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How do I create free space?

Hi,

I have a Retina Display I've had for about a year now, and I have a Time Capsule, and 2 extra external hard drives to put files which I don't use often... however I've moved more files to the external hard drives from my Mac and have attempted to delete the files from the flash drive storage system (including emptying the trash) .. however, the amount storage that had been used on my mac is still the same reguardless of removing the high data files. Is there something else I need to do? (Simple steps would be preferred) Thank you 🙂

Mac Pro

Posted on Nov 25, 2013 5:00 PM

Reply
6 replies

Nov 25, 2013 5:10 PM in response to Nixy06

Nixy06

however, the amount storage that had been used on my mac



Your Macbook isnt a storage device (some people think "what?" when thats said)


Never consider any computer a data storage device at any time under any circumstance, rather a data creation, sending, and manipulation device. Anyone who thinks data is safe on any computer, even copied upon multiple partitions is making a mistake that will, without fail, strike.


In the case of a Macbook Air or Macbook Pro Retina with ‘limited’ storage on the SSD, this distinction becomes more important in that in an ever rapidly increasing file-size world, you keep vital large media files, pics, video, PDF collections, music off your SSD and archived on external storage, for sake of the necessary room for your system to have free space to operate, store future applications and general workspace. You should never be put in the position of considering “deleting things” on your macbook SSD in order to ‘make space’.


Professionals who create and import very large amounts of data have almost no change in the available space on their computers internal HD because they are constantly archiving data to arrays of external or networked HD.


Or in the case of the consumer this means you keep folders for large imported or created data and you ritually offload and archive this data for safekeeping, not only to safeguard the data in case your macbook has a HD crash, or gets stolen, but importantly in keeping the ‘breathing room’ open for your computer to operate, expand, create files, add applications, for your APPS to create temp files, and for general operation.



Nixy06

Is there something else I need to do?



See here for answer about the OTHER which is taking up space:


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


and here:


http://pondini.org/OSX/DiskSpace.html


See Kappys excellent note on the rest of “other” files taking up your space:

What is "Other" and What Can I Do About It?

Nov 25, 2013 5:33 PM in response to Nixy06

I'm still having trouble will re-freeing this space on my flash drive, i have moved the files to my external hard drive and emptied them from trash, but the storage system still has excatly the same amount used up. Now, I KNOW you don't use your mac as a storage system, hence why I have 3 external systems. What I need to know, in simple steps (without all the technological words) is how do I get this space which these important files, that I've had to use each day this year until now, back onto my flash drive?

Nov 25, 2013 6:52 PM in response to Nixy06

You may notice a difference in available space statistics between Disk Utility, Finder, and Get Info inspectors. This is expected and can be safely ignored. The Finder displays the available space on the disk without accounting for the local snapshots, because local snapshots will surrender their disk space if needed.

About Time Machine's "local snapshots" on portable Macs

How do I create free space?

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