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Defragmenting on macs?
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Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
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I don't really know which forum this belongs in, but here looks as good as any...
On PCs, defragging a harddrive seems to get rid of some quirky problems and gives a nice speed boost (if there was much to defrag). I think I know what it does - it pieces back together fragmented information - and is that not a problem on macs? I have never seen an option anywhere at all to defrag a harddrive in OS 9 and X, nor have I ever heard anyone talking about it. Is it a moot issue due to something that I don't understand, or is it something major that MacOS just doesn't do, even though it could help?
Thanks...
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I've been so many places, I've seen so many faces, and these blue, green, and purple HILLS
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Administrator  Join Date: May 2000
Location: California
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Fragmentation is seldom an issue on the Mac due to HFS/HFS+ being designed to minimize fragmentation.
You can defrag in OS 9 using Alsoft PlusOptimizer or MicroMat TechToolPro 3, or in X using MicroMat TechToolPro 4. Panther actually has a limited defrag ability built into the kernel.
Unless you can hear the HD hunting all around the drive to open small-ish files, don't worry about it.
Exception: if you use your system with your HD constantly at 90%+ filled, you will have serious fragging. But in this case, you don't need a defrag tool, you need a larger HD.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Aug 2003
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Originally posted by reader50:
Fragmentation is seldom an issue on the Mac due to HFS/HFS+ being designed to minimize fragmentation.
I'm not aware of any such feature to minimize fragmentation. If anything, HFS/HFS+ is criticized for it's ability to become fragmented rather quickly.
You can defrag in OS 9 using Alsoft PlusOptimizer or MicroMat TechToolPro 3, or in X using MicroMat TechToolPro 4. Panther actually has a limited defrag ability built into the kernel.
PlusOptimized is probably the best of the group, too bad it's OS 9 only. Many new machines don't boot into 9 anymore. Choices are slim in this regard. Of course, wiping the drive clean and doing a clean install is another method! 
Unless you can hear the HD hunting all around the drive to open small-ish files, don't worry about it.
Exception: if you use your system with your HD constantly at 90%+ filled, you will have serious fragging. But in this case, you don't need a defrag tool, you need a larger HD.
Another exception are those users working on large video or sound files. These often require large congiguous blocks of space for optimal performance.
Steve
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