Defragment your hard drive

i read you can Defragment your hard drive in windows, but can you do it in a mac? if so, how?

Unix(core of os X) handles files far better than windows does, so you do not get near the fragmentation that you get under windows.
OS X automagically defrags files under a certain size.
Short answer-you do not have to defrag.
If you absolutely feel you have to, search out some utilities for os x to do so.

Similar Messages

  • Defragmenting your hard drive

    I am a recent convert from a PC to an iMac. Is there a need to defragment the hard drive as you would do on a PC? If so, is there software already installed to do this or is there a need to purchase an app?
    Your comments would be appreciated!

    There is no need to defrag a Mac. 

  • Don't forget to DEFRAG your Hard Drives!!!

    I upgraded to 1.1 about 3 weeks ago. I had noticed that it was slower in showing 1:1 previews and using develop than 1.0. So I tried optimized the DB. that helped, a little.
    Then early this morning I was doing regular computer maintenance and realized that I had not defragged my drives for about 5 weeks. I usually do them at least once a month. Well, after defragging all drives/partitions LR was moving at good speeds again.
    In 1.0 my times were as follows:
    1:1 previews----- about 3 seconds
    Time to fully resolved image in Develop----- 3-4 seconds
    After installing 1.1 but before the defrag the timings were as follows:
    1:1 Previews------- about 7 seconds
    Time to fully resolved image in Develop----- about 7-9 seconds
    Now with 1.1 AND defragged drives:
    1:1 previews------- about 3 seconds
    time to fully resolved image in develop about 3 seconds
    As you can see just a defragged HD cut my wait time by more than half!
    So remember--- Defrag your HD's regularly

    It's tough to be clear in these brief posts ! My workflow involves looking over a group of images as thumbnails and throwing out the obvious junk. Then I enlarge the thumbnails a bit and further elliminate near duplicates. I view good images in a FIT to window size in the Library module and make adjustments to exposure, coloration, cropping etc in Develop. When the RAW workflow is complete I open any images I want to in PS and do any final adjustments, layering, effects, and lastly sharpening. Sharpening is about the only time I go in and view images at 100%. Occasionally I'll take a Lightroom Image and look at it 100% instead of Fill. If I do that with 1 image and then, from the Grid I double click on another to open it at 100% view, it is virtually instantaneous. It starts out not being 100% tack sharp, but that normally takes maybe a third of a second but it can take up to 3 seconds to get the full sharp resolution. If I am in the Library and hit "D" to go to develop, the image pops out instantly and then the full resolution sharpness takes from 1-3 seconds but I don't even hardly notice that change since I'm already moving toward the Basic Develop module to make some adjustment I see. In terms of workflow I am not waiting at all at any time other than when I import a group of 1000 images or so.
    I defrag my image hard drive by wiping a backup and copying one drive to another, then that clean drive is the new default data drive. I check the copy with Disk Utility and Disk Warrior before a trust it. :0) It's much faster to do that than to use any of the defrag tools I have known.

  • How do you defragment a hard drive

    HOw do you defragment hard drives in a macpro running mountain lion.

    You don't need to. But if you feel you must:
    You will have to backup your OS X partition to an external drive, boot from the external drive, use Disk Utility to repartition and reformat your hard drive back to a single volume, then restore your backup to the internal hard drive.
    Get an empty external hard drive and clone your internal drive to the external one.
    Boot from the external hard drive.
    Erase the internal hard drive.
    Restore the external clone to the internal hard drive.
    Clone the internal drive to the external drive
    Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
    Select the destination volume from the left side list.
    Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
    Check the box labeled Erase destination.
    Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
    Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
    Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
    Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
    Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager appears.  Select the icon for the external drive and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
    After startup do the following:
    Erase internal hard drive
    Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
    After DU loads select your internal hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.  Do not quit Disk Utility.
    Restore the clone to the internal hard drive
    Select the destination volume from the left side list.
    Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
    Check the box labeled Erase destination.
    Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
    Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
    Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
    Destination means the internal hard drive. Source means the external startup drive.
    Note that the Source and Destination drives are swapped for this last procedure.

