Mac OS X forum: Defrag w/o Norton Utilities?

Thanks for the advice, P. As for why I use 9.2.2 (besides finding it quite satisfactory, except for not being able to buy or download free much that is new in software), it's quite simple. My mother, who had a hard enough time converting to OS 9 from an earlier version, not to speak of going from Word 5.1a to 98, uses 9.2.2. She calls on me often to help her by phone to untangle something she can't understand on her computer, and it's really easier to do it if I can see what's going on on both her screen and mine.

That's leaving aside that I'd have to update a lot of the software I have. I admit that I'd be able to do more and wouldn't have to search for older software at various Web sites when I need something. Try, for example, getting Acrobat--not the reader, the standard version--or Quicken or some such thing for OS 9, and more advanced versions of Netscape. My ISP, Earthlink (which too over my beloved Mindspring), also offers new software only for OS X (even though there is little that they offer for Macs, anyway). There are many other things that I just can't use because I don't have OS X, but fortunately, I don't need a whole lot more than I now have.

That's the story: I love my mother; she wouldn't be willing or able to adapt again to a new OS version, one that is much different from the one she knows; I want to be able to help her; I might not even go to X if she gave up computing, or not until I had to, which was the story with getting 9.04 with my current computer. If that seems silly (leaving aside the expense of upgrading the OS and some of my software), so be it. That's what my cryptic remark was all about.

Thanks for asking. Kind, as always.

Jenny

That is precisely the point. (I knew you were smart!) You are right, too, that it's great that she uses a computer--though it can have its downside, too. Because I'm the only one in my family who even tries to work with Mac-related difficulties, I have ended up as the local Mac guru (what, moi?), and my mother is my primary "client"--though my two sisters come up with something, occasionally. It's really kind of a trip, though I beg to remind everyone how far I am from deserving the title, and at times it can be very time consuming. Fortunately, almost all of the problems that have come up so far (except, notably, some with my own computer) have been pretty basic and quite easily resolved.

Thanks for your interest and support. Always grateful, I am.

Jenny

Don't use Norton to repair your disk. It is invasive; unlike other utilities like DiskWarrior or TechTool it tries to repair directory problems instead of rebuild. If it happens to encounter a problem that it can't fix, it gives up and you are SOL as now you have a drive that is useless. Yes, this has happened to me and after that one incident I swore never to use Norton again.

Unless you do digital video, you're not going to notice any difference in performance with a defragged drive. And I agree with the previous post that excess fonts will slow you down, so make sure you clean up any unused fonts.

Good luck,
RD

Where do people get the idea that Macs don't get fragmented? Especialy OS9.
I've heard it a hundred times, in conversation, and in posts like this, but I've never heard Apple say it.
When asked why they believe that, most point to the end of software installs when it reads "optimizing system".
That's not a defrag. It is updating/rebuilding the "desktop" file.
If you understand how fragmenting happens, you know that there is no way to avoid it, unless the OS defrags constantly. It doesn't.

I gave up on Norton, when I moved to OSX, but I've allways liked their "Speed Disk" defrag software. It's faster, gives more choices, and I never had a problem with it, but TechTool Pro works too.

Thanks. Very informative. I had already rebuilt the desktop file before I wrote the message, but I doesn't hurt to be reminded. As for the fonts, I have the same number that I had before the slowdown, so I'm a little doubtful that that is the problem.

I replaced the Finder preference file (but not the Finder itself) but still got freezes--especially when using Netscape for some time or saving a bookmark or sometimes, using PDFs. I replaced Acrobat Reader's preference file, too, but as I wrote in a message to the Browsers forum (to which I have yet to get an answer, but it's early days yet), I am not sure how to find Netscape preferences. There are many Netscape files and folders, but nothing that indicates what I need to throw away.

Don't try to help me with finding the Netscape pref file, though. I don't want to be in the position of cross-posting (not my intention and a forums no-no for good reason); I am hopeful that someone reading my message in the Browsers forum will help me out; and my mentioning it is just a way of addressing the recommendation to ditch preference files in your helpful message.

Thanks,

Jenny

Sorry to be a little dense, but do you mean that you made a copy before the files went wonky, or copied them when things started getting slow? Does the Mac treat a copy made after the problem has become intolerable as though it were a fresh copy, or would it just be a duplicate of the damaged one, and therefore would simply replicate the problem? (Oooh, I wish I knew more about all this!)

If the copies would just be tainted duplicates, I may be able to copy those files from my Firewire drive, which would presumably have cleaner files than what's on my computer now. I could reinstall what's on my Install CDs, but that means going through 9.0.4, then 9.1, then 9.2.1, then 9.2.2. I'm going to try your suggestion first.

Thanks for your patient help.

J.

As I suspected, I can't use copies from the bad files. Thanks for the added instructions, though. I would never have known to do all that. I'll copy them out and do as you've indicated, even though I have the files (same version, not corrupted) on the Firewire drive. It's always good to have a copy on a CD.

Thanks so much!

J.

What is the drive size? Seems possible that that version of Norton does not support that version of OS X!
Disk Warrior and/or TechTool Pro are the utilities of choice

P