OS 10.9.2 upgrade - then constantly losing memory - and finally resolved it...

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26 points

OS 10.9.2 upgrade - then constantly losing memory - and finally resolved it...

A few days ago, I upgraded to OS 10.9.2 (2011 17" 4-core i7 250GB SSD MBP) - and the following day noticed a dramatic drop in available HD memory. I use FreeSpace to monitor my various HDs and only saw the issue when its value appeared red (<20%) in my upper icons. Started dumping unwanted files (it was time for a clear-out!), but the available space still continued to fall. That made no sense. Closing down apps made no difference. With nothing open, the memory level still continued to steadily drop.

Took it in to the Genius Bar the next day, where they re-installed 10.9.2 and sent me home to "see what happens now..." Did a re-install using Time Machine (Migration Assistant). Initially, all seemed fine, and then the available memory space started dropping again. I turned off all apps, to see what would happen, but this issue continued. Time Machine kept sending an error, as now did DuperDuper! which I use as a second back-up app (yes, I'm anal about backing up). These responses were new. Patently, something was seriously amiss.

Last night, I went to turn Time Machine off, not wanting or needing its error messages any longer - I had another appointment lined up at the Genius Bar for this morning, to try and resolve this losing-memory issue. All apps were closed down. It was only a minute or so after turning Time Machine off in System Preferences that I saw the FreeSpace indicator change from red to black and the available memory space spin back up to where it should be in less than a minute - an upward jump of around 50GB, for no apparent reason. I turned Time Machine back on - just in case! - but nothing changed. Memory level still back in the black. It has remained so overnight and still sits there, as it used to.

So! - just putting this out there as a situational report, in case it can help anyone else. I am not "techie" enough to know what happened or why - just sharing what I observed. If it helps one other person, then that's good!!

Happy Days!!

Posted on Mar 4, 2014 9:12 AM

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Answer 1

Mar 4, 2014 9:13 AM in response to pharos_hill

About Time Machine and local Snap Shots:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4878

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Answer 2

pharos_hill Author

Level 1

26 points

Mar 4, 2014 9:28 AM in response to leroydouglas

Thanks indeed for that fast response!! 🙂

Time Machine is still creating its first backup after I re-partitioned one of my external HDs last night, to give everything more space (another 8 hours to go, I gather), so I've yet to see what happens when it begins taking those "snapshots" again. At least now I know where to look, to see what is taking up the space!

I also read a thread where the snapshots can be turned off using Terminal, and that may be a future option if TM is the actual culprit, as it appears.

Again, my thanks for your prompt response and advice. Greatly appreciated.

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