Free Disk Space Mac

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/PowerMyMac /How Do I Free Up Disk Space on My Mac?

How do I free up disk space on my Mac? How to write on a pdf mac free. This is the question present on your mind for some time. Although you can free up space by removing files and elements that you have downloaded, it will not get you far. Remember that majority of the space on your Mac can be freed up by clearing temporary files, language files, attachments, duplicate files, or emptying the content of the Trash cans.

At present, the Mac still has a limited hard drive that can be filled up easily. In case you fail to efficiently clean your hard drive, you will sooner or later receive the 'Your disk is almost full' error. If you want to avoid this ordeal, you should start to clean up your hard drive now. And there are a variety of ways on how to free up disk space on Mac, just keep on reading to learn more.

Nov 20, 2020 To free up disk space, it's helpful to know exactly what is using disk space on your Mac. A hard disk analysis tool like Disk Inventory X will scan your Mac's hard disk and display which folders and files are using up the most space. You can then delete these space hogs to free up space. How to use disk utility mac. How to free up storage space on your Mac Save space by storing your content in iCloud or using built-in tools to find and remove large or unneeded files. Optimized Storage helps you save storage space space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand.

Free Disk Space Macbook Air

Article GuideHow Do I Free Up Disk Space? (with PowerMyMac)How Do I Delete Files on My Mac When the Disk is Full?Let's Wrap It Up

People Also Read:How to Make Room on Mac EffectivelyHow to Clear Disk Space on Mac

How Do I Free Up Disk Space? (with PowerMyMac)

iMyMac PowerMyMac has a variety of tools that you can use to free up disk space on your Mac. The software is dependable and highly-efficient. It also boasts an array of tools to help clean unwanted files as well as optimize your Mac. Let us take a close look at some of the tools that you can use to free up disk space on your device.

Cleaner Module

  • Master Scan. This tool is used to clean up the system junks on your Mac such as the System Cache, System Logs, Application Cache, User Logs, Localization and more to optimize overall performance while also cleaning up unwanted files to free up disk space. It reduces the size of your photo library on your Mac by cleaning up the photo cache. If you want to delete local copies of your email attachments and downloads that were saved in the disk space, this is a must-have tool. It also provides you with access to empty all available trash bins on your Mac to free up disk space.
  • Large & Old Files. With this tool, it helps you find files that occupy a certain disk space or any outdated files that eat up precious disk space. These are removed to provide you with more space on your device.
  • Uninstaller. This tool is used to easily remove entire applications on your device especially those that you seldom use.

Toolkit Module

  • Shredder. This function allows you to erase files forever so that you can protect your personal privacy.
  • Similar Image Finder. This tool functions as a photo manager that helps find and clean similar photos on your device.

How Do I Free Up Disk Space on My Mac with PowerMyMac?

Let's take Master Scan as an example, follow the simple steps below to clean up your Mac for freeing space with PowerMyMac:

  1. Free download PowerMyMac, install and launch it on your Mac.
  2. Select Master Scan module.
  3. Begin to scan your Mac to look for junk files.
  4. View and choose the files you want to delete.
  5. Press the Clean button to remove your unwanted files.

How Do I Delete Files on My Mac When the Disk is Full?

Since you have been asking – how do I free up disk space on my Mac? Let us now take a close look at some of these methods to clear up space on your device. If you don't want to do these manually, all of them can be done easily by iMyMac PowerMyMac.

1. Remove Duplicate or Similar Files

Duplicate or similar files are notorious for eating up most of your hard drive space. One of the initial tasks that you should focus on is to remove these files, especially if you have been using your computer for a long time.

2. Empty the Trash Cans

The Trash on your device is the equivalent to the Recycle Bin on Windows. Instead of deleting files permanently from within the Finder, they are moved to the Trash so you have the option to restore them later in case you change your mind. If you want to completely remove these files to free up space, you must empty your Trash. Since Macs have several trash cans, you must empty several.

