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"other volumes in container" using up all my GB

Does anyone know what "other volumes in container" is? My Macbook is practically empty and this is using up 157 GB! I'd like to know if this can be deleted or rearranged somehow in order to get my GB back... I'm using OS Catalina.

Thanks!

MacBook Air 13″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Mar 23, 2021 9:31 PM

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Posted on Mar 24, 2021 7:18 PM

Other Volumes in Container may be an orphaned Data volume

Open Disk Utility and see if you have two (or more) - Data volumes.

If so, select each and look at the Mount Point in the info window.

The one mounted to /System/Volumes/Data is the current one.

Any mounted to /Volumes are orphans leftover from an incorrect installation.

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Question marked as Best reply

Mar 24, 2021 7:18 PM in response to CoHersk

Other Volumes in Container may be an orphaned Data volume

Open Disk Utility and see if you have two (or more) - Data volumes.

If so, select each and look at the Mount Point in the info window.

The one mounted to /System/Volumes/Data is the current one.

Any mounted to /Volumes are orphans leftover from an incorrect installation.

Mar 24, 2021 1:37 AM in response to CoHersk

The " Other " should not be altered, adjusted, deleted or modified at all for any reason. Doing so may corrupt the OS and / or render the computer a paper weight.


The Other category is a potpourri of files which include:

• System temporary files

• macOS system folders

• Archives and disk images (.zip, .iso, etc. - often found in the Downloads folder)

• Personal user data

• Files from the user’s library (Application Support, iCloud files, screensavers, etc.)

• Cache files

• Fonts, plugins, extensions

• Other files that are not recognized by a Spotlight search

• Media files that cannot be classified by Spotlight as a media file because they are located inside of a package


They can be located anywhere on your hard drive. The files that you have control over are located in the Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music and Movies folders.  You can use either of these two free apps, GrandPerspective  or OmniDiscSweeper, to find the largest files on your drive so you can determine if they can be deleted or moved to an external HD for storage.  

Mar 24, 2021 7:10 PM in response to PRP_53

There is a different category taking up 51GB of space called "Other". I understand that that one is crucial for my mac to work properly. The one that is using up all of my space is "Other Volumes in Container".


There's really nothing else to delete on my laptop. I have one single small file and my downloads folder is empty. I have 3 or 4 apps and that's it.


Is "other volumes in container" also crucial?

"other volumes in container" using up all my GB

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