Help needed! Recovering disk space on a Macbook..

I run a number of Mac books, my oldest is a Macbook 12, which I love, it hasn't updated for years (pretty sure it's running BigSur but it's downstairs so....). The only problem I have with it is the battery, sometimes it thinks the battery has run out way sooner than normal and hibernates, and when you plug it in it spring to life and says the battery is 100% and will happily run on battery for  hours...

If you are using icloud.... as I said earlier, I've had a number of problems with icloud and the way it reserves space and fills the hard drive as system reserved data space so you can't delete it. There are loads of posts on this in apple support. The only fix that has ever worked for me was a rebuild and restore.  oh and this happened with brand new macs too.

One easy thing to check is whether you have multiple Lightroom catalog BACKUPS. They're created by default, and don't self-cleanup, and it's possible you have multiple old (and useless) copies. One or two backups are probably all you need in addition to the current catalog. They're kept by default where your main catalog file is stored, but I think that can be changed.

Kevin Connery said

One easy thing to check is whether you have multiple Lightroom catalog BACKUPS. They're created by default, and don't self-cleanup, and it's possible you have multiple old (and useless) copies. One or two backups are probably all you need in addition to the current catalog. They're kept by default where your main catalog file is stored, but I think that can be changed.

Yes, every time I make a new back-up, I delete the oldest back-up. I only keep two back-ups in my LR back-ups folder though.. I'm pretty good at keeping on top of that :) 

I use a program called Grand Perspective (two of three pounds from App Store, or free via their website). It shows in quite a clear way how much space all your files and folders are using. Easy then to spot large files/apps etc, or folders full of smaller files but together adding up to a lot.

It also shows Miscellaneous used space. I believe this is various cache files etc. 

Finally, you can get it to show other space the system is using. There are various snapshot files (don't ask me what they are) and other things. There are meant to be deleted as necessary by the system, so should wax and wane with time (but shouldn't overfill your disk).

If you delete the files you can see that you don't want, clean caches (which I imagine some of the above recommendations will do, but I do a different way) and that gets you down well below your disk size you should be good. If MacOS is reporting more than that, then over a short period of time that should sort itself out.

If your 'real files' are nearly filling your disk, then carry on deleting, or get a bigger hard drive. (It used to be easy to upgrade the hard drive on a Mac, but not now. Don't know if yours could be)

♥ Chiara Elisabetta I would want backups going back at least 6 months personally, spread around a few places. Viruses, ransomware, etc.

Huw said

♥ Chiara Elisabetta I would want backups going back at least 6 months personally, spread around a few places. Viruses, ransomware, etc.

I'd think that would fall under the broader system backup umbrella. I just deleted weekly Lightroom backups dating to last November. At 1-3 GB each, they added up to over 60 GB; not critical, but not trivial, either. I don't stay on top of them as well as I should, especially given they are backed up as part of the daily system archival backups [+ Time Machine]. One actually can have too many backups. It's tough, but not impossible. :) 

Sod it, I bought a new one ! 

Just got back from a modelling tour so excited to finally set it up tonight.. can't wait any longer to start my already delayed backlog of retouch work! Thanks so much for all the comments though.. so much useful insight and handy tips & tricks which I'll bank for later. I may still go back and try sort my old Macbook out a bit but now the pressure's off I feel much better.

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♥ Chiara Elisabetta said

Sod it, I bought a new one ! 

I love this attitude. Good on ya. Life is too short not to.

Danny. said

♥ Chiara Elisabetta said

Sod it, I bought a new one ! 

I love this attitude. Good on ya. Life is too short not to.

The irony is I hardly ever buy new stuff.. I'm a wear / use it til it dies kinda girl.. but I suppose it did die.. at least I exhausted it, hahaaa! And it's a refurbished machine from Music Magpie so not NEW new.. woohoo! Can't wait to have a play! Thanks Danny.. happy new week x