I cleaned my mom’s old 2017 intel MacBook Air running an old Mac OS but it is still a little sluggish. The battery needs service and died fast. Do you think this is the reason why it’s slow? I have suggested she upgraded but you know the generation gap as those from other decades tend to think of tech as microwaves and dryers that last forever.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Sluggish 2017 MacBook Air
- Thread starter jwolf6589
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
If the battery is not detected by the OS, the OS will throttle the CPU.
The Air has 8 GB of ram?
The Air has 8 GB of ram?
You mentioned that you cleaned it, what I would recommend is doing a CCC or TimeMachine backup of the machine, wipe the drive via the recovery partition, then do a fresh install.
If it's still sluggish, there's likely a hardware problem, if it's speedy than its a software problem.
If it's still sluggish, there's likely a hardware problem, if it's speedy than its a software problem.
Buy a new M3 air, they’re all on sale now! Donate the old laptop to charity.
While I have a M2 Mini as my primary computer now, I held onto my 2017 Air as my travel / work computer - especially valuable as it was the last Air with built-in ports, and where not all locations have access to Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi enabled peripherals. And it still runs all the apps I need - some of them older versions, some current, and some that don't exist in Sonoma (it's on Monterey).
Now, I have noticed some sluggishness involved - some of that I put down to the difference in experience between it and the M2, but I also wonder if some of the subsequent patches Apple put out haven't helped? None of it is deal-breaker for the uses I have for it - while I also do my part in keeping it as clean and trim as possible - such as using the Maintenance tab in the free Onyx app. I also replaced the battery - for my own use, not because I believe it adversely affects the speed of the Air.
I may not be of the generation of your mom, but there's really nothing wrong with holding onto older tech if it still works for them - not you. Or Apple, who would encourage a new purchase (though if you do go that route, check out their Refurbished site in their online Store - buried in the fine print at the bottom of the page. Save some bucks and get an individually-tested device with full warranty - including access to AppleCare).
Now, I have noticed some sluggishness involved - some of that I put down to the difference in experience between it and the M2, but I also wonder if some of the subsequent patches Apple put out haven't helped? None of it is deal-breaker for the uses I have for it - while I also do my part in keeping it as clean and trim as possible - such as using the Maintenance tab in the free Onyx app. I also replaced the battery - for my own use, not because I believe it adversely affects the speed of the Air.
I may not be of the generation of your mom, but there's really nothing wrong with holding onto older tech if it still works for them - not you. Or Apple, who would encourage a new purchase (though if you do go that route, check out their Refurbished site in their online Store - buried in the fine print at the bottom of the page. Save some bucks and get an individually-tested device with full warranty - including access to AppleCare).
I wish she would. Many in the boomer generation are not tech savvy. I have tried many times to get her to upgrade but she won’t.
..and those who built the internet, designed personal computing and brought home your first computer are 'boomer generation'. You're welcome.
😏
^^ listen to this guy. I've seen Air's with dead batteries where the fans go berzerk whenever they're turned on.
Air battery replacements are usually inexpensive and not difficult to DIY.
As mentioned, the battery is replaced in 15 minutes tops, the replacement batteries sold on amazon are inexpensive, just read the reviews on the tops sold ones, they should all be okay.
After you received the battery replacement and opened the case, don't forget to blow out all dust found inside, you could also use a gentle brush to remove dust from the inside of the case. Check the cooler fins for dust too. These computers are still excellent, the build quality is still top and who cares if it is a dual core CPU, if it can run the latest MacOS just fine for internet surfing, why spend a lot of money on a new product if you get it back to perfect working condition by replacing a dead battery?
After you received the battery replacement and opened the case, don't forget to blow out all dust found inside, you could also use a gentle brush to remove dust from the inside of the case. Check the cooler fins for dust too. These computers are still excellent, the build quality is still top and who cares if it is a dual core CPU, if it can run the latest MacOS just fine for internet surfing, why spend a lot of money on a new product if you get it back to perfect working condition by replacing a dead battery?