[Tiresias]

Is there such a thing as defragmenting the harddrive of a PowerBook?

I'm relatively new to Macs. On my PC laptop I was advised to "defrag." to improve performance.

After a few weeks of Internet use and p2p downloads etc. since I got my PowerBook, I think I have noticed a slight decrease in speed, especially when opening and closing applications, and managing large amounts of information, such as scrolling through my iPhoto library.

What do I need to do -- if anything -- to ensure I am getting the optimal performace out of my G4 PowerBook?

[Randman]

To be honest, if you searched, you'll find more than you expected on the subject.

[budster101]

1. Don't download programs or songs you don't own the right to. (Read didn't pay for)
2. If you do, you deserve what you get.
3. No need to defrag OS X.
4. Stop it with the Windows mentality. OS X is not going to ruin your hard drive like WIndows did.

[OogaBooga]

You probably should pick up more RAM if you're still with the stock 512.

[Yonidass]

Gee, you ask for help and you get an off-topic morality lecture. I guess for some Mac ideologues, even ex-Windows users deserve to be abused.

Regarding your question, yes, there is such a thing and if your drive is severely fragmented without much free space it WILL cause a performance decrease by the very nature of data dispersement, regardless of the OS, although OS X suffers far less from this than Windows. Drive Genius and TechTool Pro both defrag and, unlike TechTool for classic, both are reported to do a good job.

Rebuilding disk permission (Disk Utility) is about the only regular maintenance OS X needs, but I don't think that will help you much. In your case it's more likely to be RAM, although that doesn't explain apps opening slowly unless you already have a lot open.

Which version of OSX are you using, how much free space do you have on you HD, and how much RAM do you have?

[Dakkon]

hey bro, OSx has scripts that it automaticly runs in the middle of the night, to maintain the os/hard drive, including defrag.. i had the same questin that you have, when i got my powerbook, (also a windows user).

[pat++]

There is no need to defrag on Mac OS X. The system is keeping files unfragmented for you in real time. Whenever the system opens a files which is fragmented, it will defrag it automatically...

[pat++]

Originally Posted by budster101

1. Don't download programs or songs you don't own the right to. (Read didn't pay for)
2. If you do, you deserve what you get.
3. No need to defrag OS X.
4. Stop it with the Windows mentality. OS X is not going to ruin your hard drive like WIndows did.

Try to be a bit nicer next time...

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Yonidass

Which version of OSX are you using, how much free space do you have on you HD, and how much RAM do you have?

Thanks for the reply.

I'm using a new 2005 1.5GHz 80GB PowerBook G4 with 54.53 GB free; 512 MB RAM; OSX 10.4.

Actually, I have another reason for asking about harddrive maintenance.

When I was running Acquisition, (the P2P application) I think some application masqurading as a mp3 file found its way onto my harddrive because when I went to open it, I was prompted with "contains application - are you sure you want to..." a moment after which it downloaded at lightning speed but did not appear on desktop (I may have hit enter accidentally... the moment is just a panicky blur now).

So, as well as the general maintenance question, I want to know if there is some way to sweep the harddrive for "recent downloads" or "unauthorised applications" ? Maybe this is the reason for the performance lag.

When I first got my new PowerBook -- after my lowly second-hand 125RAM 30GB G3-iBook and the even more lowly Toshiba before it -- I was blown away by its speed. It's still fast, but noticeably slower than when I first de-boxed it, and sometimes I am even seeing the spinning beach ball : my constant companion on the G3 iBook.

[analogika]

Take a look into /Applications/Utilities/Activity Viewer to see if there's anything odd running.

If the disguised application installed itself into the system, it would have HAD TO have asked for a password.

If it didn't, it won't be running after a log-out/log-in unless it is listed in the Log-in items in the Users preference pane of the System Preferences.

Is there anything listed there?

Otherwise, running p2p apps will give your system a tremendous performance hit due to Spotlight indexing.

Be sure to EXCLUDE all temporary/download directories used by P2P apps from Spotlight indexing (using the Spotlight privacy settings in the System Preferences), since these temporary/download directories are constantly changing as you download, which will prompt Spotlight to *constantly* continue re-indexing unless you tell it not to.

