Are you receiving that annoying notification: ”fix startup disk full problem” on your Mac? Here’s how to create extra disc space on your Mac to resolve it.

• How To Free Up Disk Space On Mac
• How To Free Up Disk Space On Mac Os X
• How To Free Up Disk Space On Microsoft Edge

1. To free up disk space, it’s helpful to know exactly what is using disk space on your Mac. A hard disk analysis tool like Disk Inventory X will scan your Mac’s hard disk and display which folders and files are using up the most space. You can then delete these space hogs to free up space.
2. Use a Hard-Disk Analysis Tool. Put a hard-disk analysis tool like Disk Inventory X to work on evaluating your Mac’s hard drive. This lets you see which files take up the most space so you can delete files accordingly. Remove Language Files. Language files can take up hundreds of megabytes of space on your Mac.
3. MAC temporary files sometimes take up huge disk space. Removing them will not only speed up your system but also free up disk space. There are tons of temporary files that you can check out by opening Finder and then go to Folder using /Library/Caches.

When your startup disk is full or you see the alert of your disk is almost full on your Mac, you can just try the methods mentioned in this article to free up disk space and remove the warning. If you mistakenly delete important files, you can use Stellar Data Recovery for Mac to get them back.

You’ve been trying to get some work done on your Mac but it’s taking forever to boot up. It can’t even open a simple word document. Guess it’s time to take it to a repair shop.

Before you start to pack it up, try cleaning it a little. Overusing your disk space will cause your computer to run a lot slower. Emptying your trash or hunting down and deleting unused large files can do wonders.

These aren’t the only tricks you can use to speed up your Mac. Check out this guide to learn how to clean up your hard drive.

1. Find and Delete Old Files

The first step to fix the startup disk full problem is to go file hunting. Click on the Apple at the top corner of your screen and select “About this Mac”. It will give you a color-coded break down on the things that are taking up the most room on your computer.

If you click on “Manage”, you can get a more detailed description of each category. All you have to do is click on them to see the largest file that they contain.

Right-click on these files to delete them or move them to an external memory source like the Cloud. If you choose to delete them don’t forget to empty your trash or they’ll continue to take up space.

2. Use CleanMyMac

If you don’t want to have to fish through your Mac for hours looking for old files, you can use an app called CleanMyMac to do the job for you. It’s important to note before you run this application that you should back up any of your important files because they may accidentally get deleted in the process.

Once you start the app, it will go to work locating large files, cleaning up clutter, uninstalling applications, and getting rid of any big email attachments that you haven’t done away with yet. The only thing CleanMyMac doesn’t do is tackle duplicate files. You’ll have to do that by yourself or download a separate app.

3. Hunt Down Duplicate Files

If you’ve had your Mac for a long time, you’ve probably got a lot of duplicate files resting on your hard drive. The fastest way to get rid of them is by downloading an app called Gemini 2. The license is expensive but you should be able to use all the features the trial has to offer to get the job done.

When you run the app, it will do a quick scan to look for duplicates. When it’s done, click on the drop-down arrow next to each file to inspect it.

If you’re using the paid version, the app will delete everything automatically. The trial makes you do it one by one which is tedious but not a bad thing. You don’t want to get rid of something that you need, after all.

4. Take Out the Trash

Just because you’ve deleted a file, doesn’t mean that it’s off your computer for good. All its components are still there taking up room in your recycle bin.

Click on the little trash desktop icon and select “empty trash”. You’ll hear a crumpling paper sound and the files will be gone but you’re not done yet.

A few apps such as iPhoto have their own unique trash bins that you have to empty out. All you have to do is open the app and you’ll see a little trash bin icon off to the side. Right-click on it and choose “empty trash”.

5. Uninstall Things You’re Not Using

Chances are that you have one or two large applications that you’re not using anymore. Instead of letting them sit on your Mac, go ahead and uninstall them.

Open up Finder and click on “Applications” in the sidebar. Scroll through and drag anything you don’t need into the trash bin. Keep in mind that you’ll have to empty the trash in order to get rid of the applications for good.

6. Take Advantage of the Cloud

So, you’re going through the files on your computer and while you don’t need many of them at the second, they are important for later use. Instead of deleting them, move them over to the Cloud so they aren’t taking up space on your computer anymore.

You can store up to 5GB of stuff in the Cloud. If you need any more space than that, you can upgrade to the paid version. It can hold messages, pictures, videos, word documents, and more.

7. Remove Caches

Certain apps like Safari save little pieces of information known as Caches. You can delete these caches but it will only be a temporary fix to your problem. As soon as you start using your computer heavily again, the caches will fill up.

At most, emptying the cache will give you a few days of computer speed before it gets bogged down again. The easiest way to clear up your cache is by using CCleaner. It will scan your computer for temporary files and get rid of them.

8. Pick Up an External Hard Drive

If you’ve tried all the steps above and still have an issue with space on your Mac, the last alternative is to grab an external hard drive. They can be a bit expensive but you can use one to house any big files that are too much for your computer.

