What can I delete from what folders to A) get more space and B) speed up machine. 2009 Imac Intel based Leopard
iMac, Mac OS X (10.5.8)
Also, I have Onyx but I'm no faster and gained very little space
Merely deleting files will do nothing in terms of the speed of your machine in general.
Make sure you've emptied the trash too.
However, if you need storage space, limit what you delete to your user(s) folders - do not delete things from hidden (or not) system folders. Get an external hard drive and back up everything with Time Machine. Then get a second drive for external storage of non-essential things, and remove those user files or folders from your boot disc you do not need to keep on the machine. If there are apps you no longer use, remove them from Applications.
Once I back up, what about libraries in the user folder. I have Onyx, but that's not really doing much. I ran a scann program that told me I had over 35 gigs that could be freed up (and then wanted 19.99 to fix it) . That may be BS, but I'd like to know if there are any obvious places where redundant or useless files exist - and where if I accidently delete something it wont mess up the machine..
DO NOT TOUCH your libaries folder unless you want to do serious damage to your system!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What is probably taking up a lot of space are photo's, music and movies. Your best bet is to get an external HD and begin storing those libraries on the external HD. This will free up lots of space on your internal HD. Apple explains how to move these libraries in:
iPhoto: How to move the Library to an EHD
iTunes: How to move the library to an EHD
iMovie: How to move the Library to an EHD
My internal HD is only 320GB but I still have 223GB free because I keep my large media files on an external HD. My system is 5 years old and still runs like it was new.
If you start deleting things in hidden system folders, or in an /Library folder you may very well mess up something.
That is why I say limit what you delete to your User folder only and only those files you've put or created there. Start messing with anything system or application related without know exactly what you are doing and you risk fubar'ing something.
There are in fact many places in the system areas that will appear to be redundant, but they are not so just because they have similar path or file names.
Also, how much free space do you have with just a freshly rebooted system? If your system does not have much RAM (given the apps your normally run on it), it may be creating quite a bit of swap space. That will be flushed out with a reboot, but if your system is RAM limited, then it will just grow back. In such a case, more RAM would help.
Use Activity Monitor to look at your RAM and swap use over a few days of normal use - look particularly at the page outs, as that will tell you how much virtual memory is actually being used on the drive. If page outs are high (thousands to 10's of thousands or more) your system is RAM limited, and your drive will be filling up with swap files.
deleted - roger covered it.
Message was edited by: roam
I'm confused because there is a library folder in my user folder
I have a lot of .plist files from old applications I dont have.
That is confusing to a novice. There is a User/Library containing important settings and do leave them, and then there are the different media libraries. for itunes, iphoto and movies and it is these which are being referred to,
In Finder click on your user (house icon) and notice there is a music folder. In there is your iTunes Library. Notice a Pictures folder, in there is the iPhoto Library, etc. OK now?
Spending time looking around in Finder you will become increasingly familiar of the layout, but at first it is confusing.
Here are a couple of links to help you. You'll never be able to make a dent in the hundreds of GB of data on your hard drive by deleting random files. If you're not storing music/videos/photos then you may have a runaway log that has filled your hard drive.
http://macmost.com/what-to-do-when-your-hard-drive-is-full.html
OmniDiskSweeper is a good program to see what's taking up space: http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnidisksweeper/
BrooksJrTv wrote:
I have a lot of .plist files from old applications I dont have.
In the user Library Preferences folder, you could delete preference files that are clearly identifable by name as belonging to programs you have removed, but if you are at all unsure of any file. leave it. Even so, those plist files are usually very small - only a kb or few kb's in size - even deleting hundreds of them will make only a tiny change in your free disc space. Hardly worth the effort to track them down to remove them - if you are cramped for drive space you still will be even after removing every single obsolete or unnecessary plist file.
What can I delete from what folders to A) get more space and B) speed up machine. 2009 Imac Intel based Leopard
