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"Other" storage overtaking my MacBook!!!

My 1TB MacBook Pro shows over 840GB of storage is taken "Other" category. I deleted all files/items that took significant amount of space but weren't needed as well as the dng files. I've done some research into what "other" is. I know cleaning Cache is one of the suggestions, but how am I to know which items are actually needed to run the machine and apps I use? Is there a comprehensive list of what is not needed to run the machine, and can be deleted? 840GB is a ridiculous amount of space, and there's got to be a way to clear most of it. Please help!

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 11.6

Posted on Jan 30, 2022 1:24 PM

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Posted on Jan 30, 2022 2:07 PM

I have figured it out! I have Bark monitoring app, which backs up my kids' devices, and it stored all the back ups on my machine! I realized I have to clear the backups once in a while... Once I did that, it freed up 750 GB of space!

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3 replies

Jan 30, 2022 1:36 PM in response to izafromjeffer

izafromjeffer wrote:

My 1TB MacBook Pro shows over 840GB of storage is taken "Other" category. I deleted all files/items that took significant amount of space but weren't needed as well as the dng files. I've done some research into what "other" is. I know cleaning Cache is one of the suggestions, but how am I to know which items are actually needed to run the machine and apps I use? Is there a comprehensive list of what is not needed to run the machine, and can be deleted? 840GB is a ridiculous amount of space, and there's got to be a way to clear most of it. Please help!
https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/c7f1ed31-af40-49fc-81bb-4cf911f9beb3



User tip: "Other and What Can I Do About It ?"

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-5142




Empty your Trash — Delete files and folders on Mac - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/delete-files-and-folders-on-mac-mchlp1093/mac


How to free up storage space on your Mac - Apple Support

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT206996


See used and available storage space on your Mac

https://support.apple.com/guide/system-information/see-available-storage-space-syspf9b375b9/10.14/mac/10.15



Try something like OmniDiskSweeper for a GUI to get a good look at itemized file size and location:

OmniDiskSweeper http://www.omnigroup.com/more


"Other" storage overtaking my MacBook!!!

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