What Causes a MacBook Pro to Slow Down?
As a MacBook Pro ages, a lot of things can cause it to slow down. Basic wear and tear can take a real toll over time, and there’s not much you can do about that. Most issues that cause a Macbook Pro, or any MacBook, to slow down can be dealt with at home though. Here are some of the most common things that cause a MacBook Pro to slow down:
Memory issues
Leaving too many apps open can cause your Mac to rely on its storage system more to maintain active apps and data. Because your storage system is slower than RAM, you might notice some slowness.
Lack of storage
Your MacBook requires a certain amount of free disk space to operate properly. If your storage system is close to full, the system may end up feeling sluggish.
Permissions problems
When the permissions to access files, folders, and apps are damaged or set incorrectly, it can lead to a whole host of problems like general system slowdown.
Combination problem
Over time, numerous small problems can have a snowball effect that causes your MacBook to run poorly. You may be able to fix the individual problems, but a fresh installation of macOS is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.
Hardware failure
This is the problem you don’t want to have. Your hardware may be too old to perform well with modern apps and the latest version of macOS, or it may be damaged or worn out.
How to Fix a Slow MacBook Pro and Speed it Up
To speed up your MacBook Pro, follow these steps in order: That’s fine for the short term, but little things can pile up over the long term, and leaving your MacBook on for extended periods of time can actually cause it to slow down. When that happens, simply restarting it will get things back on track. To fix this problem, simply check out your dock and look for apps that have dots under them. Right click on each app you aren’t using, and select Quit. This will free up system resources for other things. For example, you might consider switching from the memory-hungry Chrome browser to Chromium-based Edge, which has been shown to use significantly less RAM in testing. To fix this problem, you can use the built-in macOS Disk Utility tool to run First Aid. If there are any permissions issues, problems with your storage drive, or start up processes, First Aid will take care of them. To fix this problem, all you have to do is check out your login items and remove any apps that you don’t usually need right after logging in. Try disabling magnification, animation when opening applications, and the automatically hide and show the dock features. Also set the minimize windows setting to scale effect. If that helps, you can try turning some of these features back on, like the option that automatically hides the dock, if they are important to you. Depending on your system, you may be able to use some and not others. If your slowdown issue is due to software, then performing a clean installation of the operating system will fix it. If it’s due to hardware, either a malfunctioning component or hardware that’s simply too old for modern applications, then you may need to consider upgrading your MacBook Pro.