How do I free up disk space on my Mac by emptying the main Trash? Simply CTRL+click or right-click on the Trash icon that you can find at the right bottom corner of the dock and select Empty Trash. This action will delete all the files you sent to the Trash from the Finder. Remember that iMovie, iPhoto, and Mail have separate trash cans. In case you have deleted media files from these applications, you must empty their trash cans.

3. Uninstall Unused Applications

How do I free up disk space on my Mac by removing unused apps? Generally, all applications that you installed on your Mac can take up space. It is recommended to uninstall those that you no longer need:

  1. Simply open a Finder window and choose Applications in the sidebar.
  2. Once you find the icon of the application, drag-and-drop to the Trash on your dock.

Remember that some of these applications might be eating up a lot of space. To distinguish which applications are taking up most space:

  1. Open a Finder window and choose Applications.
  2. Tap on 'Show items in a list' knob on the toolbar.
  3. Tap on the Size heading to categorize the installed applications based on size.

4. Remove Any Downloads

Some have downloaded files from messengers, web browsers and mail. If you download files from the Internet, you can find them in the Downloads folder.

Generally, it is found in this location:

  • /Macintosh HD/Users/Current User/Downloads

Based on statistics, an average Mac user can end up with 0.5 GB weekly in the Downloads folder. In most cases, all files in the Downloads folder are left in disarray and eat up precious disk space. It is recommended to sort out the files based on size, date or kind to sift out the unnecessary ones from those that you still need.

5. Clearing the Cache

The cache file is a temporary data file created by browsers, applications, and other programs to allow your Mac to function faster. When cache files are removed, they are recreated once an application is used again. Nevertheless, you might not be using some applications and their leftovers are still in the Cache folder which occupies a lot of disk space. This is the reason why it is recommended to regularly clear the cache.

The cache files are typically stored in the Library folders that you can find in the following locations:

  • /Library/Caches
  • ~/Library/Caches

In the /Library/Caches, you will find temporary files produced by the system. Generally, these files will not take up too much space. Nevertheless, in the ~/Library/Caches folder, it stores many junk files that are produced when running applications. As a result, this folder increases in size over time.

How do I free up disk space on my Mac by clearing the caches? Generally, the Library folder is hidden on macOS as Apple. You can access it with these steps.

  1. Open the Finder window
  2. On the Menu, tap on Go > Go to Folder
  3. In the dialog box, key in ~/Library/Cache and tap on Go

6. Remove Language Files

The applications in Mac include language files for every language being supported. You have the option to switch the system language of your Mac and start using the apps in that specified language right away. Nevertheless, most are likely to use one language, thus the language files only take up space.

7. Remove Old iPhone Backups

For those who often sync their iPhone with iTunes, the application produces several backup copies on your device. Over time, these files can eat up precious disk space since they usually include music, movies and other large files. You can find these old backup copies by opening iTunes > Go to the Menu Bar > iTunes > Preferences.

You will see a list of all the backups that iTunes managed to produce while working with your device. Once you made up your mind that they are no longer need, you can safely remove them but make sure they are in iCloud.

An alternative approach in finding and removing iOS backups is to go to:

  • ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup

8. Cleaning up Large Mail Attachments

If you are using the Mail application in macOS with the same email account for a long time, there is a high chance that large email attachments are taking up a large chunk of space on your drive.

The initial step is to change the Mail settings to not download any attachments automatically to help save space or perform a cleanup task to eliminate them. For those who are using Gmail, you can designate limits on the number of messages synced over IMAP by default to only display the last few thousands instead of everything.

  1. Go to Mail > Preferences > Accounts > Account Information.
  2. Change the drop-down for 'Download attachments' to either 'Non' or 'Recent'.

Altering this setting will allow the Mail app to not use up any more space but this will not deal with the issue of attachments from emails that were already been downloaded.

How do I free up disk space on my Mac by removing these attachments? Just do it manually with the following steps.

