MacBook RAM & Battery Problems

[BrooklineBiker]

Hi everyone,
I am a tech newbie and first time poster to the forum. I own an early 2009 13 inch MacBook running OS X 10.9.4 with 2 GB of RAM. It has a new 256 GB Solid State Drive. It has been running sluggishly so I decided to install 4 GB of RAM. I ordered 2 new RAM cards of 2 GB each from OWC and attempted to install same. I installed the 2 cards. I noticed one card had a weird scratch when I opened the package on the gold part. I decided to install it anyway to see if it would recognize it. Unfortunately, when I booted up, only 2 GB of RAM were recognized. So I decided to remove the scratched card, reinstall 1 of the old cards, and see if I could arrange a swap from OWC. I removed the new card and put in the old card. It seemed tougher to install than the new one. When I booted up I got a bunch of beeps.

Things get more complicated from here.  The battery on the computer was held in place with packing tape prior to my beginning the upgrade. The battery would not come out - meaning I can't access the RAM. I tried to force the battery with a knife but a plastic backing on the battery begin to peel off.

What do members recommend? Buy a new battery? Let a professional techie fix it? Buy a new computer?

[Greg]

I think the RAM pair has to match, i.e. 2GB and 2GB not 1GB and 2GB.

Not sure about the battery thing, are the clips busted?

[BrooklineBiker]

I think the RAM pair has to match, i.e. 2GB and 2GB not 1GB and 2GB.

Not sure about the battery thing, are the clips busted?

Hi Greg,
Thanks for your response. What are the clips you are referring to?

[windypig]

ifixit.com should have manuals on how to do these things.

It doesnt sound like your battery is functionally broken, does it appear you can just glue the part which just peeled off (not glue it into the computer so it cant be removed!)

I would wait for your replacement RAM, replace it, and see what the computer reconizes, its possible you inserted the RAM upside down etc. It should "click" into place.

good luck.

[Greg]

I think the RAM pair has to match, i.e. 2GB and 2GB not 1GB and 2GB.

Not sure about the battery thing, are the clips busted?

Hi Greg,
Thanks for your response. What are the clips you are referring to?

The ones that hold the battery in.  I think I have the same model (but 15") and the battery has built-in clips, there are ribbed buttons on the outside that release the clips when you slide the buttons, at least on mine.

I got my RAM at http://www.powerbookmedic.com/ and also have a total of 4GB, because Apple says it's the max for our machines.  I have read that 6GB is doable but didn't want to spend the money for something that might not work.  They also have tutorials that show you how to do various repairs as needed.  Very handy.

The slowness might also be due to running the 10.9.4, you're pretty maxed out with that.  I run 10.6.8.  A SSD to replace your hard drive would make it faster.

[Chranstronaut]

Things get more complicated from here.  The battery on the computer was held in place with packing tape prior to my beginning the upgrade. The battery would not come out - meaning I can't access the RAM. I tried to force the battery with a knife but a plastic backing on the battery begin to peel off.

Did you tape it down or was there a previous owner?  I would look around for videos online about battery replacements on your model, and they should help identify the tabs Greg mentioned.  I'm not sure if these can be replaced, but if they are cheap, it will be a lot better than packing tape.

If you think you might have badly damaged the battery, you might want to take it in to a general computer repair shop and ask if it's safe to use in its current state.  Someone should be able to look at the battery for 30 seconds and tell if it's good or not for free.  If you started to peel open the battery casing, I would be nervous to use that long term.

I replaced the battery on my 2008 macbook, but those plug and play from outside of the computer, so I can't really help you with specifics.  If you decide you need a new battery, I would highly recommend getting a 3rd party battery.  Mine was much cheaper than the Apple replacement and has been working great.  The one I got on Amazon was ~$30, it looks like yours run around $45.

Good luck!

Edit: I forgot to mention that if you have your original Apple battery are having any of the classic macbook battery issues (not charging correctly, poor battery condition in the top menu bar, etc) it's worth considering just replacing the battery now.  You didn't mention this happening, but it's so common on older macbooks I thought I would mention it.  This is why I had to replace my battery-- I had warning messages and then it stopped charging suddenly.