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Anyone use iDefrag?

daneoni

daneoni

macrumors G5
Original poster
Mar 24, 2006
12,004
1,888
I just ran iDefrag on my iPod and lets just say...wow. it was really fragmented but this was taken care of. Now im curious and would love to run this on my main HDD

However, iDefrag refuses, saying it can't unmount the main drive and i should run it from another drive or CD. I don't have another drive nor do i have a bootable CD so i was wondering, if there is a way to run it (iDefrag) on my main HDD?

Edit: By the way before any of you start preaching, i know OS X doesn't need defragging like windows does but i also know the built in OS X optimizer could do with a helping hand. So, i WANT to run this.
 
I haven't heard of iDefrag, I will give it a try on my iPods. As for your computer, I think you will be fine with OSXs doing it for you, but if you really want to defrag it on your own, I can't really help ya.

edit: seems like it isn't worth it unless you buy it.
 
Zwhaler said:
I haven't heard of iDefrag, I will give it a try on my iPods. As for your computer, I think you will be fine with OSXs doing it for you, but if you really want to defrag it on your own, I can't really help ya.

edit: seems like it isn't worth it unless you buy it.
Click to expand...

Yeah it isn't but its one of those apps worth buying, compared to say...Cocktail or something which i think is a blatant rip off.
 
daneoni said:
I just ran iDefrag on my iPod and lets just say...wow. it was really fragmented but this was taken care of.
Click to expand...

So what problem did this solve? It seems the problem you had was not that there was anything wrong with the iPod, but that iDefrag said it was "really fragmented". Apart from iDefrag not complaining anymore, do you notice any difference? Is Safari snappier or anything like that?

daneoni said:
...but i also know the built in OS X optimizer could do with a helping hand.
Click to expand...

How do you know? Exactly what do you know?

If running a defragmenter makes you feel better, go ahead and run it. Maybe it makes you feel better; it won't make your Mac feel any better.
 
gnasher729 said:
So what problem did this solve? It seems the problem you had was not that there was anything wrong with the iPod, but that iDefrag said it was "really fragmented". Apart from iDefrag not complaining anymore, do you notice any difference? Is Safari snappier or anything like that?
Click to expand...

I'm defragmenting my iPod 3G right now. This isn't to solve any speed issue, but more of a "why not?" run. There are currently sometimes delays when switching songs, so I'll see if this defrag helps with that. (Also, I don't understand your "Safari" comment when talking about an iPod.)


gnasher729 said:
How do you know? Exactly what do you know?

If running a defragmenter makes you feel better, go ahead and run it. Maybe it makes you feel better; it won't make your Mac feel any better.
Click to expand...

While it's true that Mac OS X does a good job at minimizing fragmentation, it can't stop it entirely. If it did, we'd end up waiting an unbearable amount of time for every little disk write (there's too much involved in making sure absolutely no fragmentation occurs). If you've run your system for a long time without a full defragment, in particular with not much free space, fragmentation can get progressively worse.

I have had a Mac OS X system get really slow due to fragmentation. I upgraded from 10.3.x to 10.4 with very little free disk space. I believe the result was that the updated system files ended up fragmented; whatever the case, Mac OS X ran very slowly. I thought 10.4 was to blame, but I eventually formatted and started over without the HD being full of stuff, and the speed was much better.

I've used iDefrag on my 2nd HD (which holds my games) and it does seem to make load times snappier on large games. I've been meaning to install a copy of OS X on that drive, boot to it, and defrag the 1st HD, but haven't gotten around to it.

If you always keep enough free space on your volume(s), the operating system will probably do a good enough job at minimizing fragmentation. But it's wrong to conclude that defragmenting doesn't help at all on a Mac.
 
There is absolutely no reason you need to defrag a Mac, well. 9999 times out of 10000 you don't.

The system has it's own PM schedule so just let it do that.
 
Raptor007 said:
...

I have had a Mac OS X system get really slow due to fragmentation. I upgraded from 10.3.x to 10.4 with very little free disk space. I believe the result was that the updated system files ended up fragmented; whatever the case, Mac OS X ran very slowly. I thought 10.4 was to blame, but I eventually formatted and started over without the HD being full of stuff, and the speed was much better.

...
Click to expand...
The slow down that you are describing is not due to fragmentation, but its small amount of free hard drive space. As a rule of thumb, you should maintain at least 10% of your hard drive capacity as free space. This allow's your computer's virtual memory system to work efficiently.
 
Just let the man defrag his computer in peace. He doesn't need people preaching to him how defragging is unnecessary in OSX when in fact it is when you fill up over 80% of the hard drive.

"The claim that installations of Mac OS X on HFS+ volumes do not fragment is a myth believed by people who do not have disk optimizers that allow them to see how much fragmentation their disks have. It is an example of ignorance that is not able to be removed by any amount of evidence. I think theologians call that 'invincible ignorance.' It is now a widespread form of the pollution of information space."
http://tinyurl.com/yuqn4

"The downside to iDefrag is that you can't do a comprehensive defrag without booting from a volume other than the one that you are defragmenting. Not everyone has a second hard drive. Coriolis Systems offers free software to allow you to make a boot CD-ROM to run iDefrag from, but using iDefrag this way isn't as safe as using it while booted from another hard drive.

