Many users, moving from Windows on Mac, have already accustomed to periodically draw a hard disk of their computer, and they have a question - is it necessary to do the same on Mac? The answer is simple - no, no need, and below we will try to explain why, and at the same time we will tell about the exceptions of this rule.
Why do you need a disk defragment
If you do not go into complex explanations, then after some time using the computer, the data on its disk is stored by fragments, in different areas of the disk, so when the application or system is operating as a whole, the number of appeals to the disk increases, which, accordingly, affects speed. Defragmentation allows you to streamline data on the disk - and the speed of work increases.
Fragmantization in Windows and OS X
In Windows, fragmentation has become such a problem that in the system there is even a built-in utility for defragmentation. In the latest versions of Windows, the situation has improved, but users are still in a habit of defragmentation - even if this from the useful classes turned into a certain ritual. By the way, in new versions of Windows "Defragmentation" is renamed "Optimization".
In OS X, there is no utility for defragmentation ("Disk recovery" is a completely different function). Already the absence of embedded funds for defragmentation must speak to users that such a procedure for Mac is not needed. One of the reasons for this is the Mac OS X HFS Plus file system defragments the files automatically. In addition, many Mac are supplied with SSD, for which defragmentation is not needed at all.
Exceptions from rules
Of all the rules there are exceptions, and in our case they also have. There is a certain category of Mac users, for which defragmentation can be useful. When working with large (very large!) Video or sound files scattered in a large number of hard disk, the order will affect the operation of the computer favorably. This is especially true for old, long-used hard drives.
If you approach this category of users, and you, for example, there are Mac Pro 2008 with an original hard disk, which stores many video files with a volume of 10 GB each - defragmentation can help you. Since the built-in tools for this in OS X is not, you will have to use third-party applications, for example, which costs $ 32, but has a free demo version. But you need to remember that it is impossible to use such utilities for SSD.
Another option is to create a backup of the disk, then format it, reinstall OS X and recover from backup.
As a result, we can say that in the overwhelming majority of cases, defragmentation on Mac is not needed. If you notice that your computer began to work slower - look for other reasons. It may be a shortage of RAM, no free disk space - but you never know what else. But do not strive to break the head to defragment the disk. It will not be better, but worse - maybe.
I think this question is asked by many users who have passed on Macintosh. In this material, we will try briefly remind, which is defragmentation, and at the same time understand whether there is a place in the "apple" world.
HDD - . The speed of the hard drive with data varies from the smallest in its center to the greatest along the edges, so the recording is usually carried out in the "beginning" of the disk. Naturally, its volume is not infinite, so sooner or later, the entry is physically continuing elsewhere in the drive. But what happens if some of the files are already recorded? Completely, there is a free or busy area between them, which causes the magnetic heads to move along the surface of the disk in search of the desired fragments. Over time, this leads to a significant increase in access time. To eliminate such "gaps" and the defragmentation method is applied - placement of data in disk clusters in the form of a continuous sequence. In a word, defragmentation eliminates the gaps between the recorded parts of the files, collecting them into a one.
It so happened that the Microsoft file systems are classical FAT and more modern NTFS - do not provide built-in mechanisms to combat fragmentation, so the developers have added special tools to the elimination of its consequences. Unlike Microsoft, Apple uses the HFS + file system, which provides a special feature of Hot File Adaptive Clustering, or HFC. The main purpose of this component is to automatically prevent fragmentation of disk storages.
Of course, this does not mean that custom defragmentation in OS X is not needed in principle, but the need for it may occur except when a fairly old drive is installed in the computer, and most of the disk space is engaged in large (more than 1GB) multimedia files . Such data, whether video, sound or files of graphic editors, because of its volume are strongly susceptible to fragmentation, which is difficult to fix in automatic mode. True, even in such cases, the slowdown in the work is so unlikely that defragmenters have never been included in the set of standard Apple applications. If you decide that without optimizing your Mac still do not do, it is worth paying attention to solutions from third-party companies, such as well-known IDEFRAG *. According to the developers, the last release of the program is compatible with the current version of OS X - Yosemite.
The above concerns only computers equipped with hard drives, or, as they were called in ancient, - NJMD. Most of the modern "macintors" are produced with solid-state drives (SSD), which are fundamentally different from HDD both by the device and according to their advised care.
In order not to spread the thought on the tree, we turn directly to the main thought:
Despite the fact that traditional defragmentation for SSD is not applicable, an attempt to produce it can lead to active rewriting of blocks. The execution of such procedures with solid-state drives may simply deal with
As you know, characterized by a very limited number of overwriting cycles. Especially for them, the Trim method built into the disk connection interface was developed, with which the operating system reports the drive about the data files already deleted from the table.
