from starting through the Accounts menu on the System Preferences window. Select Login Items that you want to stop, then click the "-" button.

3. Repair disk permissions. If there is a problem with the MacBook Pro's hard drive that is causing it to perform sluggishly, repairing the disk permissions can solve the problem. Access the Repair Disk Permissions feature in Disk Utility. Disk Utility is in the Utilities folder in Applications.

4. Quit unnecessary computer processes. Launch the Activity Monitor utility in the "Utilities" folder. Review the processes running on your MacBook Pro. Stop any unnecessary process by selecting it and clicking the "Quit" button. Stopping unnecessary processes can improve the MacBook Pro speed.

5. Add memory. Increasing the amount of RAM on your MacBook Pro can help to increase its performance. Increase the memory of your MacBook Pro by adding a RAM module.

References

• Apple: About Disk Utility's Repair Disk Permissions Feature
• Apple: Mac OS X 10.6 Help
• Apple: Mac OS X: How to Find Background Applications
• Apple: MacBook Pro: How to Remove or Install Memory