High Sierra / Mojave on 2GB?

[Hughmac]

I've just sourced an 11" late 2010 MacBook Air, predominantly for Snow Leopard, but I still have my CCC backup of the HS install on my 2013 MBA (I've sent the machine itself to my daughter as her MBA is broken).

It only has 2GB RAM, so along with Snow Leopard (which will be fine) is it feasible to try dual booting with High Sierra and maybe using Dosdude's Mojave patch?

I'm going to try it anyway, but has anyone experience of performance with this amount of RAM? Apple states minimum of 2GB for these so it should work.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Amethyst1]

I have the same machine and stuck to El Capitan due to the 2GB limit. That is already pushing it. I should have gone for 4GB when I bought it. Oh well.

 

[Hughmac]

OK, well my original thought was Mint 19.3 XFCE which I have running quite well on an Intel Atom Dell Mini 10v with 2GB RAM, but despite that I still prefer Mac OS.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Amethyst1]

Another "issue" with these 2010 11" MBAs is the relatively slow CPU, which makes recent macOS somewhat sluggish. Snow Leopard really works best on these and I postponed upgrading to a more recent version until I could no longer run the latest version of some of my applications, at which point I went straight to El Capitan.

 

[Hughmac]

The MBA has just arrived, and was misdescribed on eBay...


... it has 4GB RAM

I've plopped my 2nd hand 480GB OWC SSD in, and, another surprise, it already has High Sierra installed.
Guess what the admin password is - the hint is "Merry..."
Some people

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Amethyst1]

Congrats 4GB changes matters, so what's HS like on it? And is it the standard 1.4 or BTO 1.6 GHz one?

 

[Hughmac]

It was slowish (1.6GHz) but when I booted my CCC backup it slowed down to a complete crawl.

I tried to reset RAM / NVRAM but now it's locked up with a padlock sign every time I try and start

It's possible the original owner of the SSD has detected activity and Apple has locked the whole MBA because I never set a firmware password and there wasn't one when I first started it.

I think I might be stuffed.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Hughmac]

Apple support were very helpful (oh yeah) and although they sympathize cannot do a lot, or confirm whether the laptop is stolen or the account on the SSD has locked it up.
Apparently I need to contact eBay, but Apple are going to send me some 'useful information' for troubleshooting

Oh yes, the troubleshooting info. amounted to...

How to reinstall macOS
If your Mac doesn't start up all the way

Cheers

Hugh

 

[TheShortTimer]

Apple support were very helpful (oh yeah) and although they sympathize cannot do a lot, or confirm whether the laptop is stolen or the account on the SSD has locked it up.

Wait, Apple are unable to remove the firmware lock even if you have proof that the laptop was purchased legally? I'd take it into an Apple Store because you might find someone who isn't a script reading call-centre robot. This has been the case for me on a few occasions.

Apparently I need to contact eBay, but Apple are going to send me some 'useful information' for troubleshooting

I'd ask the seller to confirm via an eBay message that the computer was not stolen and then show it a Genius Bar staff member. If you get no joy, really push the issue.

You've probably tried this already but what happens when you boot from a USB installer?

 

[Hughmac]

Nope, won't boot to anything.

All Apple stores are shut.

I'm waiting on the seller's response.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[TheShortTimer]

Nope, won't boot to anything.

Cripes.

All Apple stores are shut.

Oh yeah, retail outlets are shut. Must be going senile!

Damn...

I'm waiting on the seller's response.

Fingers crossed that you can obtain a good outcome from this. If the SSD caused a firmware lock then that's something to be extremely cautious about when using second hand storage devices that have pre-existing installations.

 

[Amethyst1]

I've just done some quick research - looks like the Late 2010 MBA is the first Mac where you "really" can no longer get rid of a firmware password without assistance from The Mothership. Ugh.

 

[Hughmac]

Yep

I'll be sending this one back - there's plenty more around, or just give up and carry on with the Dell Mini.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Amethyst1]

If the SSD caused a firmware lock then that's something to be extremely cautious about when using second hand storage devices that have pre-existing installations.

There's multiple reasons why I'll never use a preexisting install - first thing I do after getting a second-hand machine is boot from an external drive containing my installation and run some tests. If that doesn't work because of a firmware password I'll have words with the seller.

 

[eyoungren]

There's multiple reasons why I'll never use a preexisting install - first thing I do after getting a second-hand machine is boot from an external drive containing my installation and run some tests. If that doesn't work because of a firmware password I'll have words with the seller.

I made the mistake once of checking out the home folder of a particular Mac I bought. Never again. I want either a fresh install or my own cloned disk image restored to the drive - I don't care what gems of apps or docs may be on there.

That particular Mac's owner eBay messaged me about a month later to see if I might have the contents of his old drive still. I didn't, I had wiped it as fast as I could. I guess he forgot to make a backup.

 

[Amethyst1]

I want either a fresh install

Even that might theoretically contain nasty surprises put in by the person who installed it. I only trust installs I've done myself from known-good media/images.

