How do i defragment my hard drive
Im new to Macs and i'm just wondering how you go about cleaning your computer up and defragging etc.
Hello Thought Harvest
DiskWarrior http://www.alsoft.com/DiskWarrior/ - it's saved me many times in the past - I also use Cocktail for weekly routine maintenance ie: cleaning out caches, run cron scripts, repairing permissions etc. http://www.maintain.se/cocktail/download.html
Good luck!
G5 1.8gz twr sp 500&250gb/dr 3gb/r & G4 PB 1gz 60g dr 1g ram Mac OS X (10.4.7)
Similar Messages
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New user from PC.. how do I defragment my hard drive?
Not really sure how to defrag my hard drive as someone normally would with a PC..
I would go the empirical way. If at some point you think that performance is degrading, you could install some application with a defragmentation tool (such as Drive Genius or SpeedTools Utilities) and try them out (not all have demo possibilities). I don't know any free alternative, but a poor man's solution is to copy as much data as possible to another disk, delete it and copy them back in so that files get laid out in the best way possible (or do a full restore of the drive for maximal performance).
Appl'es view on fragmentation is usually optimistic, though sometimes they estimate that it might be a workaround to applications such as the one you suggest. Keeping a lot of free disk space seems the way to avoid fragmentation for as much as possible, but I imagine that only experience will tell.
Cheers. -
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. -
How do you defrag a hard drive
I am wondering how the best way is to defragment my second internal hard drive. I am trying to set up a partition for boot camp, but it isnt partioning. I am wondering if it is because it needs to be defragged.
Please let me know how to solve this.
ThanksCaleb,
It is more likely that the drive is not using the correct partition mapping than it is that fragmentation is causing the problem.
The easiest way to "defrag" a drive, in this particular case, would be to simply copy whatever data is on it now to another volume, delete it from the original (or erase the original volume), then copy it back. This process copies whatever data you are handling sequentially in both directions, thereby eliminating all fragmentation. The other methods given so far in this thread will all work, but seem a bit overkill in your situation.
But as I stated, it is more likely that the drive in question isn't using the proper partition mapping. Select the drive in Disk Utility (the drive, not a named volume), then look at the bottom of the window to determine what partition map is being used ("APM," "MBR," or "GUID"). Only drives that are using the "GUID" partition map will support Bootcamp.
You can change the partition map by partitioning the drive and choosing the GUID scheme from the "Options..." dialogue sheet. In order to use Bootcamp to install Windows, the drive must contain only a single HFS+ partition.
I'll repeat those important points above: In order to use Bootcamp to install Windows, the drive in question must be partitioned with a single HFS+ volume, and it must also be using the GUID partition map.
Scott -
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
VPHYou 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. -
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. -
Defrag my hard drive on my iMac now I tunes can't find my songs in the iTunes library
I defraged my hard drive now iTunes can't find the songs in the library. Not connected to the cloud yet. Any suggestions on getting iTunes to find the master copy of the songs so I can play them on my iMacs. I have the same songs on my I pad but I don't know of any way of transferring my music from my iPod to the iTunes library on my iMac. Any thoughts.
Same problem here. In my case I suspect due to having been cleaning out duplicate music files when hard disk was filling at an alarming rate (as I watched.) No longer doing that but my cleanup must have moved essential elements and files.
Anyone know how to get my purchased stuff, showing as purchased but with exclamation mark, back into itunes again? -
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 partition 120 GB hard drive MacBook for OSX+Win (BC+Par.)? Fat/NFTS?
After many happy years with my PowerBook G4 12" (I will miss it definitely, as compact and cute as it is ;-() I'll now switch to a new MacBook 2.16 GHz with 2 GB RAM and a 120 GB hard drive.
I will have to use Windows (not yet sure if XP or Vista), as I need special software not available for the Mac, so my choice will be Parallels, so that I can work in Os X and at the same time use those Windows Apps I need.
However, I also want to be able to boot Windows-only with BootCamp, so I already learned I have to install Windows on its own partition.
So my question is:
How shall I partition the hard drive?
* If I have one big partition for OSX + documents and the rest (maybe 30 or 40 GB) for Windows, I won't be able to access my documents from Windows, right?
* So I would have to keep the data I want to access from within Windows on a PC formatted partition (if I don't want to pay for a software like MacDrive)?
Or can Windows running in Parallels read from a HFS partition?
* Does this mean: if I want to access (read and write) my documents in OSX and Windows, I have to keep them on a Fat32 partition?
-> This could be the partition where Windows is installed (but I'm not sure if I feel comfortable with that solution) of I would need a 3rd partition (Fat32) for data which would cause quite a big "segmentation" of the hard drive.
How did you resolve this problem?
Unfortunately, I don't see that I could really "separate" data I only have to access from Windows and those I only want to access in OS X, so in my opinion for me they all have to be in one place.
