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When your Mac’s disk is full, it can cause all sorts of problems. Your Mac may start running slowly, apps may start crashing, and you may even start seeing error messages. One of the most common reasons for a full disk is that your Mac is storing too many old, unused files. Over time, your Mac can accumulate a lot of junk that takes up valuable space on your disk. So, it’s important to periodically clean up your Mac to free up space and keep it running smoothly.
There are a few different ways to free up space on your Mac. You can delete old, unused files manually or use a third-party app like CleanMyMac to automate the process. You can also clean up your Mac’s system files and temporary files, which can help free up a significant amount of space.
If you’re not sure where to start, our guide below will show you how to free up space on your Mac step by step.
What Happens When Disk Space Is Full on Mac?
If the disk space on your Mac is full, it can cause a variety of problems. The first and most obvious problem is that you won’t be able to save any more files to the disk. This can cause problems if you’re in the middle of working on a project and need to save changes.
Another problem that can occur is that your Mac may start to run slowly. This is because the system has to work harder to find space for new files when the disk is full. Additionally, full disks can cause apps to crash or freeze.
If you’re encountering any of these problems, the first thing you should do is try to free up some space on your disk. You can do this by deleting unnecessary files or moving files to an external drive. If you can’t free up enough space, you may need to buy a new hard drive.
What Takes Up Space on My Mac?
There are a few things that can take up space on your Mac, such as photos, videos, music, documents, and applications. Additionally, your system files and cache can take up a lot of space.
To see what is taking up space on your Mac, open the Finder and click on the "All My Files" icon. This will show you a list of all the files on your hard drive. To see more information about a file, such as its size, click on the "i" button next to it.
If you’re not sure what a file is or whether you need it, you can search for it on the internet. Just click on the file and then press the "Command" and "I" keys at the same time. This will open up the "Get Info" window, which will tell you everything you need to know about the file.
How to Free Up Space on Mac using Terminal?
If your Mac is running low on storage space, there are a few ways you can free up some room. One way is to use the Terminal application to delete files that are taking up space on your hard drive.
1. Open the Terminal application. This can be found in the Utilities folder in your Applications folder.
2. Type in the following command and press Enter:
sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/asl/*.asl
This command will delete all of the files in the directory that are taking up space on your Mac.
3. Type in the following command and press Enter:
sudo rm -rf ~/.Trash/*
This command will delete all of the files in your Trash.
4. Type in the following command and press Enter:
sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/install.log
This command will delete the install log, which is a file that is no longer needed after you have installed software on your Mac.
5. Type in the following command and press Enter:
sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/fsck/*.log
This command will delete all of the log files from the fsck directory. These files are no longer needed and can be safely deleted.
6. Type in the following command and press Enter:
sudo rm -rf /Library/Caches/com.apple.safari/Cache.db
This command will delete the Safari cache, which can take up a lot of space on your Mac.
7. Type in the following command and press Enter:
sudo rm -rf /Library/Caches/com.apple.iTunes/iTunes Library Genius.itdb
This command will delete the iTunes Genius file, which is no longer needed after you have upgraded to iTunes 12.
11 Ways to Free Up Space on Ma When Disk Is Full
1. Find and Remove Duplicate Files Mac
One of the best ways to free up space on your Mac is to find and remove duplicate files. When you have duplicate files, they take up valuable space on your hard drive and can slow down your computer.
To find duplicate files on your Mac, you can use a free app like Gemini 2. Once you’ve downloaded and installed Gemini 2, launch the app and click “Scan for Duplicates.” Gemini 2 will scan your entire hard drive for duplicate files and display them in a list.
To remove the duplicate files, select the ones you want to delete and click the “Remove” button. Gemini 2 will move the selected files to the Trash. You can then empty the Trash to permanently delete the files.
If you want to keep a copy of the duplicate files, you can select the “Keep a copy” option before you delete them. This will move the duplicate files to a new location on your hard drive, leaving the originals in place.
Pros:
-Freeing up space on your Mac
-Speeding up your computer
Cons:
-You may accidentally delete files you wanted to keep
2. Delete system junk
System junk refers to any files or data that is no longer needed by your Mac computer. This can include temporary files, log files, cache files, and more. You can delete system junk to free up space on your Mac by using a variety of methods, including manual deletion, third-party software, or the built-in tools included with your Mac.
Manually Deleting System Junk:
The first method you can use to delete system junk is to do it manually. This involves going through your Mac’s file system and deleting any files or data that you no longer need. This can be a time-consuming process, but it is the most thorough way to delete system junk.
To manually delete system junk, you will first need to open the Finder application. Once Finder is open, you can use the search function to locate any files or folders that you want to delete. To do this, simply type in the name of the file or folder you want to delete into the search bar. Once you have located the file or folder, you can delete it by right-clicking on it and selecting the "Delete" option.
