Archive
We Get Questions – Vol. 1
One of the ways that MacRecycleClinic is able to interact with Mac and Chromebook users is by answering questions on a website called Quora. It’s a place where folks can ask a wide range of questions on every conceivable topic and get answers from many knowledgeable members.
Below, you’ll find some of the questions and answers by this author – we’ll add more as time permits. Note questions and answers may be edited for content and accuracy.
Should I wait for the MacBook Pro 2022 or buy 2021?
Hey there. I’ve written about this in the past but will say once again – if you need a computer now, buy one. The MB Pro 2021 is an excellent laptop that will serve you well for many years. As always, please know what you want to do with it – as that informs what configuration you have to buy. If you’re just surfing and doing email. You won’t need as much memory or SSD space as you would if you were planning to do heavy duty video, photo or audio editing. That said, being proactive now and buying MORE than you need will ensure future usefulness. Finally, always, always, always buy AppleCare when you buy a laptop. It is money well spent. Good luck!
Can a Mac be too old to update?
The basic answer is yes. There are hacks (see DosDude) that can let you run a later version of an OS on an older machine. But you can lose some capabilities (like WiFi) by doing so.
(Update here from original):
Apple has a lot of great support pages – this one will tell you how to check which version of the Mac OS will work with your Mac.
When purchasing a used MacBook Pro 15″ RADEON R9 3.7GHz Quad i7 Turbo Retina 16GB RAM 1TB SSD, should the computer be restored to factory settings?
(Update here from original):
Hey there – if you’re purchasing a used Mac, it is always a good idea to reinstall the latest OS to start “clean.” At MacRecycleClinic we ALWAYS wipe the hard drive/SSD and reinstall the highest OS that particular machine will take before it goes to an individual or family.
What we do is install a clean version of the OS one version down from the OS we intend to install, then install the newer OS. By doing it this way, you will install any firmware updates that might be needed. That said, you can install a new OS by booting into the Mac’s recovery drive by restarting while pressing the Command + R keys. You can then reinstall the Mac OS.
This Apple website provides you will all the options you need to reinstall a Mac OS.
We have a “standard install” of software we use for all Macs we work with. We may install the software individually (to make sure you get the latest version). We’ve also used Migration Assistant to transfer files from an external drive.
How good are Apple notes?
I didn’t think much if Notes until I started using it to hold articles of interest, a running timeline when we recently bought a house and even a special note for my wife listing everything she needs to know should I pass. Notes has become indispensable and can be shared, etc. It will even hold videos, photos and audio media too. A simple, yet amazing little App.
How do I connect a Dell monitor to a MacBook Pro?
(Updated here a bit from original.)
You’ll need either an Apple Display Port to VGA or ADP to DVI “dongle.” Easy to connect and works well. PC monitors come with different ports so hard to know exactly. But one of those two dongles should work. If the Mac has an HDMI port (MacMini, Mac Pro, some MacBook Pro models and the new Mac Studio) and the monitor does, all you need is an HDMI cable.
Is it possible to upgrade an iPad’s main storage?
(Updated a bit from original answer.)
Unfortunately no… as with a growing number (actually the majority) of Apple products (exception is the Mac Pro tower and 27” iMac)), you must buy the most memory and largest HD/SSD drive you think you will need. Everything is soldered onto the motherboard. Always think about what you will need in five years and buy for that possibility. It will save you money in the long run.
Why won’t my Mac go into recovery mode?
(Expanded answer here)
You don’t say what OS you are running. If you’re doing all the right things to get it into recovery mode, then the odds are you don’t have a recovery drive or it’s corrupted. Reboot while pressing the option key and you’ll see if the recovery drive is there. If it is, arrow over to highlight it and hit return to see if it will boot from there.
One other option is to create a bootable external drive (HD or thumb drive). Creating a fresh bootable drive should include a recovery drive. Follow the instructions below, and run recovery from the external drive.
(Added here – thanks to another Quora member for these instructions.)
If you need to reinstall your Mac OS and you’re not sure you have a recovery drive, here are the steps to follow:
1) Shut down the Mac by holding down the power key a few seconds.
2) Hold down COMMAND-R and press the power button. Continue holding down COMMAND-R until you see the Apple menu.
3) After a few minutes the recovery screen should appear. This will allow you to reinstall macOS. IF THIS WORKS, STOP HERE. NO NEED TO GO FURTHER. (Recommendation: Run Disk Utility on your internal drive first – you can do this from the recovery menu.)
4) If this doesn’t work, shut down the Mac again.
5) Hold down COMMAND-OPTION-R while pressing the power button. This will summon up Internet Recovery. You can let go when you see a globe on the screen. (Note: an Internet connection is required for this to work. You may also be asked to choose a network.)