  1. Open Mail and tap on the folder that you want to find and remove any attachments.
  2. Utilize the Sort by Size option to find large-sized messages
  3. Tap on the Message and select Message > Remove attachments from the menu bar. Remember that this will not remove the attachment from the mail server if you are using IMAP.
  4. Repeat these steps on all messages that you want to delete attachments from.

9. Clean up Photos

Obviously, if you have a lot of photos on your device, they eat up most of your disk space. Essentially, you can choose those that you can remove such as duplicates or copies are photos mistakenly taken.

Once you have deleted the unwanted photos, the next step is to eliminate the files that your system created. In Photos, it is the cache files while for iPhoto, it is the service copies. Understandably, both are difficult to find but there are ways to do so.

The Photos cache includes the iCloud local copies, Faces cache and other elements related to your apps. How do I free up disk space on my Mac by deleting photos? For macOS versions earlier than Sierra, simply follow these steps:

How To Free Up Storage On Mac

  1. Open Finder and proceed to your Photos library
  2. CTRL+click your Photos library and choose the 'Show Package Contents' option
  3. Access 'resources' and proceed to 'model resource'

At this point, you will see several folders in the Finder window. The Photos cache rests in these folders, but it can be tricky which ones are safe to remove and what is not. Remember that removing the wrong file can disrupt the overall performance of Photos.

For those who are still using iPhoto, you must find the service copies it produces every time an image is altered. If you are going to work on this task, simply repeat steps 1 and 2 above. Go through the Master, Modified, Original and Preview folders to decide on which photos have original copies that were altered.

Let's Wrap It Up

With the help of these methods obove, you have answers on 'how do I free up disk space on my Mac' now, and you will gain free space for other important uses. Regular cleanup of any unwanted files or elements will free up space on your Mac as well as fix the 'Startup Disk is Full' error.

Although you can clean up your device manually, it generally takes time. With the help of the highly-efficient tools byiMyMac PowerMyMac, you can save time while ensuring that your Mac functions optimally. Feel free to have its free trial below!

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If you're looking for solutions on how to fix ‘startup disk full' error on your Mac or simply want to clean or optimize your storage space, you've come to the right place. Although the newest models of Apple computers are now equipped with relatively large hard drives, some users still find themselves dealing with the startup disk full error. It is because pre-installed programs can already take a significant portion of disk space and over time, different kinds of files will gradually fill the remaining space. Sooner or later, the user might receive this message:

Your disk is almost full. Save space by optimizing storage.

Free Disk Space Mac

Sure, you can simply ignore it — just click Close and go on with your merry life. However, ignoring it over and over again will not solve the problem. You will eventually get another form of a pop-up that reads:

Your startup disk is almost full. To make more space available on your startup disk, delete some files.

Aside from this window popping up in the most inopportune moment, such as when you're backing up your iPhone or saving a document that you have been working on for hours already, the issue can easily escalate. Eventually, you will notice your Mac starting to run slow, which defeats the purpose of owning a fast and reliable Mac in the first place.

For those who don't know, it's important to note that you should have at least 15% of free startup disk space for a Mac computer to run properly. So, if you keep on ignoring the friendly reminder to optimize your storage, your Mac will not thank you for it.

What is the Startup Disk?

By default, the startup disk is what's known as the Macintosh HD. It is the partition in Mac's hard disk where the Mac OS itself is installed. It is also where most of your files and apps are probably stored. Essentially, the startup disk is where the Mac OS will boot from, so it needs enough space in order to do its job. Once it begins to get filled, it will try to warn you before you experience the eventual slow-down.

The First Step: Knowing What's Eating Up Your Startup Disk Space

Basically, fixing the startup disk full error requires freeing up disk space. But before you can do that, you first need to know what's filling up space, so you'd know what you need to get rid of. Thankfully, this can be easily done.