Third-Party Software:
If you do not want to delete system junk manually, you can use third-party software to do it for you. There are many different types of software available that can delete system junk, and most of them are very easy to use.
One of the most popular types of software for deleting system junk is CleanMyMac X. This software is designed specifically for Mac computers and can quickly and easily delete all types of system junk.
To use CleanMyMac X, simply download and install the software on your Mac. Once it is installed, launch the program and click on the "Scan" button. CleanMyMac X will then scan your Mac for all types of system junk and provide you with a list of the files it has found. From here, you can choose to delete all of the files or just some of them.
Built-in Tools:
In addition to using third-party software, you can also use the built-in tools included with your Mac to delete system junk. These tools are typically located in the "Utilities" folder, which can be accessed by opening the "Applications" folder.
One of the most popular built-in tools for deleting system junk is the "Activity Monitor" tool. This tool allows you to see all of the processes that are running on your Mac, as well as the amount of memory each process is using. This can be helpful in identifying which processes are taking up the most space so that you can delete them.
To use the Activity Monitor, simply open the "Utilities" folder and launch the program. Once it is open, click on the "Memory" tab and then look for the process that is using the most memory. Once you have found the process, you can select it and click on the "Quit Process" button.
3. Delete Download folder/files
If you’re running low on storage space, one of the first places you can look to free up some space is your Downloads folder. This folder can quickly fill up with unwanted files, and unless you regularly sort through it, it can be easy to forget what’s even in there.
Deleting your Downloads folder on a Mac is simple. First, open a Finder window and click on your user folder. This is the folder with your username and the little house icon.
Inside your user folder, you’ll see a folder called Downloads. Select this folder and press Command + Delete on your keyboard (or right-click and select Move to Trash).
You’ll be asked to confirm that you want to delete the folder. Click Delete and the folder will be moved to your Trash.
To permanently delete the folder and its contents, open the Trash from your Dock and press Command + A on your keyboard to select all of the items. Then press Command + Delete (or right-click and select Empty Trash).
4. Find And Remove Large Media Files
As your Mac starts to fill up with more and more files, you may find yourself running into storage issues. One way to free up some space is to find and remove large media files.
There are a few different ways to find large media files on your Mac. One way is to use the Finder. To do this, open a Finder window and click on "All My Files" in the sidebar. This will show you all of the files on your Mac, sorted by size. You can then browse through and delete any large files that you don’t need.
Another way to find large media files is to use a third-party tool like OmniDiskSweeper. This tool will scan your entire hard drive and show you a list of all the files, sorted by size. This can be a great way to find really large files that you may not have known were even there.
Once you’ve found some large media files that you want to delete, you can do so by simply dragging them to the trash. You can also select the files and press the Command+Delete keys to move them to the trash.
5. Delete iTunes Backups
It’s no secret that iTunes can be a resource hog, and one of the biggest contributors to its bloat is the backups it creates of your iOS devices. If you’re not regularly syncing your devices with iTunes, then those backups can quickly pile up and take up a lot of space on your hard drive. If you want to get rid of those backups and free up some space, here’s how to delete iTunes backups on a Mac.
First, open iTunes and go to the Preferences menu.
Under the Devices tab, you’ll see a list of all the backups that iTunes has created, along with the date and time of the backup and the size of the backup. To delete a backup, simply select it and click the "Delete Backup" button.
You can also manage your backups by going to ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ (you can get to this folder by pressing Command+Shift+G in the Finder and then typing in the path). This folder contains all of the backups that iTunes has created, and you can delete them manually from here if you want.
Keep in mind that if you delete a backup from iTunes, it will also be deleted from this folder. So if you want to keep a backup around, make sure to copy it to another location before deleting it from iTunes.
6. Remove Browser Cache
The cached files can help pages load faster because the browser doesn’t have to download all the content from scratch each time you visit a webpage. However, cached files can also take up a significant amount of space on your device, and over time, this can slow down your browsing speed.
If you want to clear your browser’s cache, there are a few different ways you can do this. Each web browser has its own method for clearing the cache, so you’ll need to consult your browser’s help documentation for specific instructions. In general, though, the process for clearing the cache is similar across all browsers.
Here are a few general tips for clearing your cache:
-Exit out of all open web browser windows before you begin. This will ensure that all cached files are closed and can be deleted.
-Open your web browser and go to the menu icon (usually located in the top-right corner of the window).
-From the menu, select the option to “clear browsing data” or “delete browsing history.”
-In the window that opens, select the type of data you want to remove from your cache. For example, you might select “cookies and other site data” or “cached images and files.”
