Possible Virus?!

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Possible Virus?!

When I click the Apple logo on my desktop and select About my Mac, then get to the Storage screen, I have my breakdown of how much space each kind of file is taking... but there is a HUGE yellow block for other, and it is listed as 0 KB... I should only be using approximately 70 GB, but it's telling me I have 365/500 available... meaning there is something like a 60 GB discrepency... help 😟

I do have a backup drive. In fact, barely anything is on the laptop drive, except for my iPhoto and iTunes libraries...

If it is a virus and I will need to wipe the drive and restart, can someone also leave details to make sure I don't lose my libraries/how to import them from my backup? Thanks 🙂

Attached is the screenshot:

MacBook Pro (13-inch Early 2011), OS X Mountain Lion, Storage

Posted on Aug 4, 2012 5:16 PM

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Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Aug 4, 2012 6:36 PM in response to alleytee

Use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper to explore your volume and find out what's taking up the space.

Proceed further only if the problem hasn't been solved.

ODS can't see the whole filesystem when you run it just by double-clicking; it only sees files that you have permission to read. To really see everything, you have to run it as root.

Back up all data now if you haven't already done so. No matter what happens, you should be able to restore your system to the state it was in at the time of that backup.

Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the page that opens.

After installing ODS in the Applications folder, drag or copy — do not type — the following line into the Terminal window, then press return:

sudo /Applications/OmniDiskSweeper.app/Contents/MacOS/OmniDiskSweeper

You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up.

I don't recommend that you make a habit of this. Don't delete anything while running ODS as root. When you're done with it, quit it and also quit Terminal.

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