  • Do I have to defragment my hard drive in Mac OS X?

    Hi, I'm fairly new Mac OS X user, and I remember I had to occasionally defragment my hard drive in Windows. Now Mac OS X uses different partition system than Windows, but question remains - do these things exist on Macs?
    MacBook   Mac OS X (10.4.9)   iPod Nano 2nd gen, wireless Apple Mighty Mouse

    hi!
    you don't need defrag your HD.
    this artice contains a larger answer.
    http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=25668

  • Keeping your Hard Drive tidy

    Hi Folks,
    I hope i am in the right forum to post this, apologies in advance if I am not. So after a recent Hard-drive failure I plan to treat my Mac with a bit more TLC. I have upgraded to Snow leopard, is there any utility software available to 'defrag' my Hard Drive to keep it mean and clean?
    Thanks in advance for your help.

    In addition leave your machine on 24/7 as Apple recommends in your owners manual. The only time to shut it off is if you are going to be away from it for a few days.
    OS X run's daily, weekly and monthly maintenance routines in the middle of the night. These maintenance routines are normally enough to keep your machine in good running condition.
    Of course the advice on using Time Machine is wise, this helps you in the event of a HD crash or if you accidentally delete a file. If you haven't use haven't read it before there is a FAQ Pondini, a generous poster on these forums has put together. Here is the link to it:
    http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1227
    Roger

  • Best way to defragment my hard drive?... XD

    I use my mac to run ProTools and Logic. Because I have so many audio files on my hard drive and make edits all the time I need a way to defrag it. OSX takes care of most of the problems for the average user... too bad I don't fall into that category XD... DON'T TELL ME IT TAKES CARE OF ITSELF! An external drive with a is normally my way to solve this problem but i'm in a situation where that resource isn't available to me. All thoughts are appreciated. If theres a free way to do it I'd be smitten THANKS Y'ALL

    How To Defragment A Hard Drive
    This is the fastest and safest method for defragmenting a drive. Plus, it does not require third-party software, but it does require a spare hard drive.
    1. Get an empty external hard drive and clone your internal drive to the external one.
    2. Boot from the external hard drive.
    3. Erase the internal hard drive.
    4. Restore the external clone to the internal hard drive.
    Clone the internal drive to the external drive
    1. Open Disk Utility from the Utilities folder.
    2. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
    3. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
    4. Check the box labeled Erase destination.
    5. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
    6. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
    7. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
    Destination means the external backup drive. Source means the internal startup drive.
    Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager appears.  Select the icon for the external drive and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
    After startup do the following:
    Erase internal hard drive
    1.  Open Disk Utility in your Utilities folder.
    2. After DU loads select your internal hard drive (this is the entry with the mfgr.'s ID and size) from the left side list. Note the SMART status of the drive in DU's status area.  If it does not say "Verified" then the drive is failing or has failed and will need replacing.  SMART info will not be reported  on external drives. Otherwise, click on the Partition tab in the DU main window.
    3. Under the Volume Scheme heading set the number of partitions from the drop down menu to one. Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Options button, set the partition scheme to GUID then click on the OK button. Click on the Partition button and wait until the process has completed.  Do not quit Disk Utility.
    Restore the clone to the internal hard drive
    1. Select the destination volume from the left side list.
    2. Click on the Restore tab in the DU main window.
    3. Check the box labeled Erase destination.
    4. Select the destination volume from the left side list and drag it to the Destination entry field.
    5. Select the source volume from the left side list and drag it to the Source entry field.
    6. Double-check you got it right, then click on the Restore button.
    Destination means the internal hard drive. Source means the external startup drive.
    Note that the Source and Destination drives are swapped for this last procedure.

  • Defrag the hard drive?

    Is there a way to defrag the hard drive, like on a PC, on my iBook G4 if it is running rather slowly?