As you can see, disk defragmentation Even for Mac equipped with magnetic drives - rather a relic of the past than the real necessity. As a recommendation for the care of the OS X file system, you can consider the "Restore access rights" function, which is part of the standard disk utility. This procedure consisting in the elimination of possible troubleshooting files recorded after installing new programs has already become one of the classical measures to maintain your Mac in optimal working condition.
* The site is not responsible for the possible consequences of using third-party applications.
Most users of computers Apple. They switched to them after long work with the Windows operating system. And probably faced with such a procedure as defragmenting a hard disk to which users resort to speeding up the operating system. Is it worth doing this procedure on MAC?
What is disk defragmentation?
Fragmentation - This is a consequence of separating a large file to "fragments", which are written to different parts (sectors) of the hard disk. This is happening in cases where the free space on the hard disk is represented in the form of small disparate fragments in which it is impossible to record a large file. Fragmentation leads to several unpleasant consequences: first, when working with files, your computer will need more time to read them from the disk. And this leads to the wear of the hard disk due to the need to access the scattered sectors. Defragmentation - a reverse process that reorganizes the files on the hard disk in such a way that parts of one large file are nearby - that is why after defragmentation and the performance of the computer increases.
Fragmentation in Windows and OS X
Experienced Windows users carry out a defragmentation procedure as part of the system to optimize the system. In the new versions of Windows, the fragmentation process was improved, which even led to renaming function Disk Defragmenter in more laconic Optimization of disc work.
On the other hand, there are no built-in funds for defragmentation in the OS X operating system. What already pursues the thought that this process is not required for users MAC. There are several reasons for it: first, the file system on Mac - HFS +. itself automatically defragmentation of data, this process is called HFC. - Hot File Adaptive Clustering, Secondly Modern Computers Apple. Used solid-state drives (SSD), instead of familiar hard drives, these drives have their own automatic process. Trim,which performs all functions by debugging processes on SSD.
When it may be needed to defragment the hard disk on Mac
There is a certain group of users who may need to do the defragmentation of the hard disk on MAC. These include those who use rather old computers Apple. (for example Mac Pro. 2008) for professional work with video or audio. This means that the hard disk can be clogged with video and audio files, the size of which comes to 10 GB or various large projects to type programs , Photoshop.. An important condition is that the hard disk of the old sample is installed on the computer.
To defragment a hard disk on Mac there are several utilities. The most popular - iDEFRAG.. You can buy it on the website of the developer for $ 32, the program has a test period. However, it must be remembered that these kind programs are third, and therefore support Apple. For them, you can not get. And also, in no case should not use these programs on a computer with SSD.
Another defragmentation alternative is to create a copy of the data and reinstall the system, followed by the restoration of these data.
If your Mac computer works slowly
If your computer Apple. It is still quite new and you do not keep a large number of "heavy" files on it, but notice the slow work of the system, you will, as a rule, can cope with this with the help of simple tips:
- Try not to run at the same time several resource-intensive applications, they can occupy a large number of RAM.
- More often reboot the computer. This will allow it to delete temporary files and free up the RAM.
- Update programs and system OS X.. For example, the operational memory algorithm was improved, which should improve the speed of the system.
- . For normal operation it is necessary on the disk to record temporary files.
- Make a RAM upgrade or replace HDD on SSD - it will give you the greatest performance increase. Instructions for updating RAM can be obtained from the menu - About this Mac -\u003e More -\u003e Memory.
Firing fragmentation is a very old problem of any operating system throughout the history of the computer industry development, which means that one logical file, being like a single hard disk in the form of a logical unit, is actually disassembled into small parts. Own funds are trying to minimize file fragmentation by recording all pieces nearby if the file is open, weighs more than 20MB and contains more than eight fragments. True, this measure is good to prevent fragmentation filesbut not she does not save from fragmentation free space On hard disk.
What is it for fragmentation of free disk space?
Fragment of free space is very noticeable if users have a small percentage of free space left for hard disk users and they work quite often with files, and then release the disk space (for example, deletes temporary files). At the same time, the cherished gigabytes remaining free space in practice are not a solid area on the disk, but the "islands of freedom" scattered between data blocks: a little here, a little there, a little more after this folder.
And what, in fact, the problem will ask any brass. It is easy that in this case the file access time is increasing both for recording and reading. And this adversely affects both the hard disk state and the noise reproducible to them and the speed of the system response. And since quite strongly uses the caching of the falams, the system will simply slow down, because the cache will be scattered throughout the hard disk.
How to see a fragmentation of a free disk space?
If you have scattered suspicions that it is time to deal with defragmentation, I suggest using the free console utility (link at the bottom of the page). HFSdebug file to make any directory and in carry out such a command (you need to enter an administrator password):
sudo. the path to the file/ HFSdebug -0 | Sort -N.
