Mike writes, <Everytime I install a program or update I see a message of "Optimizing Volume..." What exactly is it doing?>
I've never had any of my Macs do this spontaneously and don't know why yours is doing it -- I have to actively optimize. In any case, when your computer stores stuff, it's not necessarily to the same exact location on the hard drive every time, even when saving the "updated" version of a file -- as one example: updating your resume and save over the old one. Over time you get "fragments" where pieces of particular apps or files are...for lack of a better description, "elsewhere from the original location" on the drive. I believe the "resource forks" are what enable the Mac to still piece it all together so you can open it anyway, but this fragmentation can slow the opening of an application or file (sometimes perceptively, oftentimes not, though, depends how fragmented your HDD is). Optimizing puts everything back together and therefore "defragments" the drive, increasing performance and efficiency. While I've never seen or heard of a Mac optimizing automatically upon installing an application or update, perhaps yours is "inserting" the app/update onto your drive in such a way as to prevent the kind of fragmentation I mentioned -- that's my guess anyway. Me, personally, I like to optimize once a week. ~Yersinia. ________ "Everybody should believe something. I believe I'll have more coffee." -- G-List is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- We have Apple Refurbished Monitors in stock! | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> G-List list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/g-list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[email protected]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/g-list%40mail.maclaunch.com/> iPod Accessories for Less at 1-800-iPOD.COM Fast Delivery, Low Price, Good Deal www.1800ipod.com
