Do Macs need to De-frag harddrives?

I've always been using Macs so I don't really know much about PCs, but recently I found out that Windows had to De-frag thier harddrives every once in a while using one of the utility software that came with Windows. Do Macs need to do this and/or other mantenance that could help it run more efficiantly? Also speaking of harddrives... what sofware is availible that can clear up some space on my external harddrive?
-thanks

I think we need clarify a few things...
1. You do not need to use defragmentation tools since OS X (10.3+) will prevent fragmentation entirely on it's own as long as you have enough HD space available. Windows XP does not have this feature and Microsoft has taken it from their Windows Vista/Longhorn to-do list as well.
Sure there are third party disk utilities available, yet I doubt, you'd feel a real difference. Actually, some unnecessary third party tools do more harm than good. Norton Anti-virus has been mentioned numerous times in that context.
Furthermore, there's no need to reinstall OS X every few months and I couldn't imagine an Apple Store representative recommending this.
Just "use" your computer.
2. BGreg was referring to the daily, weekly and monthly maintenance scripts, which -as far as I know- aren't directly related to disk defragmentation. Since 10.4, they're handled by launchd and will be adapted to your usage patterns. Means for as long as you're using your computer on a regular basis, you don't have to worry about them. Though it can't hurt to run them manually once in a while. In addition to the apps recommended by BGreg, YASU is a nice and simple alternative.
3. To delete individual files, just drag them to the trash and choose "Empty Trash" i.e. via ctrl-clicking the trash icon or from the Finder menu.
You can gain some extra space on your start up disk by removing unnecessary localisation files like Korean etc. Use DeLocalizer
Search these boards for instuctions on how to delete printer drives etc. if you like.

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Apple has really crappy NTFS read-only that does not always work. And it is probably a licensing issue.
Paragon Software is constantly being updated and supported with their NTFS for Mac OS X - they also have an HFS+ driver for Windows that works - Apple's HFS+ read-only driver for Boot Camp / Windows does not.
I keep seeing problems and lack of support for MacFUSE, that could change.
http://www.bing.com/search?q=ntfs+for+mac

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my new ipad 3 will not charge from a mac. need help why if any one knows? thk

The quickest way (and really the only way) to charge your iPad is with the included 10W USB Power Adapter. iPad will also charge, although more slowly, when attached to a computer with a high-power USB port (many recent Mac computers) or with an iPhone Power Adapter (5W). When attached to a computer via a standard USB port (most PCs or older Mac computers) iPad will charge very slowly (but iPad indicates not charging). Make sure your computer is on while charging iPad via USB. If iPad is connected to a computer that’s turned off or is in sleep or standby mode, the iPad battery will continue to drain.
Apple recommends that once a month you let the iPad fully discharge & then recharge to 100%.
At this link http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/galaxy-tab-android-tablet,3014-11.html , tests show that the iPad 2 battery (25 watt-hours) will charge to 90% in 3 hours 1 minute. It will charge to 100% in 4 hours 2 minutes. The new iPad has a larger capacity battery (42 watt-hours), so using the 10W charger will obviously take longer. If you are using your iPad while charging, it will take even longer. It's best to turn your new iPad OFF and charge over night. Also look at The iPad's charging challenge explained http://www.macworld.com/article/1150356/ipadcharging.html
Also, if you have a 3rd generation iPad, look at Apple: iPad Battery Nothing to Get Charged Up About
http://allthingsd.com/20120327/apple-ipad-battery-nothing-to-get-charged-up-abou t/
Apple Explains New iPad's Continued Charging Beyond 100% Battery Level
http://www.macrumors.com/2012/03/27/apple-explains-new-ipads-continued-charging- beyond-100-battery-level/
 Cheers, Tom

Have i just read right that ur mac needs to run 10.6.8 or more to beable to sync the new ipad to itunes

have i just read right that ur mac needs to run 10.6.8 or more to beable to sync the new ipad to itunes

guy in the shop never mentioned this today when i was askin about my operating system!!! is there anyway then that i can update my operating system to 10.6 and above as my i mac is running 10.5.8, an early 2008 imac. tried looking into it and actually got a snow leopald disc but it wont allow the update to my computer

HT1338 for itunes 10.7 it is saying that my mac need version OS X needs to be version 10.8.6 - how do i get this? There are no current software updtes and i cant use iTunes for my new iphone 5

For itunes 10.7 it is saying that my mac need version OS X needs to be version 10.8.6 - how do i get this? There are no current software updates and i cant use iTunes for my new iphone 5

I think you meant 10.6.8, not 10.8.6
It requires an upgrade, instead of a free update.
Snow Leopard/10.6.x Requirements...
General requirements
   * Mac computer with an Intel processor
    * 1GB of memory (I say 4GB at least, more if you can afford it)
    * 5GB of available disk space (I say 30GB at least)
    * DVD drive for installation
    * Some features require a compatible Internet service provider; fees may apply.
    * Some features require Apple’s MobileMe service; fees and terms apply.
Which apps work with Mac OS X 10.6?...
http://snowleopard.wikidot.com/
It's been pulled from the online store & Apple Stores, so you have to call Apple to buy it, last I heard.
Buy Snow Leopard > http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC573/mac-os-x-106-snow-leopard
Call Apple Sales...in the US: 1-800-MY-APPLE. Or Support... 1-800-275-2273
Other countries...
http://support.apple.com/kb/HE57

Mac needs to anti virus?

