Defragging a Mac hard drive is a thing of the past because of the way that OS X manages files. After installing system updates or new applications, the computer will optimize itself. There are ways to periodically clean up your computer and defrag a Mac hard drive, but it can take a few hours and may not improve performance significantly. more »

Learn about Mac hard drive networks & data sharing in this free online guide to secondary storage devices & data backup for computer users. more »

There are times when you need to access and edit videos that are on DVD. It may be that you don't have the original computer file or you have lost a backup. You might be on the road and don't have access to your master clip. In these cases, you'll need an easy way to copy a DVD video track to your Mac's hard drive. more »

When Windows is installed on an Intel-based Mac computer, it utilizes a separate partition (space) on your Mac's hard drive. Apple's Boot Camp creates a partition on your Mac's hard drive, while third-party software such as Parallels creates a virtual partition so it can run both Windows and Mac OS X simultaneously. more »

Your Mac contains quite a few files and folders that you'll never use - they're sitting there and taking up valuable hard drive space. You could be using that space for music, videos, and movies. If you have a portable computer, its hard drive space is already limited. Fortunately, it's not too difficult to free up some much-needed space on your Mac's hard drive. more »

Partitioning your Mac's hard drive can be a useful way to ensure that you have free space or that certain data is always protected. It can also serve to install other versions of Mac OS X or a different OS such as Windows or Linux. Essentially, repartitioning your Mac's hard drive creates two separate disks--or volumes--on the same hard drive. more »

You stare at the same old icons on your Mac hard drive everyday and they can be so boring. You want your icons to have personality like you. If you follow these basic instructions then you can create custom icons for a Mac. more »

Use a Mac's hard drive(s) like external FireWire hard drives on another Mac to move or backup data. more »

Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) is built into your Mac's hard drive to constantly monitor its condition. It's very easy to check a Mac's S.M.A.R.T. status to be sure your hard drive is in good health. more »