Recently widowed neighbor wants me to fix her Macbook Pro 15

[chopper]

I cleared everything off the other user/her account. She says she doesn't use the Macbook for anything but "internet".

I am signed into icloud on the pref panel.

I'm trying to sign into the App store to try and download a newer OS but I get a spinning beach ball when doing so in the App Store app.

Restart/sign out/sign in repeat no joy.

Is there any way to get an installer on a thumb drive or anything?

I can access app store on "my" computer and my phone, oddly.

Keyboard works and seems quite nice. In fact the whole computer seems very nice.

[btfc]

“ I can access app store on "my" computer “

Which is?

[chopper]

Beater old iMac running Sierra.

2009 era iMac 27.

[btfc]

Yes, then download it on your Mac if you can. The quickest way to install it might be TDM:



https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/41010-ma...disk-mode/

[jdc]

what they all said.

Does she really need a battery? how often does she go mobile? maybe just treat as a desktop? Save the $$.

[Article Accelerator]

chopper wrote: I installed Chrome

Chrome is part of the reason it's slow.

[chopper]

It was slow before I put Chrome on it. It took a good two minutes for Safari to load.

[RAMd®d]

I'd pass on the additional RAM.

I'd do an Apple Hardware Test if possible.

I'd consider installing Firefox as a second browser for those times when Safari won't work.

But the almost daily updates may trouble her.

Between Sierra and High Sierra, there were still random sites that didn't like an older flavor of Safari.

[Forrest]

To startup the MacBook in recovery mode to run diagnostics, run Disk Utility Or reinstall an OS, you’ll need an internet connection. Check this Apple Support for more info