How to Defrag MBP?

[dogbone]

@DoFoT9

Am I to understand that if I were to make a bootable clone via Superduper of my entire HD and then copy it back from the bootable clone to the HD, this would reduce fragmentaion, (however unnecessary it is)?

And even accepting that it is unnecessary could it do any harm, with regards to upsetting OSX or is it harmless but unnecessary.

 

[janey]

And even accepting that it is unnecessary could it do any harm, with regards to upsetting OSX or is it harmless but unnecessary.

It would be harmless, but it would be a complete waste of time in every way.

 

[DoFoT9]

@DoFoT9

Am I to understand that if I were to make a bootable clone via Superduper of my entire HD and then copy it back from the bootable clone to the HD, this would reduce fragmentaion, (however unnecessary it is)?

And even accepting that it is unnecessary could it do any harm, with regards to upsetting OSX or is it harmless but unnecessary.

@ doggy
doing this wouldnt change any of your settings/system at all, none whatsoever. it would evidentely arrange the files so that they are defraged to a fairly high extent.

It would be harmless, but it would be a complete waste of time in every way.

hmm yea im still thinking that the clone would have to increase drive performance, drive seek time, and possibly transfer speeds in some cases (if copying alot of smaller files at once)

 

[Taylor C]

You don't need Norton installed on a Mac, that's the beauty of OS X. However, if you need to scan attachments that you'
re exchanging with Windows users, just use one of the many free online scanning services, they're quite reliable.

 

[XTRanger]

I have been using Windows for the last 10 years, and DOS before that... and I do remember degrafmenting the windows volume every now and then.. coz if I didnt, it would slow the machine down.

I guess im functionally fixed

but i do notice that my MBP takes significantly longer to go to sleep now (about 45 seconds). I know it used to be instant when i took it out of the box.... and i think this delay is due to defragmentation.... i did leave the machine idle (hoping it would defrag itself) but didnt notice a change.

 

[dogbone]

I've always wondered this so now's the time to ask.

Assuming one cloned a hd to an external and then cloned it back again, this would be millions and millions of bits of data copied back and forth.

How in the hell can a mechanical device like a hd with a moving head not make any errors. I just can't comprehend this to be possible (although it obviously is)

 

[DoFoT9]

I have been using Windows for the last 10 years, and DOS before that... and I do remember degrafmenting the windows volume every now and then.. coz if I didnt, it would slow the machine down.

I guess im functionally fixed

but i do notice that my MBP takes significantly longer to go to sleep now (about 45 seconds). I know it used to be instant when i took it out of the box.... and i think this delay is due to defragmentation.... i did leave the machine idle (hoping it would defrag itself) but didnt notice a change.

when installing system files i know that it forces osx to do an optimization, which is a quick defrag to an extent. what i dont get is why it takes 45seconds to go to sleep. that is fairly outrageous. mine only takes a couple of seconds. heat is a factor that comes to mind tho, itl cool itself a little to start with before going to sleep. also some kind of ram writings may be taking place (has there been any changes in hibernation mode in system updates since you bought it?).

 

[janey]

but i do notice that my MBP takes significantly longer to go to sleep now (about 45 seconds)...

Dear god. We just spent a bunch of posts trying to refute that and here it comes again.

The delay is not caused by defragmentation, even on a Windows machine sleep time wouldn't be affected by something so trivial. Run other maintenance apps and scripts and what have you. Or you could look up the various threads on this forum about normal vs. safe sleep and see if you want to play around with that.

This has nothing to do with what you think is a necessary defragmentation of what is almost nonexistant fragmentation.

NOTHING. Repeat after me: nothing.

Thanks.

 

[DoFoT9]

I've always wondered this so now's the time to ask.

Assuming one cloned a hd to an external and then cloned it back again, this would be millions and millions of bits of data copied back and forth.

How in the hell can a mechanical device like a hd with a moving head not make any errors. I just can't comprehend this to be possible (although it obviously is)

lol mate, its just one of those things that has to be left alone . its ultimate precision at its best

 

[janey]

How in the hell can a mechanical device like a hd with a moving head not make any errors. I just can't comprehend this to be possible (although it obviously is)

It does. You can tell when you can start to hear signs of mechanical failure.

 

[miniConvert]

but i do notice that my MBP takes significantly longer to go to sleep now (about 45 seconds). I know it used to be instant when i took it out of the box.... and i think this delay is due to defragmentation.... i did leave the machine idle (hoping it would defrag itself) but didnt notice a change.

When you sleep the contents of RAM are written to your hard drive, just in case the power should fail during sleep. This may be what is taking the extra time.

 

[DoFoT9]

When you sleep the contents of RAM are written to your hard drive, just in case the power should fail during sleep. This may be what is taking the extra time.

sudo pmset -a hibernatemode 0 (choose your number from below!!)

0-ram powered, not saved to HHD
1-hibernation mode, RAM saved to HHD
3-DEFAULT.RAM written to HHD AND kept powered
5 or 7-secure virtual memory (ignore me!)