    If you get into home tech, and buy an external bootable enclosed
    hard disk drive, you could clone your complete computer drive
    over to an external (FireWire for PPC, USB 2.0 for Intel) using a
    clone utility; then use the booted OS X installer's Disk Utility's
    options to zero data on the hard drive and reformat it to HFS+.
    This will wipe everything and also as a result, will defragment it.
    And then you can re-clone your (pretested) full system clone
    back into the computer from the external using the clone utility.
    That's how I occasionally defrag; but I don't do all this for that
    end. Making a complete computer backup before and after
    successful system upgrades, is always a primary reason to clone.

  • How to defragement a hard drive

    Just upgraded my iMac 27" purchased in August 2012 to Yosemite.  I move a lot of video files and my machine is running slow (nothing to do with the Yosemite upgrade).  I used iDfrag in the past but it has not been updated for Yosemite.  My questions is:  What is the easiest way to defrag my hard drive?
    Thank you
    VPH

    You don't defrag a drive running Apple OS X.
    Defragmentation in OS X:
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1375  which states:
    You probably won't need to optimize at all if you use Mac OS X. Here's why:
    Hard disk capacity is generally much greater now than a few years ago. With more free space available, the file system doesn't need to fill up every "nook and cranny." Mac OS Extended formatting (HFS Plus) avoids reusing space from deleted files as much as possible, to avoid prematurely filling small areas of recently-freed space.
    Mac OS X 10.2 and later includes delayed allocation for Mac OS X Extended-formatted volumes. This allows a number of small allocations to be combined into a single large allocation in one area of the disk.
    Fragmentation was often caused by continually appending data to existing files, especially with resource forks. With faster hard drives and better caching, as well as the new application packaging format, many applications simply rewrite the entire file each time. Mac OS X 10.3 onwards can also automatically defragment such slow-growing files. This process is sometimes known as "Hot-File-Adaptive-Clustering."
    Aggressive read-ahead and write-behind caching means that minor fragmentation has less effect on perceived system performance.
    Whilst 'defragging' OS X is rarely necessary, Rod Hagen has produced this excellent analysis of the situation which is worth reading:
    Most users, as long as they leave plenty of free space available , and don't work regularly in situations where very large files are written and rewritten, are unlikely to notice the effects of fragmentation on either their files or on the drives free space much.
    As the drive fills the situations becomes progressively more significant, however.
    Some people will tell you that "OSX defrags your files anyway". This is only partly true. It defrags files that are less than 20 MB in size. It doesn't defrag larger files and it doesn't defrag the free space on the drive. In fact the method it uses to defrag the smaller files actually increases the extent of free space fragmentation. Eventually, in fact, once the largest free space fragments are down to less than 20 MB (not uncommon on a drive that has , say only 10% free space left) it begins to give up trying to defrag altogether. Despite this, the system copes very well without defragging as long as you have plenty of room.
    Again, this doesn't matter much when the drive is half empty or better, but it does when it gets fullish, and it does especially when it gets fullish if you are regularly dealing with large files , like video or serious audio stuff.
    If you look through this discussion board you will see quite a few complaints from people who find that their drive gets "slow". Often you will see that say that "still have 10 or 20 gigs free" or the like. On modern large drives by this stage they are usually in fact down to the point where the internal defragmentation routines can no longer operate , where their drives are working like navvies to keep up with finding space for any larger files, together with room for "scratch files", virtual memory, directories etc etc etc. Such users are operating in a zone where they put a lot more stress on their drives as a result, often start complaining of increased "heat", etc etc. Most obviously, though, the computer slows down to a speed not much better than that of molasses. Eventually the directories and other related files may collapse altogether and they find themselves with a next to unrecoverable disk problems.
    By this time, of course, defragging itself has already become just about impossible. The amount of work required to shift the data into contiguous blocks is immense, puts additional stress on the drive, takes forever, etc etc. The extent of fragmentation of free space at this stage can be simply staggering, and any large files you subsequently write are likely to be divided into many , many tens of thousands of fragments scattered across the drive. Not only this, but things like the "extents files", which record where all the bits are located, will begin to grow astronomically as a result, putting even more pressure on your already stressed drive, and increasing the risk of major failures.
    Ultimately this adds up to a situation where you can identify maybe three "phases" of mac life when it comes to the need for defragmentation.
    In the "first phase" (with your drive less than half full), it doesn't matter much at all - probably not enough to even make it worth doing.
    In the "second phase" (between , say 50% free space and 20% free space remaining) it becomes progressively more useful, but , depending on the use you put your computer to you won't see much difference at the higher levels of free space unless you are serious video buff who needs to keep their drives operating as efficiently and fast as possible - chances are they will be using fast external drives over FW800 or eSata to compliment their internal HD anyway.
    At the lower end though (when boot drives get down around the 20% mark on , say, a 250 or 500 Gig drive) I certainly begin to see an impact on performance and stability when working with large image files, mapping software, and the like, especially those which rely on the use of their own "scratch" files, and especially in situations where I am using multiple applications simultaneously, if I haven't defragmented the drive for a while. For me, defragmenting (I use iDefrag too - it is the only third party app I trust for this after seeing people with problems using TechToolPro and Drive Genius for such things) gives a substantial performance boost in this sort of situation and improves operational stability. I usually try to get in first these days and defrag more regularly (about once a month) when the drive is down to 30% free space or lower.
    Between 20% and 10% free space is a bit of a "doubtful region". Most people will still be able to defrag successfully in this sort of area, though the time taken and the risks associated increase as the free space declines. My own advice to people in this sort of area is that they start choosing their new , bigger HD, because they obviously are going to need one very soon, and try to "clear the decks" so that they maintain that 20% free buffer until they do. Defragging regularly (perhaps even once a fortnight) will actually benefit them substantially during this "phase", but maybe doing so will lull them into a false sense of security and keep them from seriously recognising that they need to be moving to a bigger HD!
    Once they are down to that last ten per cent of free space, though, they are treading on glass. Free space fragmentation at least will already be a serious issue on their computers but if they try to defrag with a utility without first making substantially more space available then they may find it runs into problems or is so slow that they give up half way through and do the damage themselves, especially if they are using one of the less "forgiving" utilities!
    In this case I think the best way to proceed is to clone the internal drive to a larger external with SuperDuper, replace the internal drive with a larger one and then clone back to it. No-one down to the last ten percent of their drive really has enough room to move. Defragging it will certainly speed it up, and may even save them from major problems briefly, but we all know that before too long they are going to be in the same situation again. Better to deal with the matter properly and replace the drive with something more akin to their real needs once this point is reached. Heck, big HDs are as cheap as chips these days! It is mad to struggle on with sluggish performance, instability, and the possible risk of losing the lot, in such a situation.

