Not only Mac, but all computers will also get slower and slower as they keep running. You might hear about defragging disk to clear some space and speed up your computer due to your previous experience with Windows. But there's no 'Optimize Disk'or 'Defragment Disk' on Mac. So what do you do when your Mac gets slow? When does my Mac need a defragment? How to defrag my Mac? In this article, we will dive into the Mac defrag question and explain the benefits and limitations of doing this. Hope you can find the answer that suits best.
Why do we defrag?
First, we need to know what defragment is. Defragment is the process to reorganize the files which are scattered stored on the hard disk. It removes the gaps between the recorded parts of the files, collecting them into a single whole part. Simply put, defragging a drive traditionally moves everything back in order and fills any holes that have appeared during its use. Therefore, defragmentation reorganized your computer and saves time to find and read the files and speed up your computer.
On top of that, Mac OS X does on the fly defragmentation of files. The long and short is that fragmentation isn't really an issue for Macs, which is why you don't see a program to defragment drives in Mac OS X. As a side note, there are commercial programs that will defragment drives in OS X, but this is essentially snake-oil. For earlier versions of Mac OS X, including Mac OS X Mavericks 10.9, Mac OS X Mountain Lion 10.8, Mac OS X Lion 10.7, Mac OS X Snow Leopard 10.6, Mac OS X Leopard 10.5, Mac OS X Tiger 10.4, and before, the process to obtain those installers differs a bit. Downloading Mac OS X.
Does Mac need defragment?
Generally speaking, Mac doesn't need to be defragged. This is simply because Mac OS X versions later than 10.2 file system were designed differently to Windows. Apple uses the HFS+ (Hierarchical File System), which provides a special function Hot File Adaptive Clustering, or HFC. The main purpose of this component is to automatically prevent fragmentation of disk storage. And it automatically defragments files on its own. Go fly! mac os. That's not to say that a manual defragment is never needed. It's just rare. When updates, upgrades, installation or re-installation take place, you might need to defrag it once in a few years.
When does your Mac need to be defragged?
The only real exception you need to defrag a Mac is when your hard drive has less than 10 percent free space. At that point, the Mac operating system is unable to perform its automatic defragmentation routines, and you should consider either removing files or expanding your disk storage size.
Considering removing files to free up more space and speed up Mac, there is a useful and efficient way to do that - a powerful app- MacBooster. It will comprehensively scan Mac including old and large files, app leftovers and system clutter. It helps to boost computer performance, and you probably don't even need to defrag a Mac.
This will make your boot drive lighter by reducing the number of bulky files, such as movies and other video files. Reduce it to less than 50% because the first half portion of the drive is much faster than the second due to a large number of sectors. It is not mandatory to bring your HDD space usage below 50%. However, doing so accelerates performance. Note that boot drive occupying more than 80% of the total disk capacity will not work. You can reduce files by using Activity Monitor. Also, reboot the drive on completion of the process.
Only hard drives require defragging. SSD's no need.
If you're using a Mac that comes with an SSD (solid state drive), there's no point in wasting your time defragging as they already have a built-in maintenance process called TRIM.SSDs operating in a different way from a traditional HDD. It's flash memory used by a solid state drive has a finite lifespan because of the limited write and read cycles. And disk defragmentation is a process of reading the data from one place and writing it to another. So if you defrag SSD, you will perform thousands of write operations each time on the drive. It can speed up the degradation of a solid state drive and lead to its wear and tear. Therefore, it's actually dangerous to attempt to defrag a SSD, which can reduce its lifespan.
How to defragment a Mac?
Since there's no built-in command or utility to defragment on Mac, one of the easiest ways is to use a trusted third-party defragmentation program. It takes a certain amount of time to defragment, during this time you can't move your Mac in case the data destroy. We strongly suggest you backup your data before you defrag your Mac. And follow the program instructions to do the defragment, just be sure it's compatible with your Mac ( Mac OS 10.2 are not compatible with the latest modern defragmentation software ).
