Defragmenting?

Forgive my noob questions, but:

1. Do I need to defragment my iMac hard drive?
2. If so, what is a good program that does it?

Thanks!

No and none.
:black:

Really? No defragmenting? That sounds too good to be true! Why not?

It does it automatically when needed

http://mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15402&highlight=defragment
http://mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25401&highlight=defragment
http://mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33064&highlight=defragment
http://mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31298&highlight=defragment
http://www.mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25099&highlight=defrag
http://mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18746&highlight=defragment
http://mac-forums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8886&highlight=defragment

*misleading information follows*
The basic reason why it isn't necessary is that Macs (and other modern Unixes) use a journaled file system called HFS+ (or ReiserFS or others). Windows relies on it's ancient NTFS which is really horrible. Welcome to the 21st century.

yogi said:

The basic reason why it isn't necessary is that Macs (and other modern Unixes) use a journaled file system called HFS+ (or ReiserFS or others). Windows relies on it's ancient NTFS which is really horrible. Welcome to the 21st century.

Click to expand...

As far as I remember, NTFS is journaled too, and actually the reason why OS X doesn't need defragmenting has nothing to do with journaling, as the purpose of journaling is a very different one.

OS X defragments files on the fly, that's why a disk doesn't get fragmented, unless it start becoming too full.

And, historically speaking, HFS+ exists since OS 8.1 or 8.5 I think, so it's not less ancient than NTFS...

Avalon said:

OS X defragments files on the fly, that's why a disk doesn't get fragmented, unless it start becoming too full.

Click to expand...

yes, this is the reason you dont have to defrag
-chris

Wow. Yet another great thing about Mac!

Sorry if I picked that up wrong. I thought HFS+ was new with OSX after HFS. Sorry about that.

Avalon said:

And, historically speaking, HFS+ exists since OS 8.1 or 8.5 I think, so it's not less ancient than NTFS...

Click to expand...

actually, NTFS has been around since the debut of Windows NT in 1993. And HFS+ has been around since OS 8.1 in 1998.

its funny because Vista will be introducting this feature eventhough OSX has had it for awhile

Actually AFAIK vista will be introducing sheduled regular defragmentations (Sunday at 4a.m. - yay waste more electricity in offices - please!), I haven't heard anything about mini-defrags after installs in vista yet...

dohidied said:

actually, NTFS has been around since the debut of Windows NT in 1993. And HFS+ has been around since OS 8.1 in 1998.

Click to expand...

Right, I forgot that NT is more ancient than OS 8...but still, both are prehistoric now.

Aptmunich said:

Actually AFAIK vista will be introducing sheduled regular defragmentations (Sunday at 4a.m. - yay waste more electricity in offices - please!), I haven't heard anything about mini-defrags after installs in vista yet...

Click to expand...

Scheduled defragmentations...that's not a way to solve fragmentation problems...but the typical way MS works:
Don't change old things, no, just try to "improve" them...

That is interesting. I have used Techtool Pro4 to defrag my Mac. I wasn't aware that it did not need to be done. I have done it several times on my old G3 B&W. Only once on the G4 since installing OSX 10.4.7.
Of course, I am kind of computer illiterate.

Ed

Le Fumeur said:

Wow. Yet another great thing about Mac!

Click to expand...

Indeed.

Avalon said:

Scheduled defragmentations...that's not a way to solve fragmentation problems...but the typical way MS works:
Don't change old things, no, just try to "improve" them...

Click to expand...

And if they ever show something 'new', chances are Mac users already know it.

Like "Gadgets". Lol. Microsooft just doesn't focus and the main point: Accomplishing tasks for the user easily. They have to invent new htigns that require users to read a 120--page manual and learn new terms and keyboard combinations..

Unfortunately, they jsut have to much pressure handling the security issues before they can be innovative.

There are actually a set of 3 requirements a file needs to meet before it is defragged in Mac OS X. Let me see if I can find them...

Edit: For some reason I can't find them yet. If anyone else knows what they are chime in.