Mac How-Tos: Why Does System Data Take Up So Much Disk Space?

May 2, 2023
Natalie Thorburn

Disk space is always at a premium on any Mac. You don’t have a lot of it, so making sure you’re using it right and making the most out of it will always be a deciding factor. The crucial aspect here is figuring out what leads to disk space being occupied so much, and then you can follow this text to see how you can delete unwanted text fast.

Why does system data require a lot of space?

There are many unseen items that end up on your Mac and they stay there even if you think you deleted them. Temporary files are a prime example, with system cache and browser cache being another thing as well. Then we also have disk images, app leftovers that aren’t deleted and extensions or plugins can be a factor too.

What we need to realize is that backups also end up eating quite a lot of space. Then we have Time Machine snapshots and random files that are not deleted at the right time. It will end up being a challenge; that’s why addressing all these things is essential.

How can you free up disk space?

Use a Mac cleanup tool

A Mac cleanup tool is essential because it automates the process. It can help remove any junk files, downloads, unused disk images, cache files, old updates, duplicate files, and so on. Removing these on your own will usually require a lot of time. You don’t need to do this since there are ways to automate the process. Once you do that, it becomes easier to tackle this and ensure your data is safe, and any unnecessary files are gone.

Remove the Time Machine backups

These backups are made automatically. So with time, they do add up and you will find yourself lacking quite a lot of space. This is why you want to remove these manually if you can.

· Enter the Terminal, and type “tmutil listbackups”, then press Return

· Now you can choose the backups you want to delete, type “sudo tmutil delete” and then follow it with the backup path. You will need to add the Username, Disk Name and Date.

Remove any support files and logs

You can do that via the finder, press Go/Go To and then write “~/Library/Application Support”. Here you enter the Library, remove caches, logs, cookies or containers. You want to remove only stuff that’s not necessary.

Storage optimization

Another method that you can use is to optimize your storage. What you want to do is to enter the Apple Menu; here you select More Info. You can choose to store items in the Cloud, which will help save local space. Then you can delete heavy files or move them to a mobile device. It’s also possible to turn on the option “Empty Trash Automatically”, it’s a great option if you don’t want to do this all the time.

Conclusion

It’s an excellent idea to address the issue; these tips can quickly come in handy. Give them a try immediately, and you will see how much they can help prevent storage space loss!

 

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