disk defrag software, Is nortons utlilities still the one?

mbmusic · Post by **mbmusic** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 10:27 pm

I just upgraded to 10.3.9 dp 4.6.
what is the best drive defrag software?
thanks mbmusic

Schweats · Post by **Schweats** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:36 am

I'd highly recommend Alsoft's Diskwarrior•„•

alsoft.com••¦ probably no better directory rebuider

Guitar Gaz · Post by **Guitar Gaz** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:36 am

I still use Norton's and it works fine for me - you occasionally have to load an update from their site. But it all seems to work with Panther - I presume its okay with Tiger. I have heard good things about DiskWarrior but I am used to the Norton way - and have used it for more than 10 years. The deleted file retrieve is very good too.......

dixiechicken · Post by **dixiechicken** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 6:53 am

ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Use Norton at your own risk. You are courting disaster.

1)
Alsofts Diskwarrior DOES NOT defragment files on your harddrive.
2)
DW analyzes your folder structure and reconstructs a new one -
3)
Allows you to compare the new folder structure with the old one
4)
And if you want to do so - you can choose to replace the old folder structure
with the new folder structure.
5)
B.t.w you DONT need Disk Warrior for this. You can boot up OS-X in
"Single User Mode" and at the black terminal command prompt do the
exact same reconstruction much faster then DW.

IF you need to defrag your files get Techtool Pro 4.x.x from:
http://www.micromat.com/

This tool allows to do both defragmentation and rebuilding of folder structure as well as doing hardware tests.

You should install the eDisk partition from the Techtool cd to get another boot partition with only system OS-X + Techtool on it.

When you need to check your other drives/partitions - boot on the eDisk
an run Techtool from this partition - much faster than running it from the CD itself.

However this benefit is maybe countered somewhat by the fact - IF you
install the eDisk partition - you will in normal computer use have a
"Techtool" process running in the background that consumes cpu cycles
as well as some memory.

Under no circumstances should you use Norton "Utils" under OS-X.

Cheers: Dixiechicken

TheHopiWay · Post by **TheHopiWay** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 7:42 am

dixiechicken wrote:ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Use Norton at your own risk. You are courting disaster. ..................... Under no circumstances should you use Norton "Utils" under OS-X.

Cheers: Dixiechicken

Issues?

RJ Wade Music · Post by **RJ Wade Music** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 8:11 am

[quote="dixiechicken"]ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Use Norton at your own risk. You are courting disaster.

Hi All,

I've been using Norton for Panther 10.3.9 and prior to moving to OSX and I NEVER had a problem. I have, while on a gig in Cali, used DW at the request of another producer. However it was simply to optimize the directories and file structures. I ALWAYS use Norton for Optimizing.

I will agree that TechTool is also a very useful tool for other system operations that Norton.

...........Just my humble opinion.

RJ

bongo_x · Post by **bongo_x** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 9:47 am

dixiechicken wrote:
5)
B.t.w you DONT need Disk Warrior for this. You can boot up OS-X in
"Single User Mode" and at the black terminal command prompt do the
exact same reconstruction much faster then DW.

uh, OK. and what is that, exactly? I'm not sure I believe this, but this information doesn't really say anything without the actual command.

Billy

Guitar Gaz · Post by **Guitar Gaz** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:28 am

ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Use Norton at your own risk. You are courting disaster.

This is the sort of ill-informed crap that really annoys me - just sheer ignorance I'm afraid which might put some people off Norton which is a shame. What disaster exactly ? I've used Norton all through OS8, OS9, and now OSX without problems. Sorry but you should not be giving out such misinformation.

RCory · Post by **RCory** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:09 pm

I was under the impression that Norton has dropped continuing Mac development. This wouldn't be a good thing and I wouldn't trust my Mac to them. Besides, Norton is always calling home for updates and it's an annoying pain.

I've heard some people here swear by Drive Genius. I've been thinking about picking it up since TTP is so slow...

C

RCory · Post by **RCory** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:10 pm

Guitar Gaz wrote:ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Use Norton at your own risk. You are courting disaster.

This is the sort of ill-informed crap that really annoys me - just sheer ignorance I'm afraid which might put some people off Norton which is a shame. What disaster exactly ? I've used Norton all through OS8, OS9, and now OSX without problems. Sorry but you should not be giving out such misinformation.

There's nothing wrong with someone's opinion.

dixiechicken · Post by **dixiechicken** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:54 pm

This topic has been discussed before here on Unicornation.
(and thus should be searchable)

Unless Symantec has been updating Norton Utilities for Mac to be fully
supported under Mac OS-X, I can not recommend anybody to use it.
If I'm not misstaken RCory is right on the money, when stating that
symantec has halted development on Norton Utilities for Mac.

