How to Defrag a Mac OSX
Defragmentation, sometimes shorted to "defragging," is a source of contention amongst Apple users. Some users claim that Mac OS X comes with enough built-in system optimization tools that defragging a hard drive is never necessary and that defragging software is simply a money-making scheme that preys on users switching from Windows. Others claim that Mac computers experience a small amount of fragmentation, and that occasional defragging will speed the machine up a bit. If you subscribe to the latter school of thought, several defragging applications are available to clean up your Mac.
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Instructions
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Purchase or download a defragging tool for Mac OS X, such as iDefrag (coriolis-systems.com), Disk Warrior (alsoft.com) or Disk Tools Pro (macwareinc.com). Install the program, then launch it.
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Select your main hard drive if you have more than one disk connected to the computer. You may be immediately prompted to enter your admin password, or you may not be prompted until you try to start the scan. Enter your password, then hit "Return." Click "Go," "Scan" or "Start," depending on which application you're using, and wait for it to scan your hard drive for fragmentation.
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Analyze the results and decide if the degree of fragmentation is severe enough to necessitate running the defragger. Mac OS X has a built-in defragger that automatically defrags files when they're detected, and, as such, doesn't typically require a standalone defragging application to be run.
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Click "Defrag files" or "Start," depending on which program you're using. Leave the computer alone while the application runs; using programs during defragmentation could result in an error. Defragging may take a long time, depending on your hard drive's overall size and the degree of fragmentation present.
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Review the results when defragging is finished. If a large amount of fragmented files were corrected, it is reasonable to assume that your Mac will run faster. A small change in files, however, will have very little to no effect on your computer's performance. Close the program.
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