I have a Mac mini 2012/Catalina/ i5/ 16 GB memory
I need to consolidate and free up space on my HD.
I have about 57 GB free of about 480 GB.
I don't have massive files; I have a lot of docs though, pics, and vids.
Is there a more efficient way than removing files manually? If so, please explain. Thanks again!
Mac mini
You are right to be concerned about how much free space you have on your hard drive. The best solution to your issue is the following. You will need to install an external disk. Then you can transfer files, such as photos or music files to the external disk and that will allow you to delete them from your HD to clear up the needed storage space. These days these disks are cost effective, compact, easy to install with vendor provided USB cables and most do not require external power. You may have to reformat it though. There is a large selection of disks to choose from. This solution will allow you to easily have the storage you need.
Also, be sure that your Trash is emptied as anything in it continues to use HD space.
There is no truly efficient way to manage this movement than to do so manually. You do have to make decisions about which things to move. Photo libraries, Music Libraries and videos generally consume the greatest amounts of drive space.
Please see: Free up storage space - Apple Support
To find the largest files on your Mac, you can use Daisy Disk or FindAnyFile, or others.
Best way to clean, organize and free up HD space?