This command will display all blocks of free space, sorting ascending. For example, I got a lot of rows, about such:
10391 0 × 134E488 0 × 1350d1e 40.59 MB
10993 0 × 11004e7 0 × 1102fd7 42.94 MB
11691 0 × 152CD74 0 × 152fb1e 45.67 MB
12229 0 × 26D1A05 0 × 26D49C9 47.77 MB
14537 0 × 2693CDC 0 × 26975A4 56.79 MB
24090 0 × 129b388 0 × 12A11A1 94.10 MB
57704 0 × 12A9B0C 0 × 12B7C73 225.41 MB
68490 0 × 133C5DC 0 × 134D165 267.54 MB
69680 0 × 12c82f7 0 × 12D9326 272.19 MB
This means that the largest "island" of free space is 272.19 MB and descending to the smallest in 100 KB. In general, it is not surprising, as I often put a lot of different applications, shook out the files from the Internet, deleted them. In general, a lot of file operations performed quite a few and decently mock. For the most curious, you can use another command that output the percentage of file fragmentation (more precisely, the percentage of it NOT-defragmentation).
sudo ./hfsdebug -f -t 5
Performing will take some time, but as a result, something like this will be:
OUT OF 1214506 NON-ZERO DATA FORKS TOTAL, 1209938 ( 99.624 %
) Have no frigation.
OUT OF 4135 NON-ZERO RESOURCE FORKS TOTAL, 4074 ( 98.525 %
) Have no frigation.
Such high percentages suggest that Mac OS X copes perfectly with its tasks and does not allow fragmentation files.
Why still require defragmentation of free space?
For example, if you want to create a partition, you will need a solid piece of free hard disk space. Otherwise, the user will simply be notified that "the section cannot be created, reinstall OSX and try again." And all due to the fact that Mac OS X is simply not providing a tool for defragmentation of a hard disk. In this case, it recommends that you make a full backup of the data, format the hard drive, re-install and restore files. In my opinion, not the most friendly behavior of the OS.
Therefore, it is best to take advantage of special applications for data defragmentation from third-party developers - at least, do not have to do backup / restore tricks. Yes, and time it should take less.
Defragmentation tools
Before switching to defragmentation, it is possible to use, for example, to clean the system and custom cache. And for the defragmentation itself, special utilities can be used.
The utility is designed specifically for defragmentation and provides for a number of algorithms for this. For example, "Compact", one of the work algorithms, hosts all files at the beginning of the disk, and the free place at the end. This procedure takes the minimum time. Download the demo version you can
My macintosh is convenient when it comes to editing video and images. I also use it to create important documents.
Recently, however, it shows problems with performance. What am I doing to improve its performance? Do I need to do what they call defragmentation?
Do not worry. I'll teach you How to defragment MAC And how to improve the performance of your Mac.
At this point, you could notice that there are signs of performance problems on your MAC.
And from your days with a PC with Windows, you might think about defragmentation of your MAC. Right from the device. However, you will find that there is no utility or a team that allows you to do it on Mac.
The Macintosh file system is not formulated as on Microsoft PC. Defragmentation on Mac is automatically performed.
But when the need arises, you may need to defragment your MacBook every few years.
In this manual, we will tell you how to make Mac Defragmentation, We will tell you about the advantages and mines of the process. Defragmentation alternatives will also be given in this article.
Here are the advice that you will learn in this post.
Guide to the article
Part 1. Does Mac defragmentation need?
Why do we need to defragment the Mac disk? Well, the defragmentation process is used to improve computer performance by reorganizing your disk data.
The corresponding data fragments are grouped accordingly, so the launch and launch of files and software takes less time.
Defragmentation of your Mac reorganizes the data and returns them in the correct order. This leads to speeding up the slow system.
Any Mac computer on which the OS X version is installed, later than 10.2, usually does not need defragmentation.
This is because MacOS and OS X have built-in utilities that perform the process of cleaning the fragmented files located on the hard disk.
Thus, this leads to the elimination of a manual defragmentation problem.
However, for all rules there are always exceptions. And in this case, sometimes we need Mac defragmentation to increase its performance.
Part 2. When did the Mac defragmentation time come?
If your hard disk is less than 10% in free repository, MacOS may have problems with automatic defragmentation.
This usually happens with professionals in the multimedia area that store many large files in programs such as Photoshop, Final Cut and Adobe Premiere.
If you have a lot of big films, the size of which exceeds 1GB, you should think about moving these files to an external hard disk or their full removal.
The same applies to creative documents and audio files. Another option you can do is completely defragment your Mac.
As for the removal of large unimportant files from your MAC device, you can use such a tool as.
This tool can help increase productivity by freeing your Mac from unnecessary files that can slow down it.