That particular Mac's owner eBay messaged me about a month later to see if I might have the contents of his old drive still. I didn't, I had wiped it as fast as I could. I guess he forgot to make a backup.

A classic example of being PWNED

 

[Hughmac]

I don't remember connecting to wifi but I must have done. My silly error

All I wanted to do was format the thing and start again with my own data.

I think that SSD is wiped now anyway - result?

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Amethyst1]

I think that SSD is wiped now anyway - result?

Then you should be able to perform a Secure Erase and use the SSD as normal.

 

[Hughmac]

Yeah, I think I'll need an external enclosure for it first.
This MBA is bricked.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[eyoungren]

Even that might theoretically contain nasty surprises put in by the person who installed it. I only trust installs I've done myself from known-good media/images.


A classic example of being PWNED

Well, I meant my own install. Usually sellers don't have the version of OS X installed I want to use, and even if they do I prefer my own fresh install. My first action is Target Disk Mode, wipe and then install/restore.

 

[Amethyst1]

This MBA is bricked.

It can still support windows - just like a proper brick

 

[Hughmac]

It can still support windows - just like a proper brick

No it won't, it will not boot even my Linux USB stick.

I'll try ringing an Apple reseller store tomorrow, they are still open.

Cheers

Hugh

 

[Amethyst1]

No it won't,

 

[TheShortTimer]

I made the mistake once of checking out the home folder of a particular Mac I bought. Never again.

I'm curious as to what you found, can you elaborate?

I want either a fresh install or my own cloned disk image restored to the drive - I don't care what gems of apps or docs may be on there.

The warning of Dr Zaius to Taylor towards the end of POTA that what you find, might not necessarily be to your liking is quite apt on the subject of pre-owned storage devices.

On one dumped PC, beyond the usual torrented pop MP3s and viral clips, I found what would have been a treasure trove of identity theft had the HDD fallen into the wrong hands. From reams and reams of bank statements, to scans of ID related documents and most intriguingly, photos of the former owner's UK naturalisation ceremony - which particularly grabbed my attention because my parents are immigrants and when I mentioned this to my mother, it triggered a discussion regarding her own naturalisation.

Of course, I swiftly erased the drive.

There was a laptop that I was hired to erase and reinstall Windows and the backstory was explained to me by the new owner that it had been donated by a neighbour who suddenly left London in a great rush - and this was evident in what they'd forgotten to expunge from the computer. The user area contained dozens and dozens of photo galleries with highly explicit images of their extremely enthusiastic and prolific participation within the international swingers scene. The new owner remarked, "I always thought something about them wasn't quite right and I couldn't put my finger on it."

That particular Mac's owner eBay messaged me about a month later to see if I might have the contents of his old drive still. I didn't, I had wiped it as fast as I could. I guess he forgot to make a backup.

Was it anything approaching what I've detailed above?

 

[eyoungren]

I'm curious as to what you found, can you elaborate?


The warning of Dr Zaius to Taylor towards the end of POTA that what you find, might not necessarily be to your liking is quite apt on the subject of pre-owned storage devices.

On one dumped PC, beyond the usual torrented pop MP3s and viral clips, I found what would have been a treasure trove of identity theft had the HDD fallen into the wrong hands. From reams and reams of bank statements, to scans of ID related documents and most intriguingly, photos of the former owner's UK naturalisation ceremony - which particularly grabbed my attention because my parents are immigrants and when I mentioned this to my mother, it triggered a discussion regarding her own naturalisation.

Of course, I swiftly erased the drive.

There was a laptop that I was hired to erase and reinstall Windows and the backstory was explained to me by the new owner that it had been donated by a neighbour who suddenly left London in a great rush - and this was evident in what they'd forgotten to expunge from the computer. The user area contained dozens and dozens of photo galleries with highly explicit images of their extremely enthusiastic and prolific participation within the international swingers scene. The new owner remarked, "I always thought something about them wasn't quite right and I couldn't put my finger on it."


Was it anything approaching what I've detailed above?

I bought the Mac off an eBay seller in mid-2010. 17" PBG4 HD-DLSD with a dinged corner because the seller had dropped it. At the time I thought I was getting a SD because that's what the auction was saying. Had he advertised that he had the HD version I might not have won.

Anyway, college age kid in mid-2010 and he needed a computer for school. Since this one was damaged he put it up on eBay.

But it had been his personal Mac for awhile, as evident by the pictures of himself he took. Whatever your orientation, it's always surprising to come across naked pictures and this was certainly the case here. My scanning of the drive ended right there, I hooked the thing up to another Mac via TDM and partitioned/formatted the drive as quickly as I was able. To be sure that stuff couldn't be resurrected I took the extra step of securely erasing the drive by writing zeros in multiple passes.

So, when he asked a month later if I still had the contents of his drive, I didn't.

Nothing (to me) is worth going through the possibility of any of that ever again so I don't scan drives anymore, I just erase them. Bad enough when you inherit work computers used by someone else - which is why I do not keep anything personal (or identifying) on my work MBP. That's also why I made it so I could access my server from outside home. If I need to put something personal on a drive I drop it on my server, not my work Mac.