Purgeable on Mac refers to the storage space occupied by files and data that macOS deems unnecessary and can be cleared to free up space. This feature was introduced with macOS Sierra in 2016 and aims to optimize storage by automatically managing files on the system.
Here are the steps to understand what is considered purgeable on a Mac:
1. Apple File System (APFS): Starting with macOS High Sierra, Macs use the APFS file system, which includes an efficient storage management feature. One of its functionalities is making files "purgeable."
2. Definition of Purgeable: The term "purgeable" applies to different types of data on your Mac. These include local snapshots created by Time Machine, files stored in iCloud Drive, Optimize Storage options enabled for iTunes and Photos, and other types of temporary and cached files.
3. How to check Purgeable Space: To determine the amount of purgeable space on your Mac, follow these steps:
a. Go to the Apple menu and click on the "About This Mac" option.
b. In the Overview tab, click on "Storage."
c. The storage management window will open, displaying a visualization of available storage categories. Here, you can see how much is marked as "purgeable."
4. Practical Use of Purgeable Space: The primary purpose of purgeable space is to optimize storage on your Mac. When you’re running low on storage, macOS automatically removes files marked as purgeable to create more space for important data, such as documents and applications.
5. Manual Control: macOS also allows users to manually control what can and cannot be marked as purgeable. For instance, optimizing storage for Photos and iTunes enables automatic deletion of local files if they are available in the cloud. However, you can disable these options if you prefer to keep certain files locally.
6. Balancing Storage: It’s important to note that purgeable space is designed to improve storage efficiency, but it doesn’t completely remove the ability to access those files. If your Mac requires more storage for other purposes, it will automatically remove purgeable files as necessary, ensuring a smooth user experience.
Overall, purgeable space on Mac refers to the storage category that macOS considers removable without directly affecting user experience. It is a useful feature for optimizing storage and managing available space efficiently on your Mac.
Video Tutorial:How do I fix disk full problem on Mac?
How do I remove purgeable data from my Mac Reddit?
To remove purgeable data from your Mac and free up storage space, follow these steps:
1. Open the Apple menu by clicking on the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select "About This Mac" from the dropdown menu. A new window will open.
3. In the window that opens, click on the "Storage" tab. You will see a visual representation of your storage usage.
4. Click on the "Manage…" button next to the storage graph. This will open the Storage Management utility.
5. In the Storage Management window, you’ll see different categories of files taking up space on your Mac. Look for the "Purgeable" section.
6. Click on the "Purgeable" section to expand it and see what types of files are classified as purgeable. These typically include caches, temporary files, and items stored in iCloud.
7. Choose the specific type of purgeable files that you want to remove. For example, you can select "Caches" to get rid of temporary files stored by your applications.
8. Once you’ve selected the files you want to delete, click on the "Delete" or "Remove" button.
9. A confirmation prompt will appear. Click on "Delete" or "Remove" to permanently delete the selected items.
10. Repeat these steps for other categories of purgeable files you want to remove.
By following these steps, you can effectively remove purgeable data and reclaim storage space on your Mac. It is always a good practice to regularly clean up your Mac to optimize performance and keep storage usage in check.
What should I not delete from Mac?
When it comes to your Mac, there are certain files and applications that you should avoid deleting to ensure the smooth functioning of your system. Here are a few things you should not delete from your Mac:
1. System Files: Deleting or modifying system files can cause serious software issues and may even result in your Mac becoming unbootable. It is recommended to leave system files untouched unless you have a thorough understanding of what you are doing. macOS relies on these files for proper operation, so tampering with them can have adverse effects.
2. Pre-installed Applications: Macs come with a set of pre-installed applications that are essential for various functionalities. Applications like Safari (web browser), Mail (email client), and Finder (file manager) should not be deleted as they are integral to the core functions of your Mac. Removing these programs may lead to a loss of essential features and compromised system performance.
3. Key System Preferences: Certain system preferences, such as Network, Firewall, Time Machine, and Accessibility, should be left intact. These settings control crucial aspects of your Mac’s operations and deleting them can disrupt network connections, system backups, or access to certain features.
