FAT32 ext harddrive. does OS X defrag FAT?

eric · eric #1 (**permalink**)

05-03-2007, 04:40 AM

just a thought.

i've got a couple external hard drives i use for mp3s and backups and such. one will often be connected to a notebook running xp pro, so i can use the defrag on that machine to take care of the one ext drive.

the other is mainly for backups on my macbook, but occasionally comes to work or is connected to my wife's HP.

i also am not planning on running parallels or bootcamp on the macbook, ever. and definitely not to simply have access to windows' disk management/defrag util.

so my questions:
does OS X work it's magic on non-HFS partitions?
if not, is there a universal utility that does defrag FAT?

RTP · RTP #2 (**permalink**)

05-03-2007, 10:12 AM

Good question - I assumed it would, but the link below would suggest OSX's disk optimisation only works on HFS+ journaled drives:

http://www.xvsxp.com/system/system_tools_defrag.php

...I guess I should think about defragmenting my FAT drives too then...

eric · eric #3 (**permalink**)

05-03-2007, 08:03 PM

good find RTP. interesting stuff.

now to search for a utility that i can use on OS X!

eric · eric #4 (**permalink**)

05-05-2007, 02:23 AM

so no one has any ideas for an app or process?

i googled and checked macosxhints and searched versiontracker and came up with nada.

i guess i could just try to always leave one of the partitions empty and use the sledgehammer method, swap data from one partition to another and reformat the empty partition - if that would even really be necessary, the move may do it by itself.

KB3GZW · KB3GZW #5 (**permalink**)

05-05-2007, 07:21 AM

If you want to pay for it then Techtool Pro might do what you want.

mac57 · mac57 #6 (**permalink**)

05-05-2007, 12:12 PM

Yup, I was just going to suggest that - TechTool Pro will do this. Alternately of course, you could use HFS+ on the drive and load MacDrive or something like that on your PC, so that it could read it. This strikes me as a superior technical solution, although faced with the prospect of buying one of two commercial products (TechTool vs. MacDrive) TechTool Pro is the more generally useful of them...

eric · eric #7 (**permalink**)

05-06-2007, 12:05 AM

well, thanks guys, i'll have to check into that.

i'm not sure my work would like me loading something like macdrive, but techtool sounds like it might work.

appreciate it!

eric #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 04, 2006 Location: twin cities, mn, usa Posts: 8,800	05-03-2007, 04:40 AM just a thought. i've got a couple external hard drives i use for mp3s and backups and such. one will often be connected to a notebook running xp pro, so i can use the defrag on that machine to take care of the one ext drive. the other is mainly for backups on my macbook, but occasionally comes to work or is connected to my wife's HP. i also am not planning on running parallels or bootcamp on the macbook, ever. and definitely not to simply have access to windows' disk management/defrag util. so my questions: does OS X work it's magic on non-HFS partitions? if not, is there a universal utility that does defrag FAT? Please participate in our Member of the Month polls. Every vote counts! And remember to use the user reputation system! ["Dear Homer, I. O. U. one emergency donut. Signed, Homer." - Note by Homer Simpson]
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eric #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 04, 2006 Location: twin cities, mn, usa Posts: 8,800	05-05-2007, 02:23 AM so no one has any ideas for an app or process? i googled and checked macosxhints and searched versiontracker and came up with nada. i guess i could just try to always leave one of the partitions empty and use the sledgehammer method, swap data from one partition to another and reformat the empty partition - if that would even really be necessary, the move may do it by itself. Please participate in our Member of the Month polls. Every vote counts! And remember to use the user reputation system! ["Dear Homer, I. O. U. one emergency donut. Signed, Homer." - Note by Homer Simpson]
	QUOTE Thanks

KB3GZW #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 23, 2006 Location: Lehigh Valley, Pa Posts: 342 Mac Specs: 2.53 GHz MBP, 4 GB RAM, 320 GB HDD	05-05-2007, 07:21 AM If you want to pay for it then Techtool Pro might do what you want. I Love Free Software. Ext. Storage: 500GB MyBook Pro, 1TB MyBook Studio iPod: 120 GB Classic - Phone : Treo 800w TWITTER Follow Me
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mac57 #6 (permalink)
Member Since: Apr 29, 2006 Location: St. Somewhere Posts: 4,547 Mac Specs: PowerMac G5 Quad, 2.5 GHz, 4 Core, 120 GB SSD, 500 GB HDD	05-05-2007, 12:12 PM Yup, I was just going to suggest that - TechTool Pro will do this. Alternately of course, you could use HFS+ on the drive and load MacDrive or something like that on your PC, so that it could read it. This strikes me as a superior technical solution, although faced with the prospect of buying one of two commercial products (TechTool vs. MacDrive) TechTool Pro is the more generally useful of them... My Macs: PowerMac G5 Quad, 2.5 GHz, 4 Core, Mac Pro, 3.2 GHz 8 Core, Power Macintosh 7500/100 My iStuff: 32 GB iPhone 4, 30 GB iPod Video, 16 GB iPod Touch My OS': Mac OS X Tiger, Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Mac OS X Leopard, Mac OS 8.6, openSUSE 10.3, Win XP I was on the Mac-Forums honor roll for September 2007
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eric #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 04, 2006 Location: twin cities, mn, usa Posts: 8,800	05-06-2007, 12:05 AM well, thanks guys, i'll have to check into that. i'm not sure my work would like me loading something like macdrive, but techtool sounds like it might work. appreciate it! Please participate in our Member of the Month polls. Every vote counts! And remember to use the user reputation system! ["Dear Homer, I. O. U. one emergency donut. Signed, Homer." - Note by Homer Simpson]
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FAT32 ext harddrive. does OS X defrag FAT?

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RTP #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Jan 07, 2007 Posts: 25	05-03-2007, 10:12 AM Good question - I assumed it would, but the link below would suggest OSX's disk optimisation only works on HFS+ journaled drives: http://www.xvsxp.com/system/system_tools_defrag.php ...I guess I should think about defragmenting my FAT drives too then...
	QUOTE Thanks

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