Mac OS X upgrade advice needed for an old MacBook Pro 13" (mid 2012)

[jake12345678]

Hello,

I have an old MacBook Pro 13" 2.5 Ghz Intel Core i5 4 GB 1600 MHz DDR3 (mid 2012?).
I have been using 10.8.5 Mountain Lion, ever since I bought this computer when it was new.
If I did not need certain software that requires 10.9/10.10 or newer, I would keep my mac exactly how it is now, since it works perfect and I never have any problems, but I am finally running into issues where I need a newer OS and can no longer avoid doing an upgrade.

My questions are:

1. Should I try and upgrade to Mavericks (if still possible) or El Capitan?

2. Should I erase everything in Disk Utility first, then do a clean install?

3. If I am not happy with the newest OS upgrade, can I restore to the original 10.8.5 that my Macbook Pro came with, via the internet, without Time Machine or any other software?

I have the old HDD, not the newer SSD, and only 4 GB of ram, so not sure what the best option is for my mac.
I already have everything backed up on an external drive, with the original OS 10.8.5 on it, so I will do a clean install.
I have read so many mixed reviews about this, I really do not know what to do.
I know that replacing my HDD with an SSD and upgrading to 8 GB of ram would help a lot, but I can not do that right now.
I will only have the OS and a few Adobe apps after the new install on my HDD, so I will not have a ton of files slowing me down.
I plan to buy a new Mac asap, but for now I need a temporary solution that will allow me to access newer software, browsers, websites, etc, without losing too much on the overall speed and performance.
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Thank you and have a great day!

 

[CooperBox]

I have the same 2012 13in MBPro. Running superbly after installing a 500Gb Samsung SSD and clean install of High Sierra. Runs a treat with 4Gb memory.
If you're unsure about doing a clean install, why not partition the HD making the 2nd partion approx 100Gb (or less depending on amount free available), and install Sierra or High Sierra.
Depending on your experience you can then later erase the drive completely for a clean install of the OS of choice.

 

[vince22]

this old 2012 non-retina MBP is a keeper, easily user upgradeable and very reliable, SSD + 8gb ram runs very well with Macosx Catalina imho, running RAID0 APFS setup here.

 

[MIKX]

jake12345678

I have Mojave 10.14.5 on a 2011 13" Core i7 MBP so I'm not sure if this applies to your 2012.

Yesterday my bootrom was upgraded from 85.0.0.0.0. to 87.0.0.0. by the latest Security Update without any issues. i have no idea what bootrom changes have been made.

When I bought ths MBP in April 2019 the bootrom was 82.0.0.0.0

Late 2011 Core i7 13" MBP bootrom upgrade to 87.0.0.0.0 through Security update

Just inished installing the 2019-006 Security update. My Late 2011 Core i7 MBP bootrom has been upgraded from 85.0.0.0.0 to 87.0.0.0.0 This is the 2nd. bootrom through Security update I've had this year. No idea what the changes are ? Anyone know ...

forums.macrumors.com

OLD bootrom May 2019

New bootrom Oct. 30th. 2019

This is the 2nd. bootrom update I've had through Security updates this year ( 2019 ).

Is the latest Security Update showing in your App Store ? If so, might be worth running it.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:
In a nutshell (detailed explanation would be longer):

1. Replace the HDD with an SSD. Cheap and easy to do. DON'T buy a "faster" more expensive SSD. Just "buy for price".
2. Get an external USB3 2.5" enclosure for the old HDD. One like this should do:

https://tinyurl.com/y5ucqfaj

2. Upgrade the RAM by adding ONE 8gb soDIMM to "the top slot" only. I like this place:

Apple MacBook Pro Memory - Intel Core i5 2.5GHz 13" MD101LL/A Mid 2012 - DMS

DMS offers DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) Memory for your Intel Core i5 2.5GHz 13" MacBook Pro Mid 2012 MD101LL/A. 100% Apple Compatible and backed by a Lifetime Warranty.

www.datamemorysystems.com

3. Upgrade the OS to 10.12 "Low Sierra".

How to make this pile of stuff work:
a. Put the SSD into the external enclosure (for now, this is temporary)
b. Install a clean copy of Low Sierra onto it.
c. During the setup, use setup assistant to migrate your data from the HDD to the SSD.
d. Once this is done, TEST the new SSD by booting from it while it's still IN the external enclosure (press and hold the option key continuously at boot until startup manager appears).
e. If the boot is good, NOW is the time to open the back of the MacBook Pro and "do the drive swap" (and install the RAM soDIMM if you wish).

IMPORTANT:
USE THE RIGHT TOOLS FOR THE JOB !!!!
You need a Phillips #00 driver and a TORX T-6 driver to take the "bosses" from the HDD and move them over to the SSD during the change-out.

Go to ifixit.com to see how to open up the back.
My suggestion: don't bother with disconnecting the battery.
BE CAREFUL when you push aside the "pins" that hold the RAM in place.

An upgraded 2012 MBP should continue to run fine for a few more years.
The SSD upgrade will make it feel "as good as new" again. Actually, "better than new".

 

[jake12345678]

Thanks for the feedback everyone! I am currently in Costa Rica and will not be back in the US until the new year. A new SSD and ram is impossible to get where I am at right now and even if I could find them here, they will be 3-4 times higher than the US. Shipping and import taxes are really high, too. I guess I will upgrade over the weekend and try it out, hopefully it will work okay with my old HDD. I think I can restore back to the original 10.8.5 Mountain Lion, if I am not content with the performance?

 

[MonkeyDLuuffy]

Hey OP. Complete laptop noob here. I just got a refurbished MacBook Pro 13in mid 2012 running OS X 10.8.5 as well. Did a factory reset , and any time I try to do a software update or download a new OS I’m given an error . Any simple instructions?