Factory reset?

[Atlas]

So I've been wanting to do a factory reset on my MacBook Pro for a long time,
Recently it's been slow to boot up and slow to function, the fan turns on and it heats up, and sometimes it even makes weird crunching noises.

The only thing I want to save from my MacBook is all the pictures. There's a lot of family pictures on there. I upgraded my iCloud storage so I could upload them all (it's about 30G.

1. Do I need anything to do a factory reset? (I.e. A disc?)
2. Will a factory reset solve the problems I was having?
3. Will I be able to get the pictures from iCloud back? (How do I see that the pictures are in fact on iCloud?)

Im just worried about deleting all the pictures and also messing up my Mac :/

[Mama Bear]

You should be able to access your pictures from another device by logging in with the same account. The pictures in the cloud aren't stuck on just that computer (that's how the hackers stole the celeb nudes, from the cloud).

I don't think that a factory reset would help if your computer is 'crunching'. It couldn't hurt, I guess, but it sounds like it's dying. How old is the device?

[Atlas]

You should be able to access your pictures from another device by logging in with the same account. The pictures in the cloud aren't stuck on just that computer (that's how the hackers stole the celeb nudes, from the cloud).

I don't think that a factory reset would help if your computer is 'crunching'. It couldn't hurt, I guess, but it sounds like it's dying. How old is the device?

It's from 2012. It has been working fine up till a couple weeks ago when I downloaded parallels and Windows 8 (and when I upgraded to Windows 10 last night it kept making crunching sounds).
Maybe "crumpling" is a better way to describe it? And it was only when I ran parallels. When parallels isn't running my computer doesn't make weird noises, but it sometimes is slow (boot up doesn't make a chime either, not sure if that's a problem or not).

[Maison]

4 HOURSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS it's okay ;(
30 GB omg Brandon what do you have xDDDD
When you upload it to the cloud and it says it's uploaded then it probably is uploaded!! I never really had any problems with iCloud tbh!!
A factory reset should make it faster though so best of luck!! (Inlove)

[raithi]

@(you need an account to see links) Something Ive noticed about macs from that time period is that they have weird variable speed fans. If it is getting hot then it sounds like a fan problem, which is fairly common issue. Also the crunching sound is indicative of bad bearings (just like in a car), so my guess would be, the bearings in your fan are going bad, and its not staying up to speed, getting hot, and running like shit because of it.

Just my take on what it sounds like to me. But a pretty decent starting point would be to get an application to be able to monitor both fan speed and voltage, as well as your internal temperature sensors.

[cinnamon]

A clicking noise can be an indication that the hard drive is failing. Not sure about a crunching...

You should ALWAYS have a second instance of any files you don't want to lose. Be that through icloud or another hard drive. It's best to run backups at least once a week.

I only work on mac's at work, so I don't know much about improving their performance, but from a Windows standpoint, wiping your computer and starting fresh should improve the performance. Over the years as you install and uninstall programs, you're writing and unwriting junk into your Windows registry and causing your hard drive to have to skip over previously wiped parts. This is a terrible explanation I realize now. Basically, yes, it can help performance in Windows and provided you back up your files it's definitely worth a shot on your Mac. I usually wipe my computer at least every two years and start fresh, some people do it once a year, some people never do it.

Before wiping anything just be absolutely sure you have backed up your files elsewhere. Go through all your folders and double-check to make sure you haven't forgotten anything. Make sure you're not running any programs you downloaded that you don't have the discs or online keys to reinstall.

Also, regardless of whether or not you have an applecare plan, you can make an appointment at any apple store and they'll wipe the thing for you for free.

Good luck!

raithi's post reminded me about your fan issues:

Your fans blow hot air from the cpu and video card through a vent in your laptop. These vents get dusty and mucked up over time, so even if the fan doesn't seem bad at first glance, the vent can have blockage. Laptop fans really should be cleaned out every year or two but most people don't know how to service them and just buy new computers when things go downhill. If you're confident, just google "clean macbook pro 2012 fan" and you'll get a video or guide from someone who can give you guidance. That said, I'm a tech nerd, so don't do this unless you're comfortable.