Alternatives to defragment a Mac.
Sometimes a slow Mac isn't a problem for your HDDs. You may take other ways to free up more storage and speed up your Mac instead of defragging your Mac. First of all, you should check your disk permissions. Its settings will affect the ability to read, write and execute the file. Repairing disk permission only suits for Mac earlier OS 10.10versions. For newer version, disk permissions are automatically protected.
To repair your permissions using the Disk Utility:
1. Choose Go > Utilities.
2. Double-click Disk Utility.
3. Select the volume in the left pane for which you want to repair permissions.
4. Click the First Aid tab.
5. Click Verify Disk Permissions to check permissions.
6. Click Repair Disk Permissions to repair any inconsistent permission.
But it only fixes file permissions that were installed as part of an Apple-originated installer package - so those that came pre-installed with your Mac and files downloaded from the Mac App Store. You can do better with MacBooster, it will fix Mac disk permission issues and drive your Mac to peak performance.
If you feel it's tedious and exhausted to do above all manually, and even looking for a comprehensive utility to do all and better. Try MacBooster, IObit's official Mac maintenance software. It will safely and quickly remove all system junk files and speed up your Mac.
Thanks for reading this article and we hope that you find your answers.
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A common perception is that any slow-running computer should be defragmented. Disk defragmentation can help a computer operate smoothly, that's certain, but should we still be doing this?
Defragmentation is a relic of older computing paradigms, and memory management. Modern systems do a much better job of defragmenting file storage and memory on their own without your interference. Still, there are times you should intervene.
We'll walk you through how to defrag a Mac, let you know if you even can you defrag a Mac, and discuss disc defragmenter Mac computers may find useful as well as some alternatives that are likely more suitable to your needs.
Defragmentation is a relic of older computing paradigms, and memory management. Modern systems do a much better job of defragmenting file storage and memory on their own without your interference. Still, there are times you should intervene.
We'll walk you through how to defrag a Mac, let you know if you even can you defrag a Mac, and discuss disc defragmenter Mac computers may find useful as well as some alternatives that are likely more suitable to your needs.
What is disk defragmentation
Back in the day of tall PC towers and hard drives you could hear spinning inside those boxes, disk defragmentation was a critical component of keeping a computer operational and healthy. When a computer stores files, it places them wherever it has room on it drive.
If you had a program that needed access to ten different files, the logical step would be to store them right next to each other so the computer could find them quickly. But over time, deleting a file here or there meant random areas of space where computers could store those files. Rather than keeping associated files together, the computer may have them scattered throughout the file system.
This meant computers found files slowly, and the entire system would in turn run slowly. Defragmenting gave the computer time and license to find associated files and reorganize the file system to keep them together.
Do Macs Need Defragmentation?
Disk defragmentation is likely not necessary for modern Macs. You may want to defrag Mac devices, but unless it's running an older version of OS X, the system should take care of disk fragmentation on its own.
When Macs need to be defragged
Defragmentation is most useful when your Mac's storage is near capacity. Oddly, this is also when defragmentation is most difficult, as the system needs a bit of space to temporarily store files it's moving around.
A packed file storage is likely the more pressing issue for your Mac. Even if its system is organized properly, the more files your Mac has to poke through to find what it's looking for, the slower it will be! It can be onerous to defrag Mac hard drive, even when it's not packed.
That's why Get Backup Pro is so useful. Most of us simply save files and folders, download movies or files, and tuck it all away in our ‘Documents' folder without ever thinking those files or how our system is organized ever again. Get Backup Pro lets you backup all of your files – or select folders – to an external device for safekeeping. Instead of letting your Mac get cluttered with stuff, you can back it up automatically, then delete what's on your Mac!
Get Backup Pro can be automated, and keeps files in sync on your Mac.
How to defragment a Mac?
You'd think defragging MacBook Pros and other Macs would be simple, but it's not. Apple offers no setting or utility for it, and modern Macs won't take well to third-party defragmentation apps. You can go this route if you like, but be sure to use Get Backup Pro to create a full backup of your Mac before you start tinkering with the file system.
