Macbook Not Starting Up After iDefrag

[zulhfreelancer]

I'm using Macbook Pro 13' Mid 2012 running Mavericks. I'm a new Apple user.

Yesterday, I perform defrag using iDefrag (I just knew that Mac doesn't really need defrag - my bad).

After the defrag has been completed, I restarted my MBP. My MBP didn't turn on normally. It get stucked at the white + Apple logo + loading icon screen.

What should I do?

From what I've found on Google, some folks also faced this problem and they suggest to Reinstall OSX.

IF I perform the Reinstallation of OSX, does my files & applications safe? Or, they all will be gone and deleted?

And, IF I perform the Reinstallation of OSX, can I get back all the files & applications that have been deleted?

Please suggest me what to do. I really need to get my system back ASAP because I've a lot of pending works to be done right now. :'(

 

[maflynn]

Reinstalling OSX should not impact your existing files, as long as you don't format the drive.

I will recommend before you do any drive maintenance that you back up your computer, and from the sounds of it, you hadn't backed it up before running idefrag.

As you kind of said already, defragging is really not needed for Macs, there are exceptions to this to be sure, but for most regular consumers its unnecessary.

Good luck

 

[zulhfreelancer]

Reinstalling OSX should not impact your existing files, as long as you don't format the drive.

I will recommend before you do any drive maintenance that you back up your computer, and from the sounds of it, you hadn't backed it up before running idefrag.

As you kind of said already, defragging is really not needed for Macs, there are exceptions to this to be sure, but for most regular consumers its unnecessary.

Good luck

Ok, noted. Thanks man.

I just resolved this problem. I enter my system using Safe Mode by pressing Shift key before turn on my MBP.

After the Apple logo and a horizontal progress bar appear, I release the Shift key and my MBP enter the Safe Mode.

And then, I restart my MBP to normal mode and all is well now.

 

[blueroom]

Now you should uninstall idefrag and get a backup solution.

 

[Fishrrman]

A previous post said to remove idefrag and get a backup solution.

That's half-right!

There's nothing inherently wrong with idefrag -- I've used it quite a bit (although these days I usually do my defragging with "Drive Genius").

But -- you should always BACK UP before you do a defragging job. It will serve as insurance if something doesn't go quite right.

I always recommend that one NOT USE Time Machine for backups. Instead, use either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper to create a BOOTABLE clone of the internal drive.

Then -- if you suddenly encounter an "I can't boot!" situation as you reported above -- you can connect your bootable clone backup and IMMEDIATELY boot from it instead.

In some cases, simply booting from an external source may be enough to "jog" the OS on the internal drive into working again. I've discovered this from personal experience.

 

[simonsi]

But important to realize CCC and SuperDuper make (bootable), snapshots, TM makes a proper versioned Backup.

Different horses for different courses....

 

[IPSC45]

Time Machine vs. Super Duper

A previous post said to remove idefrag and get a backup solution.

That's half-right!

There's nothing inherently wrong with idefrag -- I've used it quite a bit (although these days I usually do my defragging with "Drive Genius").

But -- you should always BACK UP before you do a defragging job. It will serve as insurance if something doesn't go quite right.

I always recommend that one NOT USE Time Machine for backups. Instead, use either CarbonCopyCloner or SuperDuper to create a BOOTABLE clone of the internal drive.

Then -- if you suddenly encounter an "I can't boot!" situation as you reported above -- you can connect your bootable clone backup and IMMEDIATELY boot from it instead.

In some cases, simply booting from an external source may be enough to "jog" the OS on the internal drive into working again. I've discovered this from personal experience.

I had a disaster one evening (don't recall how or why and my iMac suggested I do a full system backup fromTime Machine. What the heck. It had completed overnight and when I awoke to reboot, I was looking at a page of "code." Oh, extremely helpful, indeed. Re-installed the OS again from scratch and everyone was happy.

I rely on Super Duper should the worst happen (full-on disc crash or something just as hideous) and use TM to replace individual files that may have been deleted or corrupted by mistake.

FWIW, just recently (about a month ago) I was unable to access all of the folders in Time Machine. It would not go into Pictures, Documents, no way, no how. Called Apple Tech and we both agreed in that I had a 2-day old backup on Super Duper, I erase and reformat my 1Tb external TM drive. Did a full low level (all zeros) format and re-did TM backup. Now works like a charm again.

 

[IPSC45]

Addendum to my previous post

While the makers of iDefrag insist it is fine to use on Time Machine, may I offer an insight. After starting with a virtually virgin external HD and letting Time Machine do it's thing, i.e., copy for the "first" time, I figured the disc would be completely contiguous with no fragged files.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. There was red all over the disc map. My conclusion: TimeMachine is meant to be fragmented.

I was once an avid iDefrag user, but in that they still don't have a version to run on Yosemite, and having read most of the posts here and elsewhere, I now understand to let my Mac do its thing. Used to defrag every 2-3 months. May now just do it 1X/year. AFTER doing a thorough cleaning and backup, however! ;^)