4. Support Files for Third-Party Apps: While you may choose to remove certain third-party applications, it is important to be cautious about deleting associated support files. These files often contain app preferences, cache data, or licensing information. Failing to remove them alongside the application can result in leftover files cluttering your system and potentially causing conflicts.
5. Important Data: It goes without saying that you should not delete any personal or important files unless you are absolutely sure they are no longer needed. Always make sure to double-check before permanently deleting any documents, photos, or other valuable data from your Mac.
In general, it’s essential to exercise caution when deleting files or applications from your Mac. If you are unsure about the importance of a particular file, it’s advisable to research or seek guidance from official support channels before taking any action.
Why does my Mac say not enough disk space but there is?
If your Mac is displaying a "not enough disk space" error message but you believe there is sufficient space available, there could be a few reasons behind this issue. Here are some possible explanations and steps you can take to troubleshoot the problem:
1. Check Available Storage: Verify the available disk space on your Mac by clicking on the Apple menu, selecting "About This Mac," and then clicking on the "Storage" tab. This will show you a breakdown of how much space is being utilized by different categories like applications, documents, photos, etc.
2. Restart Your Mac: Sometimes, temporary glitches or caching issues can cause incorrect disk space readings. Try restarting your Mac to see if the error resolves itself. This can help clear any temporary storage inconsistencies in the system.
3. Check for Hidden Files: Your Mac’s operating system and certain applications generate temporary files, caches, and logs that can consume significant disk space. To view and delete hidden files, navigate to your home folder, press Command+Shift+Period to show hidden files, and review the contents of folders like Library/Caches, Library/Logs, and Library/Application Support. Be cautious while deleting files, as removing important system files can cause issues.
4. Clear Disk Space: If you find that a particular category, such as applications or documents, is consuming a large amount of disk space, consider removing unnecessary files or transferring them to an external storage device. You can use the Finder to locate and delete unnecessary files or utilize built-in macOS tools such as Optimized Storage or Storage Management to identify and remove clutter.
5. Check for Other Volumes: If you have multiple disk volumes or additional external drives connected to your Mac, double-check if the error message is referring to a specific volume or external storage. Sometimes, the error may indicate low space on a specific disk that you may overlook.
6. Verify Virtual Memory Settings: Virtual memory, also known as swap space, is a portion of your disk used for supplementing physical RAM. Incorrect virtual memory settings can potentially trigger disk space-related errors. To verify your virtual memory settings, go to the Apple menu, select "System Preferences," choose "Memory," and then click on the "Memory" tab. Ensure that the "Automatically manage paging files" option is enabled.
7. Run Disk Utility: Mac’s built-in Disk Utility tool allows you to check and repair disk errors. Open the "Applications" folder, go to the "Utilities" folder, and launch "Disk Utility." Select your startup disk and click on "First Aid" to run the disk repair process. This can help identify and resolve any potential disk-related issues causing incorrect space readings.
By following these steps and troubleshooting methods, you should be able to determine the cause behind the "not enough disk space" error message on your Mac and resolve the issue accordingly.
How do I make more space on my Mac?
As a tech blogger, I can provide you with steps to make more space on your Mac:
1. Delete unnecessary files: Start by getting rid of files you no longer need. Go through your Downloads folder, Documents, and Desktop to identify files you can delete. Remember to empty the trash afterward to permanently remove them.
2. Manage storage in iCloud: Mac offers iCloud integration, allowing you to store files, photos, and documents in the cloud. Consider enabling iCloud Drive and optimizing storage to offload files that are rarely used from your local storage and retrieve them on-demand.
3. Uninstall unused applications: Review the applications installed on your Mac and uninstall any that you no longer use. This can free up a substantial amount of space, particularly if you have large applications or games installed.
4. Use storage management tools: On Mac, you can utilize the built-in Storage Management tool to identify and manage space-hogging files and folders easily. Access it by going to "Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage."
5. Clear temporary files and caches: Temporary files and caches can accumulate over time and occupy a significant amount of storage. You can use cleaning tools like CleanMyMac or manually clear caches from specific apps like Safari and Chrome to regain space.
6. Move large files or media to external storage: If you have large files, such as videos or extensive media libraries, consider moving them to an external storage device like an external hard drive or a network-attached storage (NAS) device. This helps in freeing up space on your Mac’s internal storage.
