I have had this problem and decided to fix it right now!
problem:
Macintosh HD is full and is only 1gb and under space free. i cant find the actual files. it said the volume was corrupted.
tried resolutions:
- repaired via disk utility
- viewing hidden folders
PLEASE HELP!!!
computer model and OS:
Macbook 13-inch, mid 2010.
mac os x snow leopard (10.6.8)
email:
Boot from install disc and repair the drive with DiskUtility then back up files to external drive and delete them to get free space.
You need a minimum of 10% free so you do have some work to do to clear up some space.
Immediately delete items in downloads folder and empty the Trash. That should give you some breathing room.
Boot into the Recovery Drive by holding down Command R when restarting.
Run Repair Drive and Repair Permissions using Disk Utility in Recovery.
Restart
Backup your drive as a clone to an external drive. (You can't boot from Time Machine) Both of these applications can be used to create a clone. SuperDuper is free for an erase and clone which is what you will be doing. CCC requires a credit card and has a refund policy.
SuperDuper! http://www.shirt-pocket.com/
CCC http://www.bombich.com/download.html
Download OmniDiskSweeper (free)
http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnidisksweeper/
OmniDiskSweeper will help find other large files you can delete or move to an external drive. Usually it's the iPhoto or the iTunes Library that is taking up so much space. Movies are big too. You can set both iPhoto and iTunes to launch the library on the external drive. Just hold down the Option key when launching and select the Library on external.
Info on buying an external drive
USB 3.0 drives work on USB 2.0 but you do get 2.0 speed. They are cheaper because they are popular PC drives. If you get a new computer you'll get the bump to 3.0 speed. Having a big drive will give you options. Don't think you only need to buy a drive the size of your internal drive.
I like the Seagate USB 3.0 Backup plus drives. They come formatted for PC but easy to format in Disk Utility. Seagate Backup Plus. Right now the 1T is more than the 2 & 3T drives on Amazon.
This Western Digital drive has good reviews: WD My Book Hard Drive for Mac 2 TB $99.
Locally, Best Buy seems to have the best prices.
USB 3.0 is 10x faster than USB 2.0
Thunderbolt is 12 times faster than FireWire 800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0.
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.
You need a minimum of 10% free so you do have some work to do to clear up some space.
That's an old wives tale. 10GB more likely (you don't really have to leave 100GB of a 1TB drive free)
On a small drive, leaving only 10GB free, you'll find the drive will quickly be too full.
On the large drives like the 1T, there is a lot more room for adjustments.
I also deal a lot with Microsoft Office users that need to rebuild their Identities. You need a lot of free space to rebuild.
macintosh HD space problem!!! PLEASE HELP!!!
