Mac Mini (Mid 2010) Running Slow

[Jayhawk Raven]

I need some advice. I have two identical Mac Minis, both Mid 2010 with Intel Core 2 Duo, 2.4 GHz, 8 GB DDR @1067.

The one I rarely use (home) is running 10.7 and is fine.

The other one (work) is running 10.12 and has slowed considerably. I use it for general business stuff: email, word processing, excel, calendar, internet, etc.

Here is what I have tried:

• I cleared out some space on the hard drive so that I have 20% clear, but that showed very little improvement. I rebooted (Command-R) and went through the disk utility protocols.
• I reinstalled 10.12.6 over the weekend. It took several hours to complete, and that has helped some. I am still getting a beachball intermittently, and it lags a bit sometimes when I type. I am not sure whether the machine is re-indexing after the upgrade, which could cause some delays.
• The EtreCheck log has improved. The only concerns now are:

System Launch Agents: (What does this mean?)
[failed] com.apple.NetworkDiagnostics.plist
[loaded] com.apple.bluetooth.PacketLogger.plist - Executable not found!
[loaded] com.openssh.ssh-agent.plist [Click for support]

System Launch Daemons: (What does this mean?)
[failed] com.apple.NetworkDiagnostics.plist
[loaded] com.apple.airplaydiagnostics.[redacted].mac.plist - Executable not found!
[loaded] com.apple.driver.ethcheck.plist - Invalid signature!
[loaded] com.apple.driver.ethcheckthunderbolt.plist - Invalid signature!
[loaded] com.apple.emlog.plist - No signature!
[loaded] com.apple.gkreport.plist - No signature!
[failed] com.apple.mobile.keybagd.plist - Executable not found!
[loaded] com.apple.postfix.newaliases.plist - No signature!
[loaded] org.apache.httpd.plist - No signature!
[loaded] org.net-snmp.snmpd.plist - No signature!​

Is there anything I need to do to address those items?


I have read where the installation of an SSD improves performance. Should I give that a try? Do I clone my current HD onto the SSD before I install it, or do I install the new drive, then boot with Command-R, and then use Time Machine to restore my apps?


Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

[gsahli]

Seems like you have several "old versions" of software installed - possibly not compatible with 10.12?

 

[Fishrrman]

OP wrote:
"I have read where the installation of an SSD improves performance. Should I give that a try?"

Older Macs with platter-based hard drives just aren't able to run newer versions of the OS very quickly. Since the advent of Mavericks (10.9) it seems like the Apple software engineers expect the user to be running either an SSD or at least a fusion drive to be able to expect adequate performance.

This isn't to say you can't run 10.12 on a Mac Mini with a platter-based hard drive.
YOU CAN.
But... the experience from the user standpoint is going to be that instead of "running", the OS is merely... "walking".
As you've discovered.

The solution:
Put an SSD into it, and things will go better.
You can clone over your existing installation -- IF it will fit on the SSD.
Otherwise, some "picking and choosing" will be necessary.

Might be time to start shopping for something newer for work...

 

[Jayhawk Raven]

Fishrrman, thanks for the response.

I have an SSD ready to install when I get the time, probably this weekend. If it does not improve things I can always use the drive in my next computer, or maybe turn my mini into NAS...

I have considered purchasing a newer machine, but I'm impatiently waiting for a new Mac Mini. A similar one is $1,000, plus replacing software. I already have a bigger screen than I could afford with the iMac; and the Pros are out of my budget...