6) Internet Recovery will take a lot longer, depending on the speed of your connection. BE PATIENT. I have seen this take as long as 30 minutes. Eventually a screen will appear that will allow you to reinstall macOS.
Taking Care of your Older Macintosh Battery
By Lorin Evans
MacRecycleClinic
Most of the portable computers donated to the MacRecycleClinic contain a main battery with some life left in it. We wish each had more, but that is not always the case. You want to manage the life of your battery so that it has as long a usable life as possible.
Here are some tips to help you gain the most life from your MacBook battery:
- Your Macintosh laptop uses a lithium-ion battery. It works best when you discharge it for a little bit, then charge it back to slightly less than full. Disconnect the MagSafe connector when fully charged.
- The battery has a finite number of charge cycles, after which its efficiency is sorely depleted. IF you let that happen, you may not be able to recharge it. The battery will last longer if you keep the battery above a 50 percent charge. Do not completely run down the battery. Do not let the battery die completely. If the battery is fully discharged, the battery can fall into a deep discharge state, and you will not be able to recharge it.
- Whenever possible, use the power adapter with your MacBook. That way you will always have full power when using your computer. Look at the MagSafe connector: the light is green when it is supplying power to a fully charged battery and orange when charging the battery. No light: no power!
- Always use the power adapter if you connect an external device that draws power from the computer. Otherwise those devices may drain the battery in your MacBook faster than normal.
- Your Macintosh gives you clues to the health of the battery in two locations. You can tell the percentage of remaining power by looking at the battery icon in the top right of your screen. Click on the battery icon and it will tell you how the battery feels. Another place to go for more detailed information about your the health of your battery is in the System Profiler. You can open the System Profiler by putting your mouse arrow on the black Apple at the top left of the screen. Scroll down to “About this Mac” and click on “System Report”. Go down to the “Power” section. Here you will see the battery’s health and cycle count.
It can happen that the power manager inside your computer – called the System Management Controller (SMC) – becomes confused. Among the symptoms are:
- the battery does not charge properly; or,
- the MagSafe green/orange status light does not reflect what the charger is doing.
Sometimes resetting the SMC will correct these problems. Apple has instructions on how to do that here.
Be sure to read the entire article so as to identify the instructions that pertain to your model MacBook.
When the battery finally fails to hold a charge, don’t throw it in the trash. Cover the terminals of the battery with tape to keep them from touching other metal objects. If they touch, the lithium-ion in the battery cells can begin to heat up resulting in a fire hazard. Dispose of it with the recycling services in your community.
You are now looking to replace the main battery. Here are some options:
- look on eBay, Amazon, or Craigslist for a used or third-party (house brand) battery for your MacBook. Those should not cost much; but you may not have as long a life with that battery.
- batteries sold under the name “NewerTech” by Other World Computing are an excellent value.
- buy a new genuine Apple replacement. It is the most expensive option, but you should get years of use from it if you manage the life of the battery carefully.
Capitolmac Baltimore Closes
The Apple Universe can be a tough one to operate in. Recently, Baltimore’s Capitolmac – an Apple authorized retailer – closed its doors after an 11 year run. Owner and president Dheeraj Vasishta told the Baltimore Business Journal late last year the closure was primarily due to money: “The margins on everything got tighter over the years,” he said. “It’s always bad when selling Apple products, but the squeeze got tighter on repairs. It really comes down to money, as it always does.”
Last week, MacRecycleClinic was invited to come see the Capitolmac Fells Point, Baltimore store (there are two others in Richmond and Williamsburg. The Williamsburg store, operated by another owner, will continue).
We were able to see both the front end retail store and back-end where the company did repairs and kept a ton of older machines and parts. We were able to come back later and gleen some of the older Mac parts- hopefully to use in our own refurbishing/recycling efforts here in Silver Spring.
As Vashishta noted to the Baltimore Business Journal, it is always going to be tough running a small business, but trying to be a technology retailer can be especially challenging. We’re sorry to see Captiolmac go because it has an impact on consumer choice as well as consumer experience.
Some shots of the Capitolmac Apple retail and repair store in Fells Point, Baltimore after it closed.
Early i7 MacBook Pro Graphic Problems & Solutions
We get questions. Good ones, in fact, about all sorts of Mac problems.
Recently, the owner of an early 2011 15″ MacBook Pro with an i7 processor was experiencing some disastrous graphics issues.
These machines (15″ and 17″) offered two graphics processing units (GPUs). One is the graphics processor that’s part of the Intel CPU. The second graphics chip is made by either AMD or NVIDIA and was designed to provide an additional graphics performance boost for the laptop.
