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how to free space on my Mac?

I am trying to update my Mac to new software and it says I need 10.9 gb of space to be free.


iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Nov 26, 2021 11:45 AM

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Posted on Nov 26, 2021 12:42 PM

you can purchase an external HDD or SSD of sufficient capacity and move your larger files (videos, pictures, documents, etc...) to it. once they are on the EHD, you can simply erase the same files from your internal drive. and, if it's just going to be used for storage, you can use an HDD and save a few bucks over the cost of an SSD. FWIW, i personally keep very little on my internal drive.


Optimize storage space on your Mac


Free up storage space on your Mac

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 26, 2021 12:42 PM in response to yao129

you can purchase an external HDD or SSD of sufficient capacity and move your larger files (videos, pictures, documents, etc...) to it. once they are on the EHD, you can simply erase the same files from your internal drive. and, if it's just going to be used for storage, you can use an HDD and save a few bucks over the cost of an SSD. FWIW, i personally keep very little on my internal drive.


Optimize storage space on your Mac


Free up storage space on your Mac

Nov 26, 2021 1:55 PM in response to yao129

What is “Other” storage on a Mac, and how can I clean it out?


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The final word from Apple on Managing the " Other " Category


  • Other: Contains files that don’t fall into the categories listed here. This category primarily includes files and data used by the system, such as log files, caches, VM files, and other runtime system resources. Also included are temporary files, fonts, app support files, and plug-ins. You can't manage the contents of this category. The contents are managed by macOS, and the category varies in size depending on the current state of your Mac.



Nov 26, 2021 11:51 AM in response to yao129

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.  


Note: you can empty the Downloads folder after the apps and/or updates that were downloaded have been installed.  Many users have found a couple of Gigabytes of files in their Downloads folder which are no longer needed. 


how to free space on my Mac?

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