Looking forward to your comments,
Martin
MacBook 2.16 GHz, 2 GB RAM, 120 GB HD (white) Mac OS X (10.4.9)You should probably ask all your Boot Camp quesitons in the Boot Camp discussions:
http://discussions.apple.com/forum.jspa?forumID=1165
And your Parallels questions in the Parallels forums:
http://forums.parallels.com -
How can I remove the hard drive from an iMac g4 before recycling it?
How can I remove the hard drive from an iMac g4 before recycling it?
There are take-apart guides online. For example
http://www.xlr8yourmac.com/systems/imac_g4/imacg4_takeapart.html
However, you can also consider securely erasing the hard drive instead. You can do this using a Mac OS X installation disc with a version that your iMac G4 can boot from the optical drive. If this is a viable option, please post back (include Mac OS X version on installation disc). -
I have a late 2008 Macbook Pro last updated to the Mavericks OS. The screen died and I took it into an Apple store and was told replacing the screen and the hardware to repair everything would cost almost as much as buying a new laptop or a cheaper model. I was told that I can use a drive sled to access data I need on my hard drive. How do I remove my hard drive and use a drive sled to get to the information I need? What makes matters more complicated is I need to update my iPhone and my iTunes/App store purchases. How can I accomplish this?
My wife has a late 2008 Macbook Pro as well, which I am assuming I need to run my hard drive. Is there a way to just access just my hard drive without interfering with hers?
I know this is lengthy. Thanks to whoever looks at this and offers advice/instruction.the device you need is an External enclosure for a 2.5" (laptop form factor) SATA drive.
A USB-interface enclosure will be slow, but is adequate for this task and for re-purposing as a backup drive later. A firewire-interface drive would be faster, but is harder to find, more expensive, and faster than needed for this purpose.
The drive will mount as an "extra" drive on your wife's Macbook, and you can drag and drop whatever you wish. You could create a separate Account for yourself on her computer, and use Migration Assistant or just copy your stuff over to the new account. Then it would not interfere with her files. -
how do I add external hard drive which contains my entire iTunes library to new MacBook Pro. i want to keep iTunes library on external hard drive. But I want all my iTunes information: artist, songs, albums, playlists on my new MacBook Pro. I know about going to iTunes preferences- advanced-itunes media folder location. At this point I don't know what to do Do I drag external icon into iTunes media folder location box. I want to keep music files on external hard drive. I don't want to use macbook pro memory for my very large music files.
I will request that your query be relocated to the iPhoto forum where knowledgeable iPhoto users will be able to assist you.
Ciao. -
HT201250 how do i add external hard drive to my time machine back up
how do i add external hard drive to my time machine back up so that I may view the files independently on apple tv please?
To elaborate on above. I am looking to add about 300gig of photos on an external hard drive to TC.
Once I do this I believe I can then have itunes source its photos from TC without having them stored directly on my iMac?
Then I am assuming once I keep itunes on with home sharing I can stream these photos through Apple TV?
My inital problem is getting the photos onto TC in an individual folder not just a backup folder....is that possible or what would you suggest please? -
How do I know which Hard Drive to get for my MacBook 2006? The old Hard Drive is a Toshiba (MK8034GSX) S/N Z6APT2XUT 9H5 EC. A?
I've put a 250gb 7200rpm drive in an Early 2006 with no problems.
For a new hard drive try Newegg.com http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCategory.aspx?SubCategory=380&name=Laptop-Hard-Dr ives&Order=PRICE
Or OWC http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/hard-drives/2.5-Notebook/
Here are instructions on replacing the hard drive in a MacBook with a removable battery. http://creativemac.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=45088
To transfer your current hard drive I like the free application Carbon Copy Cloner. It makes a bootable copy of everything on your hard drive http://www.bombich.com/index.html You'll need a cheap SATA external hard drive case. Put the new drive in the case then format and partition the new drive and clone your old drive to the new one. Check that it's set up right by booting up from the external drive. Then replace your old hard drive with the new one and put your old one in the external case.
Here's a cheap SATA external hard drive case on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/HDE-SATA-Hard-Drive-Enclosure/dp/B001AAVA08/ref=pd_bxgy_pc _text_b
If you don’t have the tools to open up the MacBook OWC has a set for $5
http://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/TOOLKITMHD/ -
How do you know a hard drive is bad?
how do you know a hard drive is bad?
From the OS X "Help" system:
Check whether a disk is about to fail
You can check the health of many disks in Disk Utility. Many disks include Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T) hardware, which lets a disk test itself for potential problems.
Open Disk Utility.
Select the disk in the list at the left.
If you see a message saying the disk has a fatal hardware error, the disk has an irreparable hardware problem that can’t be fixed by Disk Utility or any other utility that repairs software problems. Back up as much of the data on the disk as possible, and then replace the disk.
If you don’t see a message saying the disk has a hardware error but you still have problems with the disk, you can try to repair it with Disk Utility.
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