The problem is that the AMD/NVIDIA GPU has what Adam Barscheski of Realmacmods says is a “tragic defect” that causes that i7 to either have lost its video or soon will.
As our MacRecycleClinic laptop Guru explains, “The supplemental video chip was incorrectly soldered to the motherboard and when the cold solder connections separate, boink goes your video.”
As he wrote the owner, “There are some specialty shops that will try resoldering the video chip. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn’t last very long. The clinic has lots of i7 machines with your new woes.”
Solutions
There are frankly no good solutions to this problem, but here’s what MRC is recommending:
- Search the web for sites that claim to resolder the
video chip. Good ones insist on removing the
motherboard, removing the chip and reinstalling; - Go to the MacMedics website and see what they say
about the problem; - Realmacmods offers one possible way to fix the video issue by disabling the AMD/NVIDIA GPU so that only the Intel GPU is used;
- Find an older i5 (2013-2015) machine with retina display if your work does not require intensive graphics/video support. This series of machines does not have supplemental video problems.
- Look for a newer i7 on Craigslist or eBay that did not experience these problems.
A Crazier Solution…
A quick search on YouTube found this video from HotshotTec – who basically took the MacBook apart and COOKED the motherboard. It worked for him, but it’s not something you should consider unless you are very comfortable taking apart – and putting back together – a Mac laptop. But the process is certainly interesting:
If you’ve had this problem – and found a solution – let us know and we’ll share it here!
It’s Time To Add Antivirus Software To Protect Your Mac
(Silver Spring, Md.) It’s been a long time coming, but it is now time for you to seriously consider adding antivirus software for your Mac.
The reason is actually very simple. Our Macs have been around for a long time, grown in popularity and numbers and hackers have taken notice. Over the past few years, there have been increasing reports of vulnerabilities in the Mac OS (that Apple may or may not fix), security issues, ransomware and much more.
So we’re at a point here at MacRecycleClinic where we’ve decided to add a free version of Avast (rated as the best free antivirus software for the Mac by MacWorld) to every machine we refurbish for donation. I would strongly recommend you read their article (or search online – there are many more) and make a decision for yourself. As you’ll see, the best paid programs offer everything from malware protection to ransomware monitoring and much more.
Macworld author Glenn Fleishman notes that “antivirus software should be able to neutralize a threat before it can begin wreaking havoc. That means preventing the download, installation, or execution of malicious software.”
For our purposes, Avast will do a fine job as freeware on our refurbished Macs. If the user (the person or family to whom we donate a machine) wants more protection, they can either move to the paid version of Avast or try one of the other companies that sell antivirus software (Avast Pro is $59.99 per year.)
I will note that the U.S. Government has banned one company selling antivirus software – Kaspersky Labs – because of “fears of Russian intelligence.”
Testing Your Mac’s Hardware & RAM
Photo: Public Domain via Google Search.
Updated Oct. 3, 2017 to include Micromat’s Atomic software:
SILVER SPRING, Md. (Sept. 29) We’ve been looking at ways to test computer RAM from the Macs we get donated to MacRecycleClinic.
Most of the time, we turn on the machine to see if it works. If there’s a problem (and many times there are any number of issues), we pull the memory and plug it into a new Mac of the same vintage and hope it works. Sometimes the Mac will flash it’s “on-off” light on the front to say something was not quite right (sometimes you have to insert the same memory in pairs). But how can you actually test RAM? There are three basic ways to do that – the expensive way, the 3rd party software way and the inexpensive (Apple provided) way.
-
- You can go with a hardware solution – purchasing a RAM testbed that will check out the memory chips and provide a robust report. But the solution is expensive – and requires the purchase of additional plug-in “cards” that are designed to work with the machine – each plug-in is designed for a specific kind of long, or short RAM. The costs can run upwards of $1000.00! One example: See this YouTube video about the Ramcheck LX
- Micromat sells a software suite called Atomic – which they bill as “The most comprehensive memory tester for the Mac.” We haven’t been able to try it out yet – so if any of you have – please give us some comments below about the program. By the way – it works with OS X 10.9 or greater, including macOS 10.12 ‘Sierra’ (and we’ll assume 10.13 – High Sierra now). Cost is $29.99 unless you are a previous Micromat customer, in which case, the cost is $19.99. NOTE: TechTool Pro 9 also includes a memory test as part of it’s software offerings.