Will defragmentation harm HDD or SSD?
Let's discuss these two systems separately, as they operate uniquely, and have different responses to Mac defrag options available to you.
HDD: Defragging MacBook or Mac computers won't harm an HDD, though proceed with caution. HDDs are spinning drives, and can benefit form defragmentation, but you should first identify if your Mac is using an HDD drive.
SSD: SSDs, or Solid State Drives, do not need fragmentation. A few years ago, Apple began using SSDs by default for Macs, so always double-check before proceeding with a defrag for Macs. SSDs maintain the filesystem automatically, and do not store files in the same way as HDDs. Defragging an SSD can severely harm your computer.
Sometimes, files seem lost, but they're simply misplaced. Defragging can do this, but so can Apple's automated file system management. This is why we advise creating routine backups, and where Disk Drill comes in really handy.
Disk Drill finds lost files on your Mac or external drives with ease, allowing you to quickly discover and use files you thought were gone forever. It's simple, fast, and lets you analyze your Mac's free space so you know exactly how much space you really have on your Mac!
Are there any alternatives to defragging?
Within your Mac's Disk Utility service, you can choose to repair disk permissions. This resets which apps are able to read, write, and execute files. It's sort of like pressing ‘reset' on how your filesystem works with apps and services.
A better way to go about repairing how your Mac works with apps and services for saving, storing, and accessing files is with CleanMyMac X. Though it does a lot more than just repair your filesystem, CleanMyMac X has a function for repairing disk permissions in its 'Maintenance' section. You can choose to rum the entirety of the Maintenance services, or choose 'Repair Disk Permissions,' which repairs broken file and folder permissions without resetting your whole system's permissions.
How to keep your Mac in good shape?
Maintaining your Mac is mostly about monitoring and being proactive. iStat Menus is one of the best apps for keeping tabs on your Mac, and lives in the menu bar so you have access to it all the time. iStat Menus monitors everything from CPU usage to storage capacity, and keeps tabs on your network performance, battery, app performance, sensors, processes, and load balancing. It can even tell you the weather!
The aforementioned CleanMyMac X can alert you on a scheduled basis to clean your Mac up, and has a really simple Smart Scan feature that tidies up the simple things that can leave your Mac operating slowly. There are also other sections for speed optimization, malware removal, updating or uninstalling apps, deleting large or old files, shredding files forever, and a privacy checkup.
Transferring files is a cause of fragmentation, too. If you have multiple Macs and find yourself transferring files between computers often, give ChronoSync Express a try.
ChronoSync Express keeps files and folders synced across multiple Macs, and you have the option to sync an entire filesystem, or select files and folders. It also syncs email or system notifications so you don't have to set them uniquely each time.
Conclusion
Defragging a Mac isn't always necessary, or recommended. Sometimes it's not even possible! Modern Mac devices do a sensational job of keeping your filesystem tidied up, and default to syncing via iCloud if you have that set up on your Apple ID.
But monitoring and maintaining a healthy filesystem is still important, and your Mac can't do it for you. Apps like ChronoSync Express and Get Backup Pro help you sync and back files up better than anything else out there, while an app like Disk Drill can help you recover misplaced files you thought were lost forever.
Those three apps combined with iStat Menus and CleanMyMac X help you keep your Mac running at its peak performance level. The ability to monitor and maintain your Mac has never been better or easier!
Best of all, all five apps – iStat Menus, ChronoSync Express, Disk Drill, Get Backup Pro, and CleanMyMac X – are available for free during a seven day trial of Setapp, the best suite of productivity apps you can have for your Mac. In addition to these five apps, you'll get immediate and unlimited access to the full Setapp suite of nearly 200 apps.
When the trial is finished, retaining access to Setapp is only $9.99 per month – a massive bargain for these five apps, let alone nearly 200 more! Why wait? Give Setapp a try today!
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