Defragmenting files on a harddrive is a potentially dangerous operation.
Disappearing files and partions, unmountable partitions etc can and will
eventually happen.

I will grant that ones mileage can vary, I have had the above things happen
to me on several occasions running, chkdsk on pc-systems, running Norton
Utils on Mac OS-9 and Mac OS-X and also just recently actually running Techtool Pro on iMac at home for reparing my severely corrupted
boot-volume. Forcing a complete re-install of everything.
I do not however remeber having this happen to me running Partition Magic
on a PC at work.

Guitar Gaz - what I say IS NOT CRAP - I have over 12 years proffessional experience supporting well over 200 computers at our deparment. (mixed environment)
If you as opposed to me - have had the good fortune - to never experience the agony/hassle of trying to restore a system due to a harddrive chrash - you are blessed.

As for booting Mac OS-X into "single user mode" this info can be searched for on the internet . ( dont be so f-g lazy

)
Check out these links:
http://search.info.apple.com/?search=Go ... ser%20mode
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html ... trtup.html
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php? ... ry=cmd%2Bs

When are standing at the command prompt you can type:
man fsck [hit enter] for reading up on how to use this utility to rebuild and
check your folder/node stucture.

Cheers: Dixiechicken

B.T.W to restart your Mac from the command prompt type:
reboot -. and hit enter.

bongo_x · Post by **bongo_x** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:12 pm

dixiechicken wrote:
As for booting Mac OS-X into "single user mode" this info can be searched for on the internet . ( dont be so f-g lazy )
Check out these links:
http://search.info.apple.com/?search=Go ... ser%20mode
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html ... trtup.html
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php? ... ry=cmd%2Bs

When are standing at the command prompt you can type:
man fsck [hit enter] for reading up on how to use this utility to rebuild and
check your folder/node stucture.

I'm no expert but I'm just not sure that fsck does "the exact same reconstruction" as disk warrior. I use fsck all the time, and actually I use applejack to run a bunch of stuff auto from single user mode. applejack is great btw (although friends of mine have had few weird issues like fans sticking on and having to be reset). It just runs the built in unix utilities automatically or however you want.

I don't we need to get too cocky because we know how to type some unix commands

I just think that the built in tools are great but I still think diskwarrior is well worth having and does a great job.

Billy

dixiechicken · Post by **dixiechicken** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:59 pm

There's nothing wrong with using DW if you prefer this method instead of using lovely unix-commands.

I have had DW also thrashing the folder structure beyond repair on my iMac.
Although it have just happened once.

You should consider Techtool and DW tools for us lazy amateurs.
(me included since I use them

)
However making changes in the filesystem on any harddrive any platform -is
a potentially dangerous activity.
If you want to play it safe - make a backup of everything thats important to you-
before you engage in messing around with filesystem tools

Both Techtool and DW should be used on a fairly regular basis before problems with
file corruption - file table inconsistencies etc. has gone too far.

Att http://www.ontrack.com/desktop/ - you can find desciptions on how they work
when restoring data from damaged/chrashed/burnt up/drowned harddrives.

Our fave-tools mantioned above, work well enough most of the time.
Still - they have both damaged systems for me on a number of occasions.
Both TTP & DW are tools supported under Mac OS-X - but using a tool NU that is not -
is not really a best practice.

Cheers: Dixiechicken

Guitar Gaz · Post by **Guitar Gaz** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 4:43 pm

Unless Symantec has been updating Norton Utilities for Mac to be fully
supported under Mac OS-X, I can not recommend anybody to use it.
If I'm not misstaken RCory is right on the money, when stating that
symantec has halted development on Norton Utilities for Mac.

Umm.. so you don't actually know? Well their web site says it is supporting Tiger now as it was for Panther - version 8.02. I don't know about re-starting a system after a hard drive crash but is that down to Norton? Anyway - it does work and I've not had any problems with de-fragging over many years. Which is mainly what I have used it for. I don't think I'm blessed - it works and thats a fact. For how long they will support it - I don't know - but they are at the moment.

However - the files that get fragmented I regularly copy to my USB and Firewire drives - delete them from my hard drive - then copy them back. This seems to keep the fragmentation down. I keep more of the bulky stuff on my external drives. I then copy one drive to another - then wipe one with Disk Utility, copy the files back then wipe the other and copy back to that drive. That also seems to work. So if you don't think Tech Tool or Disk Warrior do what Norton does and don't want to buy Norton - do this instead. But it helps to have two or more external drives. Also fragging is supposed to be not such a problem as it was under OS8 and 9 - certainly my Mac doesn't get slower like it previous ones used to get.

sdfalk · Post by **sdfalk** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 5:03 pm

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/nu ... l=&seg=hho