7. Optimize storage settings: macOS offers storage optimization settings that automatically remove TV shows and movies you’ve watched from your Mac to make room for new content. You can enable this option by going to "Preferences > Apple TV > Downloaded."
8. Reduce email attachments and downloads: Clear out your email attachments and downloads folder regularly. These folders can accumulate files, photos, and documents that you may no longer need, freeing up space on your Mac.
9. Utilize cloud storage or file-sharing services: Instead of storing all your files locally, consider using cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. These services allow you to store files online, freeing up local space while ensuring easy access to your data whenever needed.
10. Check for large backups: Regularly review your Time Machine backups to ensure they are not taking up excessive space. You can manage and delete old backups if needed.
Following these steps should help you free up valuable space on your Mac and optimize its performance. Remember to be cautious when deleting files and always have backups of important data before making any significant changes.
How do I clean up my Mac hard drive Disk Utility?
To clean up the Mac hard drive using Disk Utility, follow these steps:
1. Close all open applications and save any important files you may have open.
2. Launch Disk Utility by searching for it in Spotlight or navigating to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility.
3. In the Disk Utility window, you’ll see a list of connected drives on the left-hand side. Select the Mac hard drive you want to clean up.
4. Click on the "First Aid" button located in the top toolbar. This will initiate the verification and repair process for any disk errors.
5. Once the verification and repair process is complete, click on the "Cleanup" or "Erase" button (this may vary slightly depending on your version of Disk Utility).
6. In the pop-up window, you’ll have different options to choose from. Here are a few common options:
– Erase Free Space: This will overwrite the free space on the disk, ensuring that previously deleted files are no longer recoverable.
– Erase: If you want to completely erase the entire disk, you can choose this option. However, be aware that all data will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.
– Partition: If you want to divide the disk into multiple partitions, you can choose this option and follow the on-screen instructions.
7. Select the appropriate option for your needs and click on the "Cleanup" or "Erase" button to proceed.
8. Disk Utility will begin the cleanup or erasing process, which may take some time depending on the size of the disk and the chosen option.
9. Once the process is complete, you can close Disk Utility and your Mac’s hard drive should be cleaned up according to the selected action.
Remember to back up any important data before performing disk cleanup or erasing operations to avoid accidental data loss.
How do I free up purgeable space on my Mac?
To free up purgeable space on your Mac, you can follow these steps:
1. Empty Trash: First, make sure to empty your Trash as it may contain large files that are still taking up space on your disk.
2. Optimize Storage: Utilize the Optimize Storage feature available in macOS to automatically move infrequently used files to iCloud. To enable it, go to the Apple menu, click on About This Mac, go to Storage, and click on the Manage button. From there, select the Optimize Storage option and follow the prompts.
3. Offload Unused Apps: macOS offers an Offload Unused Apps feature to remove apps that you rarely use but keep their documents and data intact. To use this feature, go to the Apple menu and click on About This Mac, then select Storage, click on the Manage button, and choose the option to Offload Unused Apps.
4. Delete Large and Unnecessary Files: Identify and delete large files that are no longer needed. You can use the Finder’s search feature and sort the results by size to locate such files easily. Look for videos, downloads, or old documents that you no longer require.
5. Delete Language Files: Some applications contain language files for various languages that you may not need. You can use third-party applications like Monolingual to remove unnecessary language files and free up space.
6. Disable Time Machine Local Snapshots: If you use Time Machine for backups, your Mac might have local snapshots taking up space. Open the Terminal application and enter the following command to turn off local snapshots: sudo tmutil disablelocal.
7. Move Files to an External Drive: If you have large files that you don’t regularly access, consider moving them to an external storage device. This will help free up space on your Mac’s internal drive.
8. Clear Safari Caches and Downloads: If you use Safari as your web browser, clear the caches and remove downloaded files that are no longer necessary. Go to Safari Preferences, click on the Advanced tab, and enable the Show Develop menu in the menu bar. Then go to Develop and select Empty Caches. Additionally, go to Safari Preferences, click on the General tab, and choose Remove All Website Data under Website Data.
By following these steps, you should be able to free up purgeable space on your Mac and optimize its storage capacity.