  • First, open the Apple menu.
  • Next, go to About This Mac.
  • Then, choose the Storage If you have an older version of OS X, you may need to click on More Info before you can access the Storage tab.

In this tab, you will see how much of the disk is occupied by certain types of files, which are:

  • iOS Files
  • Apps
  • Documents
  • Photos
  • Movies
  • Audios
  • Backups
  • Other

Once you know which ones take up most of the space in your disk, you will know where to start the purge.

How to Free Up Storage Space on a Mac

There are several ways on how to free up space on Mac and ultimately solve the startup disk full error. Luckily for you, almost all of these can be done easily.

  1. Empty the trash.

This may sound elementary, but many of us forget about 'taking out the trash' from our computers. When we delete files, they will go to the Trash, which serves as a holding area that you can go to in case you realize you need to recover what you deleted. However, the files in the Trash still occupy space, so you basically just moved the files to another folder. It is recommended to empty the Trash at least once a week. To do this:

Free Disk Space Mac

  • Right-click on the Trash in the dock panel.
  • Select Empty Trash.

You can also open the Trash and click the Empty button found at the top right corner.

  1. Clear cache.

A cache file is a temporary data file created by browsers, apps, and other programs. Even if you remove or stop using an application, the cache files remain in the Cache folder and when not checked, may take up a lot of space — we're talking about tens of gigabytes here. So, it's recommended that you clear the cache every once in a while. The Cache folders are inside the Library. You need to look for two types of these folders:

  • /Library/Caches – This is where temporary files are stored. These files don't usually take up too much space.
  • ~/Library/Caches – This is where junk files created when you run apps go.
  1. Delete logs.

While in the Library folder, you may also want to check the Log files, another type of temporary files. They can be found in the Logs folder. But before you delete any of them, make sure that you no longer need them.

  1. Remove language resources.

You are probably unaware that your Mac has 26 pre-installed dictionaries, which can be considered the most underrated space eaters. If you don't need German, Russian, or Dutch translations, for instance, you'd want to consider deleting them along with other localisations. These can be found in the following directory:

Macintosh HD -> Users -> Your User -> Library -> Dictionaries

  1. Delete old iOS backups.

If it has become your habit to sync your other Apple devices with iTunes, it is possible that there are dozens of backups and they tend to take up a lot of space. To delete old backups, go to:

Library -> Application Support -> MobileSync -> Backup folder

Select old, outdated backups, then simply move them to the Trash.

  1. Delete unnecessary documents, photos, and other files.

You need to take a look at your Downloads, Documents, Pictures, Music, and Movies folders and decide which files you no longer need. Next, organize the files that will be left behind. How to restore mac mini from time machine backup. You might also want to consider moving them to an external disk or taking advantage of the iCloud storage.

  1. Uninstall unused applications.

Applications are among the primary space takers, so it's just logical to remove any that you haven't used in a while and have no plans of using again. You need to remove them properly, though. Dragging and dropping them in the Trash won't be enough. You also need to remove the cache and service files, which are found in the Library folder.

  1. Take out the trash again.

Once you have deleted the files and folders mentioned above, they will naturally end up in the Trash, so you will need to empty it again.

  1. Use an automated Mac cleaner.

Probably one of the easiest and fastest ways to clean up your Mac to free up space is to utilize an automated cleaner such as Outbyte MacRepair. Automated mac cleaners are designed to clean up your disk from time to time, checking for unnecessary and outdated junk, caches, files, programs, backups, language packs, and logs, among others. They even take care of emptying the Trash for you. These programs also recommend ways to better optimize your Mac. Tools such as Outbyte MacRepair offer a long-term solution to issues known to Mac, helping you maximize its potential as a computing beast.

If you're running into errors and your system is suspiciously slow, your computer needs some maintenance work. Download Outbyte PC Repair for Windows, Outbyte Antivirus for Windows, or Outbyte MacRepair for macOS to resolve common computer performance issues. Fix computer troubles by downloading the compatible tool for your device.
See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy Policy.




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