  • How to create a repository(not just custom) using your hard drive

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    pressh wrote:
    gradgrind wrote:
    smitty wrote:pressh, I understand and appreciate your point of view... well taken! Are you implying that I should have written in steps, such as 1, 2, and 3? Also, should I have got ridden of the redundant information if it is contained in the Wiki article and / or  taken out the commands on how to apply them and left only with the explanation? Is this what you imply? Sorry if I seem redundant with these questions, but I'm curious so I can improve for the future. I am new to this and open to any suggestion and comments.
    Maybe you could either edit the existing wiki pages where they were not clear to you, or else add a new wiki page, or both. Certainly give the whole a clearer (visual) structure, and (if they don't already exist) add links between the connected wiki pages.
    Yes that is partly what I mean. Further you could get rid of the information that is not really needed to follow the guide (for example what the command 'repo-add' does. People could if they are interested look it up in the script itself, or you could add it here and link to it).
    And yes a bit of structure would be nice. You don't have to nessesarily call it 1,2,3, as long as it has some kind of structure in it (the visual point is very important here). You could take a look at existing wiki pages on the web and see how most of them (not all of them are good of course) are structured.
    That's a good point, too. How do I found out what articles are more effective? I am doing research on this particular matter at the moment and came across articles that have tips on technical writing. Could this help in the long run? Or, is it better to get feedback from other users and improve that way? In other words, do first, and ask later, as one user point out?

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