I have a new Macbook Pro. I know it does not need defragging due to its SSD drive. However, I havea LaCie HDD drive formatted for exFat that I need to defrag. I create movies, soundtracks, Web sites all with large files that I have on the external drives, not on my Macbook Pro. I can't find any defragmentation software to run on Sonoma to defrag my external drives. RECOMMENDATIONS? I need help. Thanks to all.
There is no defragmentation software because MacOS defragments files as they are used.
Instead of allowing re-writing in-place, or appending to an exiting file, when you edit a file, the system creates a new file. Since the approximate size required is known in advance, the re-written file is de-fragmented automatically on-the-fly, with very little additional overhead involved.
This is one more reason why it is very important not to let your drives get too full.
There is no defragmentation software because MacOS defragments files as they are used.
Instead of allowing re-writing in-place, or appending to an exiting file, when you edit a file, the system creates a new file. Since the approximate size required is known in advance, the re-written file is de-fragmented automatically on-the-fly, with very little additional overhead involved.
This is one more reason why it is very important not to let your drives get too full.
From GeeBee13: Thanks to all for your input to my questions. The external drives I have are HDD. I knew the Mac OS optimizes the internal SSD drive, but I did not know that it also optimizes my HDD drives. I know that SSD drives do not need, and should not be, optimized. The main LaCie disk is running slowly. I transferred the files from that drive to a new LaCie drive that is running much better. I also purchased portable SSD drives, one for each project that I'm working on. I'll then transfer that data to the new LaCie external drives when the projects are completed. Does that sound reasonable?
Hi,
I'm not sure why you format external drive as exFAT, though if you connect external drive to Windows PC as well, why don't you use Windows free defrag utility?
https://www.lifewire.com/free-defrag-software-tools-2619172
The drive may be inherently FAR slower than your internal drive, or connected in a way that is not the fastest possible.Also, the fastest possible external drives are already slower than the top-spec internal drive on its really fast Bus.
EXACTLY what model LaCie drive is this? rotating Magnetic drive or SSD? what cables, adapters and Docks are being used to make the connection?
the limiting factor for rotating magnetic drives is drive rotational speed, because that limits how fast the bits on a track can be pushed past the read/write head to be read or written. 10,000 RPM drive perform better than 7200 RPM drives, which perform better than 5400 RPM drives. The best steady-state performance you can expect is around 50 MegaBytes/sec. Faster bus can not change that, because the limiting factor is not the Bus, it is the Drive.
Internal SSD in SATA drive bays on an older Mac Pro silver tower could reach around 550 MegaBytes/sec.
Intel ThunderBolt-3 Macs can get up to nominal 2500 Mega Bytes/sec on an appropriately fast SSD drive in a genuine ThunderBolt-3 enclosure, provided they use a non-busy ThunderBolt controller on the Mac (not shared controller busy servicing displays or other drives on a second Mac port) supported by a typical 32 G bits/sec (PCIe2 x4, or PCIe3 x2 amount of bandwidth). Apple M-series Macs have one ThunderBolt controller per port, so competition is not as much of an issue.
USB ports are somewhat slower.
The LaCie external drive came exFat formatted. I want to defrag that drive. I'm on a Macbook Pro using Sonoma. The Windows defrag software will not work on my Mac. Any suggestions?
So the Mac OS defrags automatically even an exFat formatted external drive. The drive , however, is running much slower.
Defragging an exFat HDD External Drive
