Does Mac OS X Need A Disk Defragmenter/Optimizer?

Does Mac OS X need a disk defragmenter/optimizer?
MacFixIt
March 1, 2007

EXCERPT:

Defragmentation and disk optimization in Mac OS X collectively represent an issue nearly as contentious as the debate over repairing disk permissions -- one camp argues that utilties purportedly performing these functions amount to little more than nostrums, while others claim real-world performance gains as a result of the tools' usage.

Apple's input on the subject is, as usual, less than definite. The company states explicitly in Knowledge Base article #25668 (published in 2003) that that "you probably won't need to optimize at all if you use Mac OS X," then provides instructions for what you should do "if you think you might need to defragment."

According Apple's advice, there are two scenarios under which you might need to defragment your drive:

• You have many large files (such as digital videos)
• Your disk is low on space (i.e. more than 90% full)

If these are in fact your only concerns, there are some basic remedies.

In the case of myriad large files, you can easily (as described by Apple) create a backup of all your important data -- essentially everything but operating system files -- then re-install Mac OS X and restore the files from backup. It's somewhat tedious, but should result in faster access to said large files. Or, you can use a utility like SuperDuper! to make a clone (or near-clone) of your startup drive, then simply format your drive using Apple's Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) and copy the files back...

The bottom line is that users with large files will benefit most greatly from defragmentation routines in Mac OS X. However, use of the disk optimization routines offered by tools like iDefrag can also serve as a boon to casual users of Mac OS X looking for a speed boost. If you choose to use such a utility, you'll likely see the most betterment after applying a significant system update.