by "Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
Published 12/28/2017 at 13:07
by "Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
Published 12/28/2017 at 13:07
Tags: Computers
STARS: 2
Well, I decided to take the easy way out...
A few nights ago I reported that I drunkenly killed my 2008 unibody black MacBook. I finally got a bootable partition utility so I could reassign the active drive. Unfortunately, when I was drunkenly deleting partitions, I deleted files necessary for boot. At that point, the only way to boot would be to repair Windows using an installer DVD/USB. Lucky me, the one my MacBook couldn’t do is directly boot into a Windows installer! I should have modified the efi on this thing when I got it, but oops.
I traded the Rose Gold 64GB iPhone 6S in my phone stash for a 2011 MacBook Pro, which will arrive soon. I may make some money in the trade too, making it a very decent flip.
As for the 2008 MacBook, I’m going to have to put OS X back onto it (have to find a good OS X 10.7 torrent), then from there I can put Windows 10 back onto it. I’ll then create a Windows 10 recovery partition so this doesn’t happen again since the computer will not boot the install disk or USB.
I could also get the Windows installer to boot from Lubuntu, either way works.
In the meantime, I’ve already recovered the data off the 2008 MacBook using a Live USB of Ubuntu.
This keeps my Apple product count at 10. I guess for full disclosure, I also have almost the same amount in non-Apple devices.
Have a sweet Insight for your read!
"Daily Drives a Dragon - One Last Lap" (ddadragon)
12/28/2017 at 13:15, STARS: 1
I always liked the keyboards on those black macbooks. I don’t quite know why
"E90M3" (e90m3)
12/28/2017 at 13:18, STARS: 1
I need to get an SSD, max out my RAM, and get a new battery. Figured I should upgrade my old laptop since it’s still working after 9 years and I don’t want to spend the money on a new one. I got a mac mini in 2015, but this is the only laptop I have.
"farscythe - makin da cawfee!" (farscythe)
12/28/2017 at 13:27, STARS: 2
kinda off topic..... but i miss kickasstorrents....... bloody impossible to find a good torrent site nowadays that doesnt bombard me with popups or tries to hijack my computer (this includes the kickasstorrents proxys...)
"DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back" (karsonkinja)
12/28/2017 at 13:28, STARS: 1
My wife has a Macbook Pro of the same vintage. After a battery swap (old one was inflating and pushed the touchpad out of the unibody) and RAM upgrade, it runs real real good. The insides are highly repairable too. Solid piece of kit.
"and 100 more" (nth256)
12/28/2017 at 13:42, STARS: 1
Watch out for the GFX chip issue on the 2011 MBP. Basic gist is that there are two GFX processors; one is built into the mobo, and used for basic tasks; the other is 3rd party, and used for more graphic-intensive stuff. The 3rd party processor has a defect that, after about 6 or 7 years, the solder joints become unstable, and when it heats up (even during normal use - like using Fb in Chrome, nothing too crazy), the contacts separate and the GFX chip shuts down, and the whole system goes down with it. It reboots itself, after a kernel panic notification screen, and goes on like “NBD, LOL!” until it heats up that processor again.
I’m not sure how this affects those running Windows as their primary OS, but i have tried unsuccessfully to change settings in OSX to disable the 3rd-party chip. I was able to boot into a Linux distro CD, but I know just about enough Linux to know I shouldn’t fuck around with it.
Just a heads-up; it’s becoming more and more common with this vintage MBP as the years go on.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
12/28/2017 at 13:50, STARS: 1
Interesting! I’ll keep on the lookout for it! :O
Can the 3rd party chip be replaced?
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
12/28/2017 at 13:52, STARS: 1
I wouldn’t get rid of it, older MacBooks are tanks and can even handle games from around the time they were made.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
12/28/2017 at 13:56, STARS: 0
They’re quite solid for laptop keyboards!
"and 100 more" (nth256)
12/28/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 0
Welllll....
Yes, it can. But the chip (which is made by nVidia, i believe?) is proprietary to the MBP, and has a unique pinout... which basically means, you can only replace the offending chip with an exact cloe of the same chip. The brand spanking new chip might be great for awhile, but because it was a flawed design, you’re only going to have the same problem again in a few years.
That said, the cost to replace the chip is, as you can imagine, enormous. Apple really fucked everyone on this one.
A new chip was designed and used in later models, but it is not compatible with the pinout of the old chip.
You might be able to bypass the 3rd-party chip in Windows, I’m not sure. Apple made the switchover from one chip to another seamless; as a result, it’s very difficult to make it not switch to the other chip. Something something walled garden...
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
12/28/2017 at 13:58, STARS: 1
Yeah, the days of easy torrents are gone. :(
"no1unorightnow" (no1unorightnow)
01/04/2018 at 00:54, STARS: 1
Why 10.7, of all things??
10.8 onward can be easily had directly from Apple at no cost.
"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
01/04/2018 at 08:45, STARS: 0
That early 2008 model (4,1) has a max OS X of 10.7 without modding. :(