- Use the Mac’s built-in software Hardware Test Suite. Macs, going back to machines from 2000 or so, have built-in hardward diagnostics that offers a more cost-effective solution (as in, free!). We MRC volunteers approve of that! 🙂
Using the Hardware Test Suite
Unlike Disk Utility, the hardware test is not an app per se, but requires you to restart your machine and press the “D” key during startup. In some instances, I’ve seen tutorials call for Option + D – but just “D” may be enough in most instances.
-
- Restart your Mac and at the chime, press “D” or “Option + D” and wait for your computer to boot.
- You’ll be presented with a screen showing a turning globe and drop-down box to select your wireless network. Go ahead and choose the network and plug in the password on the next screen. Continue.
- Once that’s done, the “Apple Hardware Test” screen will open. Choose your language of choice (English is highlighted by default.
- Move to the next panel to get to the actual test screen. You’re almost there!
- To perform the hardware test all you have to do is click on the “Test” button or, as the instructions indicate, press the “T” key. Be ready to wait a bit while the tests are performed. Note the box under the progress screen where your results will be displayed. If you have any RAM issues (or other hardware problems) this is where you’ll find the results.
- If you do have an issue with the RAM, you’ll need to replace the memory since it is not something that’s “fixable.”
There are a number of good places to purchase memory – but be sure to ask us first as we have a robust collection of RAM that we sell inexpensively. That said, if you want new, choices range from Amazon and Best Buy to Crucial, and many others. But we usually recommend memoryx.com to our MRC Clinic visitors (we’ll help you purchase the correct RAM).
Remember that in some cases, your Mac will need not one but two memory cards (usually matched) to work correctly. You can get help from your MRC volunteers, on the memoryx website (by computer type and year it was built) or you can use the MacTracker app on you Mac or IOS device.
- There are many more resources on the web to help you if you’re interested in learning more about the Hardware Test Suite:CNET: How to Test the RAM on Your Mac
YouTube: There are a number of great videos – click on the link and you’ll be at a search screen with a number of choices. - Memoryx.com also has helpful videos that explain HOW to install RAM. But if you’re uncomfortable with doing that, bring it in to the MRC most Monday nights and we’ll be happy to help.
Part Two: Using the Patcher Tool
Off the top, I want to thank dosdude1.com for providing the software – and the instructions – to upgrade many older Macs to OSX Sierra. Please donate if you can!
The benefit to this update is that we are getting a number of Macs – Towers, Mini’s and iMacs – that can only go up to OS7 or OS8 and thus are increasingly out-of-date. If we can get at least some of these Macs up to OSX Sierra, we have a great chance to give them new life for a few more years. And that means we can give students, families, non-profit groups and others the ability to work with the latest OS and be as productive as they can be going forward.
The website lays out the requirements, supported (and non-supported) machines, things you’ll need and known issues (which we laid out in Part 1.)
You can use the instructions from dosdude1 to take you through the process. My intent here is to give you my take as I went through those instructions.
TAKE ONE
The instructions are clear that you need a flash drive of at least 8 GB in size. I found that you can get away with a smaller one. That said, you will need to get ahold of a copy of the Sierra installer by using a newer Mac to get it from the App store or dosdude1 gives you a link to the MEGA Unlimited site in New Zealand – but you can get instructions on how to download it from other websites as well.
You’ll also need a hard drive with an older version of the Mac OS (based on the requirements for the upgrade) or a blank drive. In either case, you’ll be installing Sierra – so it will be a “normal” install as you would with any Mac update, or a clean install on a new or blank drive.
Update: This is my main drive info. I did this upgrade on an exact copy:
NOTE – we plan to do a clean install and, with some additional software tools (like Open Office) we will plan to make a Time Machine backup to use to make clones for other Macs. (Yes there are other ways to make clones – as in using SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cleaner. But I’ve found that using a Time Machine backup is actually quicker. (See note below about this.)
We’ll write about that experience in a future blog.
TAKE TWO
Download the Patcher Tool as instructed. Plug in the USB drive and format it using Disk Utilities. (That said, the Patcher Tool will format it anyway when you go to the next step.)
NOTE – I used a 6 GB partition on a large USB drive that I have with various OSX installers without a problem.
It’s time to install OSX Sierra on the USB Drive. Make sure you know where the Sierra installer app is – the patch tool will want to know.
Run the Patcher Tool and click on the Sierra icon to verify your Sierra install app. This went as planned for me. Now it’s time to install the OSX Base System on the formatted USB drive (or in my case – partition).
Remember, this will be the boot drive from which you’ll install OSX Sierra onto the drive of your choice.
With the USB drive selected, I clicked on “Start Operation” to begin installing the Sierra install app.
