Apps taking up too much space ???

If the display seems to be inaccurate, try rebuilding the Spotlight index.

You can use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper (ODS) or GrandPerspective (GP) to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the space. You can also delete files with it, but don't do that unless you're sure that you know what you're deleting and that all data is safely backed up. That means you have multiple backups, not just one. Note that ODS only works with OS X 10.8 or later. If you're running an older OS version, use GP.

Deleting files inside a photo or iTunes library will corrupt the library. Changes to such a library must be made from within the application that created it. The same goes for Mail files.

Proceed further only if the problem isn't solved by the above steps.

ODS or GP can't see the whole filesystem when you run it just by double-clicking; it only sees files that you have permission to read. To see everything, you have to run it as root.

Back up all data now.

Install the app in the Applications folder as usual. Quit it if it's running.

Triple-click anywhere in the corresponding line of text below on this page to select it, then copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

For ODS:

security execute-with-privileges /A*/OmniDiskSweeper.app/*/M*/* 2>&-

For GP:

security execute-with-privileges /A*/GrandPerspective.app/*/M*/* 2>&-

Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:

☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)

☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.

☞ Open LaunchPad and start typing the name.

Paste into the Terminal window by pressing command-V. You'll be prompted for your login password.

The application window will open behind other open windows. When you scan a volume, the window will eventually show all files in all folders, sorted by size. It may take a few minutes for the app to finish scanning.

I don't recommend that you make a habit of doing this. Don't delete anything as root. If something needs to be deleted, make sure you know what it is and how it got there, and then delete it by other, safer, means. When in doubt, leave it alone or ask for guidance.

When you're done with the app, quit it and also quit Terminal.

Van der Weden wrote:

Could the problem be due to a faulty "metering system"? - like having a car with a fuel gauge that reads "empty" when it's 3/4 full ..... or is there something seriously wrong here? I had another look this morning - and it's reading 149.34GB down from153.37GB a couple of days ago.... so it seems to be fluctuating.

Use Linc's first Link to recreate the index. It is Apples own advice & is very simple to do.

The Spotlight index is what it sounds like - an index of all the files on disk along with data about the file content to allow searching via Spotlight. If that is corrupt it can show the wrong figures.

Please also consider that the 'Applications' in that view is somewhat generic, it also includes supporting files that are not stored in the main /Applications folder, so it can be normal for the /Applications folder to look smaller in Finder compared to the the storage view.

The supporting files for certain apps can be quite large - such as Motion's shared content, Garageband loops, Logic or Soundtrack Pro loops, DVD templates for certain apps etc. It really depends on what you have installed as to how much other data may be allocated into the Applications category of that view.

Pro Video Formats 2.0.1 Repeat Installation

I don't fully understand what you did - there is no need to add Final Cut Pro X to anything in those instructions. Go back & re-read them.

All you have to do is add the boot disk to the privacy section & then remove it. It will give you a warning about being unable to search the disk, but you are forcing it to re-index, so that is fine to agree to it.

Sorry, I assumed we were on the same wavelength 🙂

Leave OmniDisk Sweeper for the time being - see if we can get the Spotlight index rebuilt to see if that starts reporting accurate info.

1. In Finder, 'Go menu > Computer'.
2. A window with all your attached disks will open. Inside that window should be a disk you use for your operating system - often called 'Macintosh HD' unless you renamed it (it has the Applications & your Users folder on that disk).
3. Open 'System Preferences > Spotlight', select the Privacy tab.
4. Drag the Macintosh HD (or whatever it is called) from the 'Computer' window into the Privacy list.
5. Agree to the warning.
6. Remove the disk from the list.
7. Quit System Preferences.

After step 6 the disks index is rebuilt - it takes a while but when it is complete check the storage report again. Reboot if it is still too large. Let us know if it is any different.

It doesn't seem like it was a serious issue to me. Spotlight is a database of the file content & other metadata. Sometimes it gets corrupted & simply reports the incorrect values. When that happens different parts of the OS report figures that conflict and confusion ensues. Clearing it out allows the OS to update it. If it goes wrong again check the state of the disk in Disk Utility.

Good luck with the video work, I hope you a plan for backing it all up, caution is a virtue 🙂

All the best,

Drew