Big message Folder

hey guys,


why is my /Users/.../Library/Messages folder over 1GB big? Can I delete it? It is growing up.


thanks

OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3)

Posted on May 5, 2013 10:34 AM

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2 replies

May 5, 2013 11:59 AM in response to Rune Piper

Hi,


There are other files in the ~/Library/Messages folder than just the "Saved" items in the Archive folder.


There are the chat.db which is an database of the iMessages conversations and an attachment folder that holds all the pics and files that came in iMessages conversations.


If you use iMessages to send pics and files then the attachments folder may be quite large.

The archive folder is made of of dated sub folders, as stated already, which may also has stored versions of Saved items that have pics and files linked to them. i.e. in some cases if you are saving chats/conversations then they may be "Saved" in two places within the Messages folder.


Buddy Lists (AIM, Jabber and Yahoo) = Chats

iMessages = Conversations.


The Saved items in the Archive folder can be either Conversations or Chats.

I state it like this as the iChat blurb from Apple call the text messaging in iChat "Chats" and the similar actions in iMessages as "Conversations".


If you are saving conversations and chats then the Messages folder will get bigger.

How fast it gets bigger will depend on your usage of the Messages app and how often you close Chats or Quit the app that invokes the Save process.

It will obviously depend on your use of text Messages and adding things like Files or Pics to the connection.





User uploaded file
7:59 PM Sunday; May 5, 2013


 iMac 2.5Ghz 5i 2011 (Mountain Lion 10.8.3)
 G4/1GhzDual MDD (Leopard 10.5.8)
 MacBookPro 2Gb (Snow Leopard 10.6.8)
 Mac OS X (10.6.8),
 Couple of iPhones and an iPad
"Limit the Logs to the Bits above Binary Images."  No, Seriously

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Big message Folder

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