Of course, another option, instead of defragmenting your hard drive, is to simply purchase a new, bigger, hard drive; copy all of the data on the old drive to the new drive, and then reinitialize (i.e. wipe clean) the old drive and start over with it. Moving all of your data from one drive to another will automatically defragment your data. Though it won't optimize it."
http://www.macattorney.com/ts.html#Anchor-31774

I hope that helps, daneoni.
 
synth3tik said:
There is absolutely no reason you need to defrag a Mac, well. 9999 times out of 10000 you don't.

The system has it's own PM schedule so just let it do that.
Click to expand...

You've obviously never run a full defrag using idefrag. Try it and you'll see if it makes a difference or not. I went from a boot time of about a minute on my macbook pro down to 23 seconds.
 
Anyone with a Penryn MBP able to use iDefrag from the boot disc ?
My MBP would just restart when booting from the iDefrag disc...
 
I've run it on an older ipod and I actually did notice an improvement in some things, such as song switching.
 
soms said:
I've run it on an older ipod and I actually did notice an improvement in some things, such as song switching.
Click to expand...

The way the iPod OS and OS X use the hard drive couldn't be more different.

Defragging a Mac makes about as much sense as a snooze button on a fire alarm...
 
MyJelleo said:
"The claim that installations of Mac OS X on HFS+ volumes do not fragment is a myth believed by people who do not have disk optimizers that allow them to see how much fragmentation their disks have. It is an example of ignorance that is not able to be removed by any amount of evidence. I think theologians call that 'invincible ignorance.' It is now a widespread form of the pollution of information space."
http://tinyurl.com/yuqn4
I hope that helps, daneoni.
Click to expand...

I stopped reading that after the term "resource forks". The Mac hasnt used resource forks on over 8 years.
 
put it on your ipod, and reboot the computer with the ipod as an external storage device.

w/e it is that is done when installing leopard without a CD using an Ipod
 
I have used it. I don't like the Developer.

It is good, and does what it says, but I DONT like the developer(s), Very cocky, and very threatening. You get treated like a criminal, even when you pay for their apps. A very nice lot. (I think there is only one developer, he is very cocky )

There is some Open Source stuff coming out in the field of defragmentation of files on Disks. Windows for now, but Mac and Linux, other unixes to come. I would not give this arrogant developer another cent. Although it my be good. I just wanted to change some small parts of the app, then now according to him.. it is now "corrupt", And I know I did it right. The developer at Coriolis is over paranoid, and he like talking down to people. :mad:
 
chrisj2110 said:
Nice Boring reply too. This is the reason I don't do "forums" much nowadays. :(
Click to expand...

I'm curious...how could "OS X really doesn't need defraying" be said in a more interesting and less boring fashion.:confused:

Seems to me it was direct, succinct, and to the point...but that's just me.
 
Make sure it has an SSD. Never defrag an SSD on any OS. You will need a good anti-virus on Windows though.

I use OSX because it just works. No defrag, tweaking or anti-virus required.
 
When it gets "clogged up"

blueroom said:
Make sure it has an SSD. Never defrag an SSD on any OS. You will need a good anti-virus on Windows though.

I use OSX because it just works. No defrag, tweaking or anti-virus required.
Click to expand...

Wait until you use AutoCad and Photoshop a lot, then see what happens. its not a joke.

It does need defragmented now and then, Windows, and linux and all Unixi, too. :mad:

I only brought this thread up again, Because it was relevant. Forum "etiquette" is not in it, I just don't like what is happening. :mad:

----------
blueroom said:
Make sure it has an SSD. Never defrag an SSD on any OS. You will need a good anti-virus on Windows though.

I use OSX because it just works. No defrag, tweaking or anti-virus required.
Click to expand...

I would need a pretty BIG SSD to put my belongings onto, Then I could chuck Coriolis and there Nazi Apps away. But I don't have too too much money.

I am just a Train Driver and an Electrician.
 
I have also done Experiments with OSX and others.

I have also done Experiments with OSX and others. They DO get fragmented, and this slows them down a lot. I just found this thread by doing a Google search.

I apologise for brining this subject up. Nobody was ever friendly on here anyway. It is very strange, that I find Microsoft more friendly (I never ever thought this would come from my mouth, but it is true) Apple is becoming nasty and BAD! :mad:

Very Very SAD!
 
Aloha guys,

As a pro musician running a DAW (Logic/ProTool/Cubase), we do have to occasionally de-frag our traditional spindle drives however ssd's are starting to making that part of maintainence a thing of the past.

I-defray user on Mac.
No de-fraging on iOS

Good Luck!
{'-'}
 
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