Why is my Seagate Firecuda drive [1 TB SSD/thunderbolt 3] occupying more storage than the 4 FCPX libraries I have on it?

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Why is my Seagate Firecuda drive [1 TB SSD/thunderbolt 3] occupying more storage than the 4 FCPX libraries I have on it?

Good evening from India. I have created 4 FCPX libraries on my external 1 TB Seagate SSD drive [Thunderbolt 3]. The total size of the four libraries just 74.57 GB, whereas the total storage occupied in the drive shows to be 426.88 GB on the disk. Screenshots below:

With a view to format the Seagate drive, I have copied the four libraries to a folder in another external drive...the temp folder, which has the size of 74.57 GB only.

Before proceeding to format the Seagate SSD, I seek to know why there is this discrepancy between the actual size of the libraries and that occupied?

Also, before formatting this SSD, I want to know whether this size discrepancy is okay?

Regards

Dr. Somanna

Posted on Feb 17, 2021 3:24 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Matti Haveri

Level 6

19,778 points

Feb 18, 2021 1:11 AM in response to somanna

I guess you don't have to bother about it unless the system does not seem to automatically release enough space. You could then check what the situation is.

The following command can be run to list the available snapshots stored on the startup volume:

tmutil listlocalsnapshots /

To list the new snapshot along with all other existing snapshots, tmutil’s listlocalsnapshots command will show all available snapshots stored on an APFS volume using a command similar to the one shown below.

tmutil listlocalsnapshots volume_name

https://derflounder.wordpress.com/2019/05/08/creating-managing-and-using-apple-file-system-snapshots-for-startup-drive-backups/

https://eclecticlight.co/2019/09/20/the-problem-with-apfs-snapshots/

Some oldish tips about FCP render files:

Manage render files in Final Cut Pro:

https://support.apple.com/en-gb/guide/final-cut-pro/ver68a8c250/mac

FCP X: Delete Render Files:

https://larryjordan.com/articles/fcp-x-delete-render-files/

FCP X: Delete Generated Media

https://larryjordan.com/articles/fcp-x-delete-generated-media/

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Answer 2

Feb 17, 2021 3:28 AM in response to somanna

Some of that space appears as "purgeable".

If you add the 358GB of "purgeable" space to the 75GB of the folder you get those 420+GB.

Nothing to worry about.

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Answer 3

Feb 17, 2021 7:53 AM in response to somanna

"purgeable" means it can be purged, or released, when needed.

Some temporary files can be retained and marked purgeable, instead of being deleted outright.

In principle they will be released when that space is needed. In practice, sometimes the system seems to be too eager to retain those files.

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Answer 4

Feb 18, 2021 12:04 AM in response to somanna

Maybe there are old macOS snapshots still around? I have never needed to delete snapshots because the system should take of that, if needed.

https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/56681-working-with-macos-snapshots/

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Answer 5

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Feb 18, 2021 2:09 AM in response to Matti Haveri

I have already deleted all the event and library generated files, but yet there had been no difference in the size of purgeable files. I have not attempted using Terminal commands to get rid of the purgeable files as I am not sure of doing it. Feeling uneasy over this issue, I have formatted the SSD and copied all the libraries that I had earlier copied onto another USB external. Now the SSD shows that only 6.2 GB purgeable files instead of the earlier 358 GB. Gosh!

Thanks for all the help you and Luis have offered.

Regards

Dr. Somanna

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Answer 6

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Feb 18, 2021 12:37 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Thanks Matti for chiming in! Your mention of snapshots is making some sense to me, but the thread you have referred me to has stuff that has gone over my head.

FYI, the 1 TB SSD drive in question is being used as a scratch disk for editing my videos in FCPX. Once a project is over, I either delete the event or else move the event to a USB external drive. I haven't used this SSD drive for backups to Carbon Copy Cloner. What I would like to know is this: do I have to format the SSD to reclaim all the purgeable space, or is there any other way to get rid of this purgeable data? Why I ask is this: usually I turn off rendering for my projects but in case I forget to turn it off, there will be a huge build up of files that may not be accommodated in the remaining space left in the SSD for me.

By your

'I have never needed to delete snapshots because the system should take of that, if needed.'

is it meant that I need not bother with the info displayed regarding capacity available on the SSD?

Regards

Dr. Somanna

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Answer 7

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Feb 17, 2021 3:48 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks Luis for this reply. I don't understand the term 'purgeable'. Does this mean that formatting the drive will purge this unnecessary occupation of the drive space?

Regards.

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Answer 8

somanna Author

Level 1

133 points

Feb 17, 2021 4:50 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks for your explanation. Should I ignore the occupation of the purgeable files and proceed with my editing as if they don’t exist or should I format the drive to reclaim storage?

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Why is my Seagate Firecuda drive [1 TB SSD/thunderbolt 3] occupying more storage than the 4 FCPX libraries I have on it?

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