This is where I ran into some trouble – as the install would get almost all the way to the end and then give me an error message. I reformatted the USB drive and tried again. Same thing. Third time, I LEFT what had been installed on the USB partition and walked away. The install was successful this time! Not sure why but it was time to move on.
TAKE THREE
I keep a Time Machine backup and a SuperDuper backup of my boot drive, so I decided to use the backup as the guinea pig for this update. I rebooted the Mac from the USB drive (Apple Menu -> Restart – Press the Option key). If your USB drive only has one partition (with the Sierra install on it) you’ll see your boot drive and one that is called “OS X Base System.” THAT is what you want to boot from.
I intended to UPDATE from El Capitan (10.11), but if you want to do a clean install, you’ll need to boot into the install drive and then pull down System Utilities to format that drive (yes – you could have done this before as well).
Proceed with the installation on the disk of your choice. This will take awhile so be sure to go into System Preferences and tell your Mac (using Energy Saver) to not go to sleep or turn off your hard drives.
Once installed, your Mac will boot into the new OS. You’ll know because the background will be the Sierra Nevada mountains and “About This Mac” from the Apple Menu will confirm it all.
TAKE FOUR
I was almost done! Although it LOOKS like you’ve upgraded properly, you still need to patch the new OS. So I rebooted BACK into the USB Sierra installer partition. This time, when it booted, I found a small box had popped up with four menu items. You only care about the last one – macOS Post Install. I chose that and it asks you to choose your Mac model.
Luckily – it TELLS YOU what Mac Model you have. Choose that model from the drop down box and you will see some suggested patches pre-populated for the model Mac you have. Select the drive you installed Sierra on and press PATCH. For some reason, I had to do this twice but it did finally take.
On the bottom of the Post Install, you’ll see “Complete!” on the left and a Reboot button. Ignore “Force Cache Rebuild.”
My Mac rebooted into the backup drive with Sierra installed. It worked perfectly! I checked for any updates and only had one – Pages – to update. The patched system should allow updates as well (at least for Sierra) but there have been none so far.
FINALLY
That was it! I will likely go ahead and install Sierra on my original El Capitan boot drive (2 TB) as well after giving Sierra a run through on the backup.
Given that the patches are Mac-specific, I’ll likely have to run the patcher tool on each machine we update at the MacRecycleClinic. The good news is, I can boot from the USB drive and install Sierra on any Mac that is supported. From there, I just have to run the Patcher Tool and choose the right version of the machine to patch.
The other plan (as mentioned above) – to create a Mac-specific Time Machine clone may not work but we’ll give it a try and report back.
NOTE that there are still some restrictions with certain Macs – in some cases, for instance, WiFi won’t work – the website says machines ( a wide range actually) running the Broadcom BCM4321 WiFi module. The fix is to install a compatible WiFi card if one is available.
Let us know your own experiences with this patch and any suggestions you might have to make it easier.
MRC Donates PowerMac Labs to Two Area Schools
SILVER SPRING, Md. – The Mac Recycle Clinic (MRC) got the school year off to a good start with donations for two area schools:
– 12 complete PowerMac systems went to the Cheverly (Md.) STEM Education Center located in the Cheverly United Methodist Church. The school provides Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) classes for area home schoolers.
– 6 additional towers went to the Chance Academy, which is located in the Michigan Park Christian Church in Washington, D.C.. This school provides the homeschool network in Maryland and the District of Columbia with academic programs in the sciences.
All of the machines (including monitors, keyboards and mice) from the MRC are donated Macs that are reconditioned to make sure everything is working properly. We have a “master” hard drive that we clone (copy) so that all machines have the same set of software when they go out the door.
Since all these machines were PowerPC Macs (pre-Intel chip machines), the software is all optimized to work with OS 10.5.8 – the last OS version that works with PPC Macs.
Critical Exposure’s Spring Exhibit a Hit with MRC Macs!
The Washington, D.C. non-profit group Critical Exposure is celebrating it’s 8th annual spring exhibit – Zoom In: National Lens, Local Focus. We are thrilled that they are using Macs donated by MacRecycleClinic for the exhibit, which features photography and writing by D.C. youth who are creating real change in their schools and communities.
The exhibit is at the Pepco Edison Gallery at 702 8th St. NW (a block from the Gallery Place metro).
Thanks to Merrill College of Journalism (University of Maryland) Lecturer and PhotoJournalist Bethany Swain for this great pic of a young visitor enjoying the Critical Exposure reception this past week. All the Mac PPC towers and monitors were donated by MRC.
New Domain Name!
Recyclemac.wordpress.com is now recyclemac.org – either will work but the “primary” URL is now much easier to use. Thanks to everyone for following us! There’s lot to talk about so stay tuned. 🙂
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