James Fernald
Level 2 (319 points)
Mac OS X

Q: I got a "Start up disk is amost full warning..

And now my macbook pro will not start (I do get the ping and the apple, but then crashes. somehow have 249.2 of 250gb in this thing! Can open in recovery mode, but not much to do there but disk fist aid or wiping it. Used my old computer and thunderwire to transfer and back up stuff  in target mode, but was read only and got a warning saying the disk can not be repaired but you can still open and copy files, but can't save any changes (thus no deleting files to free up space!)..then it says to back up the disk and remformat ASAP! Unbelievable! Is there anyway to just delete some files via target mode so I can start it up again? Otherwise do I have to replace the whole thing with my time machine and will that lose some apps?

Posted on Jun 16, 2016 7:28 AM

Close
James Fernald

Q: I got a "Start up disk is amost full warning..

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by erin_b1,

    erin_b1 erin_b1 Jun 17, 2016 10:06 AM in response to James Fernald
    Community Specialists
    Jun 17, 2016 10:06 AM in response to James Fernald

    Hi there James,

     

    Thanks for stopping by the Apple Support Communities! From what I understand, your MacBook Pro displayed an error about the start up disk being almost full, and since then it will not start up fully. You've been able to access OS X Recovery on that device, and have also tried to utilize Target Disk Mode to pull files to another computer. I can definitely understand wanting to get this resolved, and I'll be more than happy to provide some recommendations for you.

     

    To begin, try restarting your Mac using safe mode to see if that allows you to get past the Apple logo. Please note that it does take longer than normal to boot into safe mode. Here are the instructions for that:

     

    Try safe mode if your Mac doesn't finish starting up

     

    This article provides some insight into the screens that display as your MacBook Pro powers on. In certain instances, there are specific troubleshooting steps based on what symbols you are seeing:

     

    About the screens you see when your Mac starts up

     

    In regards to your question about removing specific files using Target Disk Mode, you should be able to drag and drop files into the trash much like you would with an external drive. You could try to open up Disk Utility on your old computer and use First Aid to verify/repair the MacBook Pro. Once you've done that, try again to drag the specific files into the trash and then empty it. Here's a resource detailing Disk Utility:

     

    Using Disk Utility to verify or repair disks

     

    If you do have a recent Time Machine backup of your MacBook Pro, you would be able to restore from that, including your apps. At the very least, any apps purchased through the App Store could also be reinstalled by accessing your purchase history. 

     

    Use Time Machine to back up or restore your Mac

     

    All the best!

  • by OGELTHORPE,

    OGELTHORPE OGELTHORPE Jun 17, 2016 10:17 AM in response to James Fernald
    Level 9 (52,162 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jun 17, 2016 10:17 AM in response to James Fernald

    When in Target Disk Mode, the Target HDD should act as any external HDD.  That means that you should be able to delete data off of it but make certain that you empty trash.  Only then will space be made available.  If you are unable to do so, then there are other problems that need to be addressed.

     

    Ciao.