 

[yellow]

You know the "Optimizing System Performance" line during installations?

It's defragmenting. It doesn't seem to be taking very long because it does it often, so it never gets really bad.

when installing system files i know that it forces osx to do an optimization, which is a quick defrag to an extent.

Please stop perpetuating this bad info.

No, it isn't.

It's prebinding at this point, plus running any post install scripts that were packaged with the installer package.

 

[dogbone]

You don't need Norton installed on a Mac, that's the beauty of OS X. However, if you need to scan attachments that you'
re exchanging with Windows users, just use one of the many free online scanning services, they're quite reliable.

or clamXav

 

[yellow]

and i think this delay is due to defragmentation....

This is HIGHLY unlikely to be the issue.

Disk defragmentation doesn't effect a hardware issue.

 

[eenu]

because of the Unix.

You make it sound like a living thing!

Defragging does not occur when you leave the machine on all night. The things that run at night are maintenance scripts that clear caches and repair disk permissions etc. There is also no need to leave it on every night. If your machine is off or asleep when one of the scripts was due to run it will run next time your machine is on.

 

[DoFoT9]

Please stop perpetuating this bad info.

aahh so what does it do then?? just sits there with the wavey screen for no reason saying "optimizing system performance"??

 

[janey]

aahh so what does it do then?? just sits there with the wavey screen for no reason saying "optimizing system performance"??

yellow already quoted the applicable part of his explanation for your benefit in his post that you quoted.

 

[DoFoT9]

You make it sound like a living thing!

Defragging does not occur when you leave the machine on all night. The things that run at night are maintenance scripts that clear caches and repair disk permissions etc. There is also no need to leave it on every night. If your machine is off or asleep when one of the scripts was due to run it will run next time your machine is on.

is this similar to mds? or is that a spotlight doovie?

yellow already quoted the applicable part of his explanation for your benefit in his post that you quoted.

twas a rhetorical question im sorry if i confuddled you

 

[eXan]

Whats defragging?

Been using Macs from the start - since 1998.

 

[yellow]

ARGH! This thread is KILLING me!

The things that run at night are maintenance scripts that clear caches and repair disk permissions etc.

That is incorrect as well.

Logs are rotated. Junk files are cleared (core files, tmp turds)

No cache is cleared. No permissions are repaired.

Please look at /etc/periodic/ for the scripts.

 

[janey]

is this similar to mds? or is that a spotlight doovie?

mds is the spotlight indexer. it isn't one of the aforementioned maintenance tasks.

twas a rhetorical question im sorry if i confuddled you

learn to multiquote.

 

[XTRanger]

Dear god. We just spent a bunch of posts trying to refute that and here it comes again.

The delay is not caused by defragmentation, even on a Windows machine sleep time wouldn't be affected by something so trivial. Run other maintenance apps and scripts and what have you. Or you could look up the various threads on this forum about normal vs. safe sleep and see if you want to play around with that.

This has nothing to do with what you think is a necessary defragmentation of what is almost nonexistant fragmentation.

NOTHING. Repeat after me: nothing.

Thanks.

*repeating- nothing. Whew!


BUT... I am still at loss as to why suddenly my machine takes this long to go to sleep. A couple of days ago, it went to sleep under 10 seconds, and now its over 45 seconds.

The only change that I made to the machine was install and uninstall lots of programs.... and that leads me to believe that the HDD may be de__________ (you know what I am going to say, so I am not typing it, since it may tick you off )

The current hibernation mode of my machine is "3". But it was 3 before also (when it went to sleep under 10secs). It may be argued that my hard disk space is low which is causing the delay- thats not true, because the only programs that are installed now are what came with the machine.

I did try changing the hibernation mode to "0", but it did not help, again leading me to think that the volume may be de________. Sorry, but I am a windows user... what else can I think of?

The machine in general is running pretty fast, with a boot up time of less than 25seconds, and shut down time of less than 7 seconds.

 

[janey]

Whats defragging?

Imagine you have a piece of paper torn into 20 pieces scattered all over your front yard. Defragging would be getting all those pieces together, taping them, and filing the piece of paper appropriately in a cabinet somewhere so if you had to go look for the paper it will be easier and faster to find.

Crappy analogy. Good enough though.

haha lol @ you
make me!!!

Are you trying to spam to get your post count up? Instead of "lol" why don't you actually try to make an effort to answer a question...
Also, a mod will end up combining your posts if you keep it up and do it all over the place with multiple posts. Multiquote is very simple and easy to do.

 

[miniConvert]

If your machine is off or asleep when one of the scripts was due to run it will run next time your machine is on.

Well, if we're all being pedantic

...this is not necessarily true. AFAIK, maintenance scripts become time-shifted if the system is off or asleep: http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/maintscripts.html#Anchor-How-35882

Maintenance scripts may never be run. They can be run manually at the terminal by entering: sudo periodic daily weekly monthly