[Dakkon]

upgrade your ram, put a 1 gig stick in there if you can afford it.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by analogika

Take a look into /Applications/Utilities/Activity Viewer to see if there's anything odd running.

If the disguised application installed itself into the system, it would have HAD TO have asked for a password.

No. No unsual activity in "Activity Monitor".

I deleted Acquisition and gleaned together all related files through a Spotlight search. I am not sure if there can be other files on my harddrive that would not come up in a Spotlight search for "acquisition".

Also, because the Apple guy set my Password to "blank" (so that I only have to hit enter -- intentionally or otherwise -- to authorise operations) I think it is still possible that a program downloaded.

I should probably change that.

But I did as you suggested re Spotlight.

Thanks.

[robisconfusedd]

Originally Posted by Yonidass

Gee, you ask for help and you get an off-topic morality lecture. I guess for some Mac ideologues, even ex-Windows users deserve to be abused.

Regarding your question, yes, there is such a thing and if your drive is severely fragmented without much free space it WILL cause a performance decrease by the very nature of data dispersement, regardless of the OS, although OS X suffers far less from this than Windows. Drive Genius and TechTool Pro both defrag and, unlike TechTool for classic, both are reported to do a good job.

Rebuilding disk permission (Disk Utility) is about the only regular maintenance OS X needs, but I don't think that will help you much. In your case it's more likely to be RAM, although that doesn't explain apps opening slowly unless you already have a lot open.

Which version of OSX are you using, how much free space do you have on you HD, and how much RAM do you have?

i have tiger, with 1.25GB of ram and 80gb harddrive with like 40gb free (most of it is taken up with music ive downloaded) and i can completely relate with your problem, even with 1.25GB of ram my computer is still slow as crap.. but the weird thing is when i broke it accidently and got a loaner , the loaner only had 512mb of ram but the 1.5Ghz instead of 1Ghz processor and it ran so much faster..

ive tried System Optimizer X and it helped a bit but not a whole lot, i was wandering the same thing too about defragging but just leave your computer on overnight, it takes care of itself!!

i hope other people can be more helpful than the 3rd post in this thread.

welcome to the mac world!

[brent0saurus]

Hey, i bought my powerbook in June and have been having the same problem. It just feels slower...
my girlfriend just got the new ibooks and her's runs faster than my powerbook...which shouldn't be! and i have 1.5 gb of ram, and she has 1 gb. So there's no excuse besides the fact that i have more files than she does. But i still don't really consider that an excuse....
anyway, all i can tell you is that once you have tried those system optimizers like Cocktail and MacJanitor (which happened to help me the most), if your computer is still running slow and can back up your important files, just do a clean install of osx and start all over. I'm thinking about doing it myself, but don't want to lose my itunes library that i've worked so hard on, (getting all of the album art and making it perfect) So maybe invest in an external hard drive or get a gmail account, which has a huge online hard drive that you could use by emailing your files to yourself.
If you want a gmail account, i'd be more than happy to email an invite (since it's invite only)
let me know, and i hope your powerbook serves you well!

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by brent0saurus

if your computer is still running slow and can back up your important files, just do a clean install of osx and start all over. I'm thinking about doing it myself, but don't want to lose my itunes library that i've worked so hard on, (getting all of the album art and making it perfect) So maybe invest in an external hard drive or get a gmail account, which has a huge online hard drive that you could use by emailing your files to yourself.
If you want a gmail account, i'd be more than happy to email an invite (since it's invite only)
let me know, and i hope your powerbook serves you well!

Yes. I think I'll do that too.

Your girlfriend's iBook is running slower than your PowerBook? That ain't right, for so many reasons. My sister bought an iBook the day I got my PB SuperDrive see, and looking down at her from my shinny aluminum PowerBook is a source of great enjoyment for me. I would hate to think of it being threatened by a performance lag.

It seems p2p is the common denominator.

I think I could use my iPod as an external harddisk for most of my data. But a G-Mail invite? Hell yes I'd like one! If your offering it, that is.

[brent0saurus]

i sure am! Let me know what your email is and i'll be glad to send you one!

