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Managing Multiple Hard drives

I have an iMac 27" 2012..this machine is fully loaded including two Hard drives...a 250 SSD and a 1TB Sata...the problem is everything I do goes onto the SSD and now its full and the imac won't run properly...I cannot find any way to manage the hard drives or any info online...everyone just says move folders a..but all it does is copy them and won't let me delete after i move it.....I need help now...first Mac and it's about to go back!!!!...

iMac (27-inch Mid 2011), Mac OS X (10.7.4)

Posted on Jul 24, 2012 8:25 AM

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Posted on Jul 24, 2012 8:46 AM

What files do you want to move?

16 replies

Jul 24, 2012 1:09 PM in response to Mewize

Back up all data.

Copy your home folder to the hard drive, if that's where you want it to be.

Select System Preferences Users & Groups. Click the lock icon and authenticate. Right-click or control-click your name in the account list and select Advanced options... from the popup menu. In the sheet that opens, change the location of your home directory. Log out and log back in.

Jul 24, 2012 7:30 PM in response to Linc Davis

Ok I did exactly what you said...everything makes sense...my only issue is ...currently the location says ....user/my name....it does not specify a hard drive and I am unsure of exactly how to change it to the other hard drive and will it autoatically delete itself from the SSD drive...sorry about sounding like an idiot..but it's my first iMac...lol

Jul 24, 2012 8:52 PM in response to Mewize

I have to say, I don't think an inexperienced user should be doing this, but if you click the Choose... button next to the Home Directory field, you'll get a file dialog. That dialog should have a sidebar with a DEVICES section. That's where the volume icons are.


If this doesn't make sense to you, you should either get help from someone more experienced or put off the whole thing until you've acquired some basic skills.


I warn you that some applications may not work as expected if your home folder has been moved. And to anticipate your next question, I don't know which ones.

Jul 25, 2012 5:31 AM in response to Linc Davis

That makes perfect sense to me!...I only have one more question....when I change the location will that remove it from the other drive?...and for the record ..I have been building ...repairing and using computers since 1994....I am not inexperienced ...just new to the iMac world..so doing the work is not the issue...lol...just could not find where it was...and not sure what the result would be...thanks for youe assitance...greatly appreciate....just let me know if I have to delete or will it remove the files from the SSD

Jul 25, 2012 8:00 AM in response to Linc Davis

Did absolutely everything you said.....did not work!!...it actually deleted my other hard drive...and I couldn't even do a restore from my back up...Luckily I could go in through another user and change the home folder back... I almost lost 10,000 songs..2000.vids.....40,000 pictures and 250..documents and misc other projects i do through my work.....years of work!!....why could I not restore???..........For the record...the information you gave me is totally incorrect...I will take the computer back to the store and have them save everything and set it up the way I requested in the first place......this should be way easier than it is...I should be able to set the SSD as my OS and Applications the other as User disk...it is not rocket science and is something that I requested when I purchased the computer!!

Jul 25, 2012 10:28 AM in response to Linc Davis

Unfortunately it IS incorrect and i DID back up ALL data....but when I followed your instructions...there was no way to access the back up files!!.....The proper proceedure is...Copy user files from their current location to the disk or location you would like to make your home folder.....after that is complete...go into SYSTEM PREFRENCES click on USER &GROUPS in the system row...click on the lock image to unlock....verify using admin password...right click on the user name you want change (if your mouse is set up to do so or control+click)...click ADVANCED OPTIONS...beside home directory click CHOOSE...in the pane that opens find the location you saved the user files to earlier in the left pane ... and click on in ....then in the right pane click on the users folder you copied to that location...find the users name in the folder and click on it and click open...then clcik OK...you may need to restart your computer for changes to take effect....after you restart..check to make sure everything is working fine...and set up the same as it was...once this confirmed you can go back into the old location of the user and delete that profile....Done works great...and I figured it out myself.....I am not inexperienced ...your information was not complete!.....I do appreciate your help..it did point me in the right direction and for that I am thankful....but please make sure information is complete....again thanks for the help and ..no I'm not a ********...lol

Jul 25, 2012 1:11 PM in response to Linc Davis

Well unfortunately...this did not solve any of my problems...it keeps saying the start up disk is full...even after I move everything to the other disk and delete the files on the SSD.....it makes zero difference....I even downloaded a sweeper program to clean the disk figuring there was hidden files...it only finds less than 100gb of data..yet the info on the disk says there is less than 200mb of free space on a 250GB SSD...I think I have bigger problems....

Managing Multiple Hard drives

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