It becomes a problem when there are no longer any large areas of contiguous space on the drive for OS X to use virtual memory, swap files, save files, etc. As long as there isn't much 'drive' fragmentation, there won't be a performance hit. OS X does not do 'drive' fragmentation and is susceptible to large amounts of free space fragmentation.

With a cloud storage backup, like Dropbox, this process is mostly automated.Īs far as HDDs are concerned, OS X handles 'file' fragmentation well, so files are not spread all over the drive.

This whole process doesn't take too long especially since I have a routine now, like starting it before I go to bed, then finishing it before I leave for school the following morning, and it's ready for me when I get home later on. My 5 year old MBP is still running strong. This process deletes lots of old, unused files and keeps my system optimized. Lastly, I do NOT restore from my Time machine backup! What I do is only bring back the important folders that I know I will need, and then everything else I bring back one file at a time only on an as needed basis. After this, I reinstall only software that is necessary at the time and leave all the old software behind that I don't use anymore. My personal favorite way of keeping a quick computer is once every 1-2 years, I triple check that I have good Time Machine backups that are current, as well as Dropbox backups of smaller important files, then I completely wipe my hard drive of everything and reinstall a clean copy of the newest OS. OP: You will do more harm than good if you do things like this. Run a Disk Utility verification every now and then, or a permissions repair where necessary.įor hardware issues, check things like the hard-drive SMART data, or run a MemTest if you're getting kernel panics.Įven if Jony Ive himself said this, people who suggest things like defragging will never listen. For any software problems, OS X has everything you need. Apple have said it, and most people know it. Here's the thing: OS X looks after itself. People don't want to just use their computer and leave it, without personally feeling they're contributing to its well-being. In almost all elements of life, people want to feel like they're in control. Check all the lights are off before you go to bed.

Perhaps it's innate, social, or simply old habits from ex-Windows users, but it seems a lot of people feel they have to do something on their computer to make sure it's still running well.Ĭheck the oil in your car, and check the tyre pressures. Apple have said you don't need to do anything, and still people choose to.Įven now, there's an subconscious element of uncertainty and distrust of computers. It's a problem with people giving bad advice.

How to defrag a mac computer