Missing Memory on SSD?

Question

Level 1

8 points

Missing Memory on SSD?

Hi,

I run out of memory on my 128GB MacBook Air quite often. It can completely ruin a work day for me as I work with a very tempermental program known as Photoshop, which will just not do anything if the "scratch disks are full" (which they never are, but after a certain point the disk pretends it's full for some reason).

I have been looking for months to see what is taking up so much space, and every time, the numbers just don't add up.

According to this screenshot, my Users folder contains 61.43GB of data. Yikes! Let's delete some of that.

When I dive into that folder, however, it's showing about 51GB of data accounted for. Alright, don't know why that's happening, but there is still lots of things to delete and make room!

Inside the "samgadams" folder (the main user / me), however.. Only about 10GB can be accounted for.

Where is this missing 50GB of data in my users folder??? I have tried everything, cleaning out caches, deleting temporary files, emptying recycling bin, I backup my desktop every month, used registry cleaner apps, everything! What's going on here?

MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Sep 17, 2013 12:39 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Best reply

PlotinusVeritas

Level 6

14,872 points

Sep 17, 2013 12:52 PM in response to sam142

sam142

Only about 10GB can be accounted for.

What's going on here?

You mean storage, not memory/ RAM

Local snapshots very likely

http://pondini.org/TM/30.html

Also youve got a bit of dropbox work and likely are using your macbook Air a bit too much as a media storage location, rather than parking LARGE files onto an external HD 😊

See Where did my Disk Space go?

The SSD of the Air is a "working platform" computer

Your best practical option is buying a 1TB external HD for $65 and offload BIG FILES

regardless of internal SSD, need an external backup for time machine and same for important file storage.

Reply

Answer 2

sam142 Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 17, 2013 1:09 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

Are you really trying to correct me for using the word "memory"?

"A solid-state drive (SSD) (also known as a solid-state disk^[1]^[2]^[3] or electronic disk,^[4] though it contains no actual "disk" of any kind, nor motors to "drive" the disks) is a data storage device using integrated circuit assemblies as memory to store data persistently."

I already use an external HDD. I load off all of my media to the external HDD including ALL iTunes content. I use Dropbox only for things that I absolutely need to have on the SSD itself (as I can not always have the HDD connected and in case of emergency, I will need those files). After the work becomes old and I probably won't need it for a while, I offload it to a backup on the external HDD.

I don't use Time Machine, I see no "MobileBackups" in my volumes, and I also do not think I should have to purchase a $12.99 program to recover 50GB of memory that OSX has just decided to take up with absolutely nothing. This has decreased the value of my computer which I spent $1500 on less than 2 years ago.

If anyone can offer me a real solution rather than just being a grammar nazi and pointing me to irrelevant websites, I would be very grateful.

Reply

Answer 3

Sep 17, 2013 1:18 PM in response to sam142

sam142

and I also do not think I should have to purchase a $12.99 program to recover 50GB of memory that OSX has just decided to take up with absolutely nothing.

SSD, regardless of being non-volative, is as per storage.

I never mentioned buying a program.

--"OSX has just decided to take up with absolutely nothing"

The 50gigs would need to be found as to remove same (safely without deleting important files)

however 8gig approx is used new out of box for recovery partition, the OSX and resident applications (I assume you knew as much)

----"pointing me to irrelevant websites"

That is not an irrelevant website, its the resident expert on same.

again, see: Pondini on: See Where did my Disk Space go?

Hostility will solve nothing. 😊 Be kind.

Reply

Answer 4

sam142 Author

Level 1

8 points

Sep 17, 2013 1:34 PM in response to PlotinusVeritas

Sorry, I just felt it was kind of hostile the way you corrected me for saying memory instead of storage.

Anyway I was able to find a program on that page that helped me free up about 30GB of extra space. So thank you for the link.

Reply

Answer 5

Sep 17, 2013 1:38 PM in response to sam142

sam142

I was able to find a program on that page that helped me free up about 30GB of extra space. So thank you for the link.

Pondinis pages are awesome.

30gig freed is great. I wasnt trying to "correct" you honestly, I dont like "grammer goons" either. 😁

Reply