I have a question
The Mac OS is safe,mac needs to anti virus?
What are the best anti-virus for Mac?

You can avoid malare by making sure Gatekeeper is enabled.
Open System Preferences > Security & Privacy then select the General tab.Select: Mac App Store and identified developers
If that area is grayed out, click the padlock icon to make changes. You may be prompted for your admin password before proceeding.
OS X: About Gatekeeper

I'm investigating whether I can take on 'Lion' when it's released. The information states that your mac needs Intel Core 2 Duo. Is this the same as '2 GHz Intel Core Duo' which is what it actually states my mac has?

I'm investigating whether I can take on 'Lion' when it's released. The information states that your mac needs 'Intel Core 2 Duo'. Is this the same as '2 GHz Intel Core Duo' which is what it actually states my mac has when I click 'About This Mac'?

I could not agree more! My MBP 2007 Intel Core Duo has had its logic board replaced not to long ago (DVI port died). The original hard drive is running great and I am running Snow Leopard wonderfully.
I was amped during the keynote and am really looking forward to Lion. I know the community is working hard to uncover a workaround because at present time, the solution (by new!) is not a worthy one. Especially when there is literally, nothing wrong with my existing machine.
Apple, please ensure Lion will be available for Intel Core Duo machines, we are not that old! The closed architecture approach produces quality hardware. 4 years is a toddler perhaps teenager when it comes to apple hardware and technology. I predict I have at least 3-4 more years left in my current MBP 2007 machine.
Much Love, Apple!

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I'm thinking about buying a Macbook Air as a present for my Mum, however I've always used Windows and have no clue at how OSX works. For example I know that Windows requires 8GB of ram and 500GB of storage at least for it to run well and be future proofed for the next couple years. I'm guess OSX uses less resources since all the models seem to be really low on storage and ram, the models with more are way more expensive but you cannot add more later which *****. So I'm just wondering how much does a modern Mac need these days?
Just an extra question...
I'm mainly making this purchasing decision on battery life, every Windows Laptop I've come across seems to only last about 3 hours. Will OSX be able to do everything Windows generally does? My Mum isn't a heavy user with specific needs but she uses Microsoft Office a lot and her work requires for her to have Flash Player in the browser and I know IOS doesn't support that, does OSX?
Thanx.

How much she need depends on what she wants to do with it. I am perfectly happy with my mid-2012 Air with 4/128. The storage issue might be most easily answered by seeing how much space she has filled on her current computer.
You can install Flash Player with OS X.

Every time i go to write something it stops the circle circles and then it writes everything, does my mac need service or something

every time i go to write something it stops, the circle goes round and then it starts writing, does my mac need servicing or what is going on

What model of iMac do you have?
How much memory is installed?
What version of Mac OS X are you running?
When did the issue start occurring?
Did you recently install any software updates or new software that coincide with the onset of the issue?
Your post contains very little information to work with, but here's what I would do if it were my system.
First check the status of your hard driveby launching the Disk Utility application that is located in the Applications/Utilities folder. Click on the Verify Disk option and observe whether it reports any major errors. You can also boot from the Install DVD that came with your system by holding down the 'c' key and then pulling down the Utilities menu bar item to select Disk Utility. Either way will work. If the disk checks out OK then click on the Repair Permissions option.
To get a more detailed picture of the SMART status (hard drive error logging) you can use an application like SMART Utility which can be downloaded here. Obviously downloading a new application could be a problem if you're system is 'hanging' whenever you try to write something, so this may not be an option.
http://www.volitans-software.com/smart_utility.php
If you find any significant errors, make sure you back up your data if you haven't already done so. If there aren't any significant errors then go into the System Preferences and click on Users & Groups. Try creating a new user account and then log into it to see if you have the same issues. Creating a new user for test purposes will help confirm whether you are dealing with some sort of software issue.
If a new user account resolves the issue then open the Activity Monitor application located in the Applications/Utiliteis folders and click on the CPU button. In the lower left corner you should see a summary listing the % User, % System, % Idle. What are these percentages? If the CPU idle percentage is near zero then you have a process running that is consuming your SPU time. To try and find it pull down the menu to select 'All Processes', then click on the %CPU column to sort by the percent that each process is consuming your CPU. The numbers constantly change, but do your best to see if there are one or two processes consuming the majority of the CPU time and post the names. Then do the same test in the new user account. I suspect you may have some process from a previously installed utility, virus checker, etc. that is keeping your system busy. I've included a screenshot from my system below. It doesn't have much going on, and as you can see in the lower left corner the CPU is basically idle most of the time. If I were to launch a CPU intensive app the numbers would change dramatically.

Mac needs a new battery, servicing and wiping.

