Macs are cool because they are fast, look good and are of high quality. However, Macs don't like full hard drives. This guide will help you free up space on your Mac.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Routine Maintenance
Step 1. Delete apps that you don't use
Drag and drop unused apps into the Trash. Do a manual search and delete the preferences and support files associated with the app or try using a tool like CleanGenius or AppZapper to remove the app.
To make sure that you remove bundled apps or their add-ons, read our article on how to delete files on a Mac. You need to search Finder and File Name with your search criteria
Step 2. Empty Trash
It may sound obvious, but emptying the Trash will help your computer run more smoothly. Do not use Trash as a temporary file storage place. Place files in the Trash only if you are sure you want to delete them.
Step 3. Use a program like XSlimmer to clean up the code left behind by various applications
A maintenance program like XSlimmer checks which code your computer needs for a program and removes other programs. This will reduce the space used on your disk and make your computer run faster.
Step 4. Compact and archive your old files
Assuming that your files haven't been compressed, compressing will drastically reduce their size, thereby making extra space on your hard drive. To find out how to compress files on a Mac, look for the article.
Once compressed, move the file to an external hard drive or CD for storage. Storing files that you don't use regularly on your computer will make it slow
Step 5. Clean system logs and temporary files periodically
Your system should automatically run UNIX maintenance scripts, but some earlier versions of Mac OSX only run these scripts between 3 and 5 in the morning, during which time most computers are in sleep or shutdown mode, skipping your system from routine maintenance.
- Download a free application like OnyX to perform scheduled maintenance and clean system logs and temporary files.
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If you want to clean system logs and temporary files manually,
- Access the terminal by opening Applications → Utilities → Terminal
- In Terminal, type "sudo periodic daily weekly monthly" and press Enter
- Type your Mac admin password
- Wait for your system to run maintenance, where once done you will return to Terminal
Step 6. Delete the old iOS data backup and no longer the current one
Your iPod, iPhone or iPad will automatically back up certain files when you plug them into your computer. Removing old and outdated data backups will help free up space on your computer.
To access the data backup, go to Home → Library → Application Support → MobileSync → Backup folder. Find newer and older data backups. Delete older data backups.
Step 7. Periodically check your ~/Movies/, ~/Music/, and ~/Downloads/ folders
Drag unneeded files to the Trash. Apps generally store files here and this can take up space, so be careful what goes into this space
Step 8. Delete old or unused DMG, iPhone software bundle (IPSW) and similar files
These files are often unimportant and take up valuable space on your device. Delete the file if you no longer need it.
- Deleting DMG: DMG files are disk images. Once you've mounted the disk image and installed the app, you're free to eject and move your DMG to the Trash. To eject it, simply drag the mounted volume into the Trash.
- Removing IPSW: Open Library → iTunes → iPhone Software Updates and find unused bundles.
Method 2 of 2: One Time Maintenance
Step 1. Delete iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand if you're not using them
This file uses around 3GB of total space and many people don't use it. iPhoto has its own Trash, so be sure to find and remove unwanted files in addition to uninstalling the program.
Step 2. Purchase an external storage device
This can be an external hard disk or a pen drive, although larger files will usually require an external drive. Remember to always format the pen drive in MS-DOS format so Mac and Windows can see its contents.
Step 3. Reboot before backing up your data
Some data backup programs will save very large files from virtual memory. This is possibly dangerous. Avoid programs that back up disk data in a sector-by-sector mode.
Step 4. Create a Dropbox account for the files you will need wherever you are
Dropbox is a cloud-based file storage utility, which allows you to access your files from any device anywhere as long as there is an internet connection. Dropbox will save space on your hard drive by not forcing you to download multiple copies of files across different platforms.
Clear your Dropbox cache regularly. The Dropbox cache is hidden and stores deleted files. Instead of downloading information to Dropbox's servers, it caches deleted files, so you can retrieve them if you change your mind. Delete files that no longer need to be saved
Step 5. Use a program like DiskInventoryX to visualize what programs are on your hard drive
It maps your disk and shows you file and folder sizes using graphical visualizations called "treemaps". Find out what files are taking up space on your computer relative to how much you use them. Delete, compact or archive any files that you don't use regularly.
Step 6. Run CCleaner
CCleaner cleans up disk space of around 200MB per use by removing junk files and entering invalid Registry.
Step 7. Disable Time Machine local data backup storage
Backing up data locally has its obvious advantages, but if you're trying to convert space on your hard drive, it can be both expensive in terms of space, but not essential either. Disabling backups locally can provide from 100GB to one terabyte of free space. After running it, wait about 20-30 minutes (just to be safe) and you should see a difference. To disable Time Machine local backup storage:
- Terminal access by pointing to Applications → Utilities → Terminal
- Type "sudo tmutil disablelocal" and press Enter
- When prompted for a password, just enter your admin password
Step 8. If you really want it, buy your iMac with a 64GB SSD boot drive and a 2TB HDD Drive for your apps and files
Use symlinks (aka) for all folders inside ~/.
Tips
- Not using a certain program? Just delete it.
- Any program that has a status bar icon uses RAM.
- MacPort has LaunchDaemons.
- If you can't delete a file/folder, close any applications that might be using the file and try again.
Warning
- Back up your data before starting.
- As always, be careful. Don't let anything melt or get messed up.