Here's how to take a step by step:
Step 1: Download and run Imymac-Cleaner on your Mac
Upload Mac Cleaner from IMYMAC. Run the software. As soon as it opens, you can view the status of the system of your Mac on the main interface.
In the left part of the interface, click " System garbage".
Step 2: Scanning a garbage system
Click the button " Scanning"To start scanning the entire MAC for unnecessary files. After the process is completed, all unnecessary files will be displayed for you.
Step 3: View and select items for cleaning
Software will ask if you want to clear the selected data. Confirm the process if you are sure of it.
Step 4: Cleaning Mac System District Completed
Wait until the process is completed. As soon as it is done, it will mark the files like Zero Kb. Some files will not be marked as such, as it is automatically recreated folder.
Repeat steps 1 for 7. The difference in step 3. You just need to select the "mailbox" or "large and old files" instead of "systemic garbage".
People also read:
Part 3. How to fulfill Mac defragmentation?
You must use the Mac defragmentation tool from a third-party trustee to execute it on your device.
However, before safely defraging the MAC hard drive, you must back up your data. As soon as something happens, you can easily restore your files.
When choosing or searching for a defragmentation tool, you must check its compatibility requirements.
Mac devices operating in operating systems older than version 10.2 for OS X are usually incompatible with new types of software for defragmentation. Thus, it is sometimes difficult to find a useful tool.
Once you have found a program, install it on your device. Open the tool and carefully follow the Mac defragmentation instructions.
The process will take a lot of time. Be patient and never move your device until the process is completed. Sometimes you need to restart your Mac device to complete the entire defragmentation process.
Part 4. Security Questions for Mac Defragmentation.
After reading all this guide, you may ask whether to defragment your hard disk (HDD).
Do not worry, though. There will be no disk defragmentation can be useful for your disk. Hard drives usually break the data into different parts and stored in different places.
Thus, reading a file with all fragments in different places can take some time.
The disk defragment organizes all this data, and this will not harm your hard disk. It simply leads to an increase in the performance of your device.
Of course, the extreme measures to improve the performance of your Mac is not recommended. Defragmentation is always a secure process if everything is done correctly.
However, if your Mac is equipped with SSD, you should never perform defragmentation. SSD differ from HDD and work in different ways.
Solid state drives support themselves automatic processes. Thus, the SSD defragmentation is not recommended.
The defragmentation process can also damage the solid state drive. This is because it uses a flash memory that has a limited service life.
Data read and write cycles are limited. When defragmentation, the process reads the data and records them to another place.
If you defraventify solid-state drives, it will read and record thousands of times and reduces the service life of the drive.
Part 5. What is the MAC defragmentation alternatives?
When your Mac works slowly, sometimes you do not need Mac defragmentation. There are other alternatives that you can try. Below are some of them:
One way to troubleshoot problems for Mac devices is to restore access rights to the disk. What permissions? These are settings for files that affect the ability to write, read and execute a specific file.
If these permissions are installed incorrectly, the software that uses the file may not work correctly.
The disk utility can be used to restore access rights to the disk in OS X Yosemite (and other earlier versions). However, in OS X El Capitan, the automatic protection of the access rights to the disk is carried out. Thus, it is not required to check them with a disk utility.
So how to fix the boot disk of your Mac device? Here are the steps to optimize Mac:
Step 1 - Run the disk utility.
Step 2 - Select your specific boot disk.
Step 3 - Select the First Aid tab.
Step 4. To check the permissions, click "Checking Access Rights to Disk".
Step 5. To restore permissions, click "Restore Disk Permissions".
How do you improve the speed or performance of your Mac?
1 - software updates.
You should update MacOS software to the latest version. As a rule, newer versions work better in comparison. System updates include error corrections and performance optimization that can speed up your device.
2 - Delete unnecessary data.
It is best to have at least 25% of the free space on your Mac. It gives your Mac enough space to perform background tasks.
It also provides enough space for caches, temporary files and virtual memory. Use Mac Cleaner from IMYMAC to remove unnecessary files.
3 - stop the automatic launch of the program.
When you turn on the MAC device, multiple programs that can start or start simultaneously. Others even run in the background, forcing you not to know about its existence.
You can stop the launch of several applications by clicking on "System Settings". Then select "Users and Groups" and then select "Input Elements".
It will list applications that run during the launch of your Mac. Turn off the applications that you do not need.
Part 7. Conclusion.
When you have a performance problem, you need to make a few things to improve the performance of your Mac. The defragmentation of your Mac can be a great way to increase its productivity.
However, you must do it only for hard drives, not for SSD. You can also use Mac Cleaner IMYMAC to clean unnecessary files. Finally, you should always take care of your Mac, following our advice above.