[amazing]

For a good System "spa" treatment, run Carbon Copy Cloner and copy everything onto an external HD, then startup off the external firewire HD and use Carbon Copy Cloner to copy it back (after testing everything, and after a DVD backup of your important Docs and email.) You get a backup as well as a defragged system.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but with Acquisition or any p2p, your "stuff" is subject to being acquired by other people, which is why there's a pref for limiting the upload bandwidth. In other words, at any particular time, your Mac could be taking a performance hit or bandwidth hit because someone is accessing your stuff? If that's the case, how can you be surprised that it's slower?

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by amazing

Correct me if I'm wrong, but with Acquisition or any p2p, your "stuff" is subject to being acquired by other people, which is why there's a pref for limiting the upload bandwidth. In other words, at any particular time, your Mac could be taking a performance hit or bandwidth hit because someone is accessing your stuff? If that's the case, how can you be surprised that it's slower?

Acquisition has an OXS interface and Sharing is a Preference option. Personally, I hate sharing, in P2P, as in life. But you're right. There's still a price to pay for free music. It's a performance lag. I don't know why.

[urrl78]

I use Techtool Pro to defrag my 17" HD only because I deal with huge video files. Techtool has a graphical screen that shows how your mac HD is fragmented. I have never seen my Mac defrag itself according to that screen. Once I work with and delete such large files for a good while, eventually I check the Techtool optimizer screen and see how the HD looks; like a fragmented mess.

So why doesn't the Mac defrag itself like so many are saying? Last I heard there is a file size limit wheren the Mac can degrag itself, depending on how large the files are you are working with.

I also wanted the safety net of being able to boot from the Techtool "e drive"; actually in this case a drive I salvaged from my old Titanium Powerbook and placed in a FW exterior case. It's very portable and needs no plugging into an AC outlet. So if the 17" cannot boot itself due to HD problems the "e drive"; the Techtool equipped exterior HD can boot it up.

So if you feel your Mac is slowing down IMHO it can be due to a fragmented HD depending on what size files you are working with. BUT I would do all the necessary stuff like zapping PRAM, using disk utility (although to my understanding you must use the install DVD or an exterior HD to properly rebuild disk permissions) etc.

Also I have heard that if your HD is over 85% full that will slow you down. I think it may be a virtual memory thing? Not sure.
You may want to get rid of unnecessary files if your HD is nearly full.

Hope these tips help someone.

[budster101]

Gogarty: Fix your sig.

[SpaceMonkey]

Originally Posted by urrl78

I use Techtool Pro to defrag my 17" HD only because I deal with huge video files. Techtool has a graphical screen that shows how your mac HD is fragmented. I have never seen my Mac defrag itself according to that screen. Once I work with and delete such large files for a good while, eventually I check the Techtool optimizer screen and see how the HD looks; like a fragmented mess.

So why doesn't the Mac defrag itself like so many are saying? Last I heard there is a file size limit wheren the Mac can degrag itself, depending on how large the files are you are working with.

I also wanted the safety net of being able to boot from the Techtool "e drive"; actually in this case a drive I salvaged from my old Titanium Powerbook and placed in a FW exterior case. It's very portable and needs no plugging into an AC outlet. So if the 17" cannot boot itself due to HD problems the "e drive"; the Techtool equipped exterior HD can boot it up.

So if you feel your Mac is slowing down IMHO it can be due to a fragmented HD depending on what size files you are working with. BUT I would do all the necessary stuff like zapping PRAM, using disk utility (although to my understanding you must use the install DVD or an exterior HD to properly rebuild disk permissions) etc.

Also I have heard that if your HD is over 85% full that will slow you down. I think it may be a virtual memory thing? Not sure.
You may want to get rid of unnecessary files if your HD is nearly full.

Hope these tips help someone.

Yes. If the file is over 20 MB, OS X will not defrag it automatically. If you are working with large video files this can become a problem. You might also feel a need to defrag if your hard drive is close to full and you are low on memory, because virtual memory is more efficient when there is contiguous free space available.

[audiophilia]

MacJanitor....

daily, weekly, monthly...good, if you don't leave the PB on overnight....