how to delete system data

My 6 year old MacBook pro has 84GB system data and I have no room left to update. How do I know what I can delete and how do I delete it?


MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 12.6

Posted on Jan 4, 2023 6:55 AM

Reply
3 replies
Sort By: 

Jan 5, 2023 4:13 AM in response to kbmiles

Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac


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


Free up storage space on your Mac


OmniDiskSweeper Safe to use


GrandPerspective 


How to delete Time Machine snapshots on your Mac


See used and available storage space on your Mac


Locate backups of your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch


Notation - If the user is using a cloning software like Carbon Copy Cloner - suggest tweaking the Safety Net Feature in this software. It may be making additional Snap Shots that are not being Cloned to the Eternal Drive. If this should be the case, these Snap Shot could be using additional space on the drive 


The final word from Apple on Managing the " Other/ System Data “ Category


Other / System Data: 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.

Reply

Jan 4, 2023 10:29 PM in response to kbmiles

Sometimes your Mac builds up an unnecessary amount of System files due to a bug, but most of the time it’s a normal part of how the operating system works. However, you can follow the below methods to manually reduce system storage on your Mac:

 

1. Empty Trash

2. Manage Time Machine Backup Snapshots

3. Optimize your Storage

4. Remove iOS Backups

5. Delete Cache Files

6. Update macOS


Hope it helps!

Reply

This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

how to delete system data

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.