Why are two “Application Support” folders taking up large amounts of space?

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Level 1

4 points

Why are two “Application Support” folders taking up large amounts of space?

I'm looking through my M3 MacBook storage and realized there are similar folders in different Library storages in my Mac, one in the Main drive and other in the user subfolder. Some files seem to be duplicated but the total space they take isn't the same.

I want to free up some space and this would really help to clarify if I can delete some of that. I've had previous issues with OneDrive syncing and duplicating files so it might be related, or it might not, don't know really.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Two Application Support Folders Taking Storage Space

MacBook Pro 14″, macOS 15.5

Posted on Jun 4, 2025 7:17 AM

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Answer 1

BenjaminPes Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 4, 2025 2:31 PM in response to etresoft

Whaat, am I messed up? They're actually on the Main Hard Drive, but a copy seems to be generated on the OneDrive cloud automatically and synced in a weird way, because even though a fraction of the spaced is used in the copy, if something is deleted from the Cloud Copy, it gets deleted from the main drive.

Some time ago I tried resetting the OneDrive cloud but it just generated another copy with duplicates of my files on a hidden folder in the Library

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Answer 2

Jun 4, 2025 7:44 AM in response to BenjaminPes

BenjaminPes wrote:

I'm looking through my M3 MacBook storage and realized there are similar folders in different Library storages in my Mac, one in the Main drive and other in the user subfolder. Some files seem to be duplicated but the total space they take isn't the same.

I want to free up some space and this would really help to clarify if I can delete some of that. I've had previous issues with OneDrive syncing and duplicating files so it might be related, or it might not, don't know really.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Original Title: Two Application Support Folders Taking Storage Space

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

Free up storage space on Mac - Apple Support

I would concentrate on your Home folder: Photos, Videos, Music , Documents, Downloads etc.

Not the ~/Library folder...

Application Support is not a folder I would have ever looked at for trying to free storage if you have an issue.

Not sure how you picked out that folder for scrutiny...

I can not speak to your OneDrive if you are sync to third party...

this looks like you are using iCloud Drive:

The macOS has 3 Library's yes

~/Library

/Library

/System/Library

You do not have r/w access to the /System/

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Answer 3

BenjaminPes Author

Level 1

4 points

Jun 4, 2025 2:26 PM in response to leroydouglas

Ok, I was also cleaning through the home folders, but with an external app that showed me where my system data was, I noticed both of the Application Support folders. Either way I don't use iCloud Drive, it's just the OneDrive cloud, but the thing is that one of the folders is synced with the cloud but the other isn't, but both take space with redundant stuff.

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