Hi Guys,
My old Mac needs a new battery as it is literally on its last legs, it also needs to be serviced and wiped as I no longer use it. Im going to take it to the genius bar to get this done.
However before doing this I am looking at saving all of my itunes folders and emails onto a hard drive. I understand how to do my Itunes but not too sure regarding emails? any help with this would be appreciated it is a Microsoft Exchange address if that helps.
Also do you think I could get the battery replaced first then save my things and then book another appointment to get it serviced and wiped. As I have never used the genius bar before
Thanks in advance.

If you have a MacBook with the removable battery you can get a new third party battery fairly cheap on eBay. Every MacBook from 2006 through Mid 2009 except the Late 2008 Aluminum Unibody and the Late 2009 and 2010 White Unibodies use the same A1185 battery.
Black Batteries http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=macbook+black+battery&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=12 &_dmpt=Laptop_Batteries&_odkw=macbook+white+battery&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0. m 270.l1313
White Batteries http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=macbook+white+battery&_sacat=0&LH_BIN=1&_sop=12 &_dmpt=Laptop_Batteries&_odkw=macbook+black+battery&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0. m 270.l1313
Or for $129 from The Apple Store http://store.apple.com/us/product/MA566LL/A?mco=MTY3ODQ5OTY

Does Mac need an anti virus program

Hi, I keep wondering if mac needs anti cirus program, thanks.

stevejobsfan0123 wrote:
It definitely does NOT need any anti-virus.
It depends upon the OS X version and usage habits:
10.4 & 10.5 Yes, always on anti-virus is needed as Apple is not issuing security updates.
10.6 & 10.7 Yes and No
No: for always on/runs at boot time anti-virus (like Norton/VirusBarrier etc) as Apple changes things and is issuing updates which tends to break such software and causes increased CPU load, low battery time.
Yes: for run as you need it anti-virus like ClamXav. For cleaning Windows malware and checking for Mac trojans in emailed files.

Charging via USB does Mac need to be out of sleep

When I charge via USB I think I read in the manual that the Mac needs not to be in sleep mode for it to charge - is that right? I have my Mac set for sleep at 30 minutes, although this often doesn't work anyway but am in the habit of just hitting a Quickeys key to sleep the computer. I want to make sure I'm charging right so I get the best life out of the batter that's possible.

Yes, that's correct. In sleep mode the USB ports are not powered.

Hello friends recently shifted from windows to mac need some suggestion on which software to go ahead with for editing, excel,power point presentation

Hello friends recently shifted from windows to mac need some suggestion on which software to go ahead with for creating word editing, excel,power point presentation.

Only Microsoft's Office for Mac 2011 14.4.8 will work on your Windows Office files in their native document format. Anything else, and particularly Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote will perform translation on open, and export. This can, and will, introduce differences to your original documents, especially when sharing with others in the Windows Office 2010/2013 applications.
Here is my short list.
Office for Mac 2011 v14.4.8
LibreOffice (latest)
The current iterations of Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are not what I would term business/professional grade applications. Apple updates them infrequently, ignores user friendly features, omits others, and has introduced default backwards incompatibility between Yosemite and prior OS X releases of these applications. Read the reviews in the OS X App Store. Even for free with a recent Mac purchase, these products will transform your mood.
The free LibreOffice is aggressively developed and designed as an MS Office replacement suite. There are occasions where it can open documents that Office for Mac, and Apple's products ignore. Extensive PDF manuals for the individual applications. Unlike Word, you can have two-up page viewing with a button click, or edit multi-page PDF. There is a forms designer. It can open nearly any document including MS Publisher and Visio documents from the Windows space. I use it.
MS Office 2015 Preview for Yosemite is available, but as its title would suggest, it is not done yet, and some features are missing. I created a single-page Word document with a DRAFT watermark. Only LibreOffice v4.4.1 was able to open this document and preserve the watermark.

Does mac need anti-virus software?

I've been hearing lots of different opinions and I just want a straightforward answer, do macs need anti-virus software, are they prone to threatening infection?

Macathon1996 wrote:
Even if I download alot of files, perhaps from "uncertified users"?
That depends. No anti-virus or anti-malware protection in the world can stop you from downloading and installing software that does whatever it is designed to do. If you want to install a program that wipes your hard disk, you can. If you want to install a program that steals your passwords, you can. There are many legitimate programs that do exactly that.
Nothing can stop you from installing software on your Mac except you. That's what computers are designed for. The point is that you must always know what you're installing, why you're installing it, what you expect it to do, and how to get rid of it when you don't want it.

Does my Mac need anti virus software?

Does my Mac need anti virus software? I see in the press malicious code is on the rise for the Mac. What does Apple consider best practice for their OS?

Not very likely since OS X has built-in malware protection that Apple updates whenever it's required.
Helpful Links Regarding Malware Protection
An excellent link to read is Tom Reed's Mac Malware Guide.
Also, visit The XLab FAQs and read Detecting and avoiding malware and spyware.
If you require anti-virus protection I recommend using ClamXav.

Do Macs need to De-frag harddrives?

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