-You can also choose how far back you want to clear your cache. For example, you might select “the last hour” or “the last day.”
-Finally, click the “Clear data” or “Clear browsing data” button to remove the selected data from your cache.
7. Delete Apps You No Longer Use
We all know that feeling when our MacBook starts to fill up and slow down. It’s time to do some spring cleaning! One of the best ways to speed up your Mac is to delete apps you no longer use. This will free up valuable storage space on your computer.
Here are some tips for deleting apps:
1. First, you will need to find the app you want to delete. You can do this by opening the Finder and searching for the app in the search bar.
2. Once you have found the app, right-click on it and select "Move to Trash."
3. You can also delete apps by opening the Launchpad and dragging the app icon to the trash can.
4. Finally, empty the trash can by right-clicking on it and selecting "Empty Trash."
By following these simple steps, you can quickly and easily delete apps you no longer use, freeing up valuable storage space on your Mac.
8. Empty Trash Automatically
You can change a few settings on your Mac to make it automatically delete old files from the Trash when it starts to get full. This can help free up some space on your hard drive and keep your Mac running smoothly. Here’s how to do it:
1. Open the Finder and click on the "Go" menu at the top of the screen.
2. Select "Utilities" from the drop-down menu.
3. Double-click on the "Terminal" icon.
4. In the Terminal window, type in the following command:
defaults write com.apple.finder EmptyTrashSecurely -bool true
5. Press the "Enter" key on your keyboard.
6. Type in the following command and press "Enter":
killall Finder
Your Mac will now automatically delete old files from the Trash when it starts to get full. Keep in mind that this will not delete files immediately after they’re put in the Trash; it will only delete them when the Trash is starting to get full.
9. Move Photos to External Storage
One of the easiest ways to free up space on your Mac is to move your photos to external storage. This can be done via iCloud Photo Library, which will automatically upload and store your photos in the cloud, or you can manually export your photos to an external hard drive or other storage device.
There are a few things to keep in mind when moving your photos to external storage:
– Make sure you have a backup of your photos before you begin.
– iCloud Photo Library will require an active internet connection to keep your photos synced and backed up.
– If you export your photos manually, you will need to remember to import them back into your photo library if you ever want to access them again.
– Moving your photos to external storage will save space on your Mac, but will not delete the photos from your Mac. You can delete the photos from your Mac manually after you have moved them to external storage.
10. Clean up Temporary Files, System Caches and Logs
As your Mac starts to fill up with files, you may notice that it starts to slow down. This is because your Mac has to search through all of these files every time it needs to access something. To speed up your Mac, you can clean up temporary files, system caches and logs.
Here are some tips on how to clean up temporary files, system caches and logs:
1. Temporary files:
You can find and delete temporary files on your Mac using the Finder. To do this, go to the Finder and press Command+F. In the search bar, type ".tmp" (without the quotation marks). This will bring up all of the temporary files on your Mac. You can then delete these files by selecting them and pressing the delete key.
2. System caches:
System caches are files that your Mac stores in order to speed up access to frequently used files. Over time, these files can start to take up a lot of space on your hard drive. To delete system caches, you can use a utility like Onyx or CleanMyMac.
3. Log files:
Log files are files that contain information about what has been happening on your Mac. They can be useful for troubleshooting purposes, but they can also take up a lot of space. To delete log files, you can use a utility like Onyx or CleanMyMac.
4. Free up space on your Mac:
If you want to free up even more space on your Mac, you can delete unused apps, clear out your Downloads folder, and empty the Trash.
11. Use the "Optimize Storage" Feature
When your Mac starts to run out of space, you can use the "Optimize Storage" feature to free up some room. This feature will automatically remove unnecessary files from your system, such as old downloads and caches. It will also move files that you rarely use to the cloud, where they can be accessed when needed but don’t take up space on your hard drive.
To use "Optimize Storage," open the "About This Mac" window and click the "Storage" tab. Here, you’ll see how much space is available on your hard drive and a list of recommendations for freeing up space. To implement these recommendations, click the "Optimize" button.
In Conclusion:
A hard drive is a physical storage device that holds all of the data for a Mac. If the drive is full, it can negatively affect the performance of the Mac. The computer will take longer to start up, apps will take longer to launch, and files will take longer to open. Additionally, the full hard drive can cause the computer to overheat and potentially damage the internal components.
If you are experiencing any of these issues, it is important to free up some space on your hard drive. One way to do this is to delete any unnecessary files, such as old documents, photos, or apps that you no longer use. You can also move files to an external hard drive or cloud storage. If you have a lot of large files, such as video files, you can compress them to save space.
It is also important to regularly clean up your hard drive to keep it running smoothly. This can be done with a built-in tool, such as Disk Utility on Mac, or with a third-party app.
