Storage

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Level 1

8 points

Storage

Hello,

My MacBook Air has problems downloading & installing MacOS updates due to not enough storage space available. I have done all I can & removed programs (leaving only what I use) and have minimal non-Apple software left on my MacBook Air. However I have noted that system uses a lot of GBytes. Is this normal? How can I free up more space so I don't have future problems updating my Mac OS.

I have included screenshots & hope that helps with solving my prob.

Cheers

MacBook Air 11", macOS 10.13

Posted on Apr 4, 2020 2:35 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,596 points

Apr 4, 2020 3:23 PM in response to onyakaz

From your third screenshot I can see that your System is taking up a lot of space.

Now the thing about Storage in About This Mac is that it is notoriously unreliable,

one thing you could try is to rebuild your Spotlight index, read this article.

How to rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac – Apple Support

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Answer 2

onyakaz Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 4, 2020 8:41 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Hi Eau Rouge,

Thanks for your suggestion & I tried what you suggested but thing remain the same. BTBH not sure what I was to do after + & - chosen folder/disk or how long I was to wait for Spotlight to reindex the contents of the folder/disk I chose.

Aside from Spotlight reindexing, I have noted that Music Creation takes up 2.46Gb of space & when I click on it, I get the message in the window that Garageband is using 2.46Gb for lessons & music. I find that strange because I don't have Garageband app.

Below is a list of apps I have when I click on Launchpad. Most of them I don't use but the system does not allow me to remove them.

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Answer 3

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,596 points

Apr 4, 2020 9:01 PM in response to onyakaz

Have you at any other time have had Garageband on your mac, if and you deleted the Garageband app on your mac but you will not have deleted its libraries of instruments and sounds which will still be on your mac. You cannot delete the default apps that come with the mac, so don't try.

The problem you have is that the Spotlight index has been corrupted in some manner which is giving you the erroneous Storage result, no amount of deleting items will change that.

So the article I gave you is pretty self explanatory all you do is open System Preferences> Spotlight> Privacy

then drag the icon of your Hard Drive into the Privacy pane. At this point we will deviate from the article, close

System Preferences. Now Open System Preferences> Spotlight> Privacy, highlight the Hard Drive icon and click on the minus button to remove it. This should force Spotlight to re index. Click on the Spotlight icon in the menubar

and enter a word, try Images. If Spotlight has started indexing then you should see a progress bar under the word

you typed in.

If that doesn't work then try this, open Terminal (Applications/Utilities) type in this command

sudo mdutil -E /

press Return

enter your password

this should force Spotlight to re index so check again that it is indexing by typing a word into Spotlight.

If you want an accurate account of the Storage space on your mac use this free app, https://www.omnigroup.com/more

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Answer 4

onyakaz Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 4, 2020 9:46 PM in response to Eau Rouge

Yes I remember when I first bought the MacBook Air, it did have Garageband on. It has been gone for ages so I must have removed it somehow cos it's not in Launchpad or search of applications.

Although I do find it strange as I was able to remove Pages to free up space (the system told me I could redownload it from the App Store if I needed it, so wouldn't it have been the same with Garageband?)

Anyway as I'm not really tech savvy & the only user of this laptop then I must be the one who has unknowingly corrupted my MacBook Air & thus the reason I'm having these problems. Geez, I hope it can be fixed!!

I did try the Spotlight index again, following your instructions above using the word garage band & did manage to find a number of .caf files & an Apple Loops for Garageband folder.

Other than finding those files, About this Mac - Storage tells me the same as the pics I've posted.

I have 700 odd photos stored in iCloud & have removed all my iTunes downloaded songs I had accumulated from my MacBook. And that is really it. I don't have a lot of documents either. I really only use my MacBook to browse the web, check my email, download the odd tune now & then, upload a few pics to it (i use iCloud storage for them). I used to watch Netflix now & then but no longer & never downloaded any shows, movies or otherwise.

Seems strange that I run out of disk space.

Cheers

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Answer 5

Eau Rouge

Level 8

42,596 points

Apr 4, 2020 10:36 PM in response to onyakaz

Once again you have not run out of space, your Spotlight index is corrupted, this can happen and is not your fault.

Garageband and Pages are not part of macs built in apps and that is why you could delete them.

Did you try and get Spotlight re indexing, did you see if it did re index, I gave you the instructions earlier,

did you try the Terminal command.

Did you try Omnidisksweeper.

It would be more helpful if you answered my questions rather than telling me what you use your mac for.

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Answer 6

onyakaz Author

Level 1

8 points

Apr 6, 2020 1:13 AM in response to Eau Rouge

Hello Eau Rouge,

Yes as you say my Spotlight Index is corrupted. And thank you for clarifying Garageband & Pages are not Mac built in apps - I did not know that.

Yes I did try Spotlight re indexing & I did follow your earlier instructions (as per my earlier reply - I used the word garage band......) and the result was the same as the initial pics I posted. Perhaps you did not read my reply to your advice.

BTW, what result would one expect from Spotlight re indexing? Or is that a dumb question?

No I did not try the terminal command. I did not have a chance as I had to attend to another matter & forgot all about it. Yes I did manage to download the Omnidisksweeper & ran it last night. It seems to work just fine, but I don't really know which files are OK to delete and which aren't.

And before you ask, yes I did read through the Omnidisksweeper how to use pages, but am not confident in knowing what files to delete and not.

It would be helpful to me if you didn't appear so abrupt and rude. I merely thought that giving you an idea of what I use my Mac for would be helpful. Obviously not.

[Edited by Moderator]

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