Keep in mind that there are some external hard drives that work better for the Mac than others. Make sure to do your research before committing to a purchase.

Free Up More Than Enough Disk Space on Your Mac

Are you having problems with a slow Mac? Instead of taking it to a repair shop or throwing it out, take strides to clear up a bit of disk space.

You’ll be surprised at the number of duplicate files and applications that are bogging your computer down. Delete them or move them over to the Cloud to get your Mac working like new again.

Looking for more ways to upgrade your Mac? Check out our blog daily for more articles like this one.

The Optimised Storage features of your Mac help you save storage space by storing your content in iCloud and making it available on demand:

• When storage space is needed, files, photos, films, email attachments and other files that you rarely use are stored in iCloud automatically.
• Each file stays exactly where you last saved it, and will be downloaded when you open it.
• Files that you’ve used recently remain on your Mac, along with optimised versions of your photos.

If you haven't yet upgraded to macOS Sierra or later, find out about other ways to free up storage space.

Find out how much storage is available on your Mac

Choose Apple menu  > About This Mac and then click Storage. Each segment of the bar is an estimate of the storage space used by a category of files. Move your pointer over each segment for more detail.

Click the Manage button to open the Storage Management window, pictured below.

Manage storage on your Mac

The Storage Management window offers recommendations for optimising your storage. If some recommendations have already been turned on, you will see fewer recommendations.

Store in iCloud

How To Free Up Disk Space On Mac

Click the Store in iCloud button and then choose from these options:

• Desktop and Documents. Store all files from these two locations in iCloud Drive. When storage space is needed, only the files you've opened recently will be kept on your Mac, so you can work offline easily. Files stored only in iCloud display a download icon , which you can double-click to download the original file. Learn more about this feature.
  
• Photos. Store all original, full-resolution photos and videos in iCloud Photos. When storage space is needed, only space-saving (optimised) versions of photos are kept on your Mac. To download the original photo or video, just open it.
  
• Messages. Store all messages and attachments in iCloud. When storage space is needed, only the messages and attachments you recently opened are kept on your Mac. Find out more about Messages in iCloud.

Storing files in iCloud uses the storage space in your iCloud storage plan. If you reach or exceed your iCloud storage limit, you can either buy more iCloud storage or make more iCloud storage available. iCloud storage starts at 50 GB for US$0.99 a month, and you can purchase additional storage directly from your Apple device. Find out more about the prices in your region.

Optimise Storage

Click the Optimise button to save space by automatically removing films and TV programmes you've watched. When storage space is needed, films or TV programmes that you've purchased from Apple and have already watched will be removed from your Mac. Click the download icon next to a film or TV programme to download it again.

Your Mac will also save space by only keeping recent email attachments on this Mac when storage space is needed. You can manually download any attachments at any time by opening the email or attachment, or saving the attachment to your Mac.

Optimising storage for films, TV programmes and email attachments doesn't require iCloud storage space.

Empty Bin Automatically

Empty Bin Automatically permanently deletes files that have been in the Bin for more than 30 days.

Reduce Clutter

Reduce Clutter helps you identify large files and files you may no longer need. Click the Review Files button and then choose any of the file categories in the sidebar, such as Applications, Documents, Music Creation or Bin.

You can delete the files in some categories directly from this window. Other categories show the total storage space used by the files in each app. You can then open the app and decide whether to delete files from within it.

Find out how to re-download apps, music, films, TV programmes and books.

Where to find the settings for each feature

The button for each recommendation in the Storage Management window affects one or more settings in other apps. You can also control these settings directly within each app.

• If you're using macOS Catalina or later, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, click Apple ID and then select iCloud in the sidebar: store in iCloud will turn on the Optimise Mac Storage setting on the right. To turn off iCloud Drive entirely, deselect iCloud Drive.
• If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, choose Apple menu > System Preferences, click iCloud, then click Options next to iCloud Drive. Store in iCloud turns on the Desktop & Documents Folders and Optimise Mac Storage settings.
• In Photos, choose Photos > Preferences and then click iCloud. Store in iCloud selects iCloud Photos and Optimise Mac Storage.
• In Messages, choose Messages > Preferences, then click iMessage. Store in iCloud selects Enable Messages in iCloud.

• If you're using macOS Catalina or later, open the Apple TV app, choose TV > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Files. Optimise Storage selects “Automatically delete watched films and TV programmes”.
• If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier, open iTunes, choose iTunes > Preferences from the menu bar, then click Advanced. Optimise Storage selects “Automatically delete watched films and TV programmes”.
• In Mail, choose Mail > Preferences from the menu bar and then click Accounts. In the Account Information section on the right, Optimise Storage sets the Download Attachments menu to either Recent or None.

How To Free Up Disk Space On Mac Os X

Empty Bin Automatically: From the Finder, choose Finder > Preferences, then click Advanced. Empty Bin Automatically selects “Remove items from the Bin after 30 days”.

How To Free Up Disk Space On Microsoft Edge

Other ways that macOS automatically helps to save space

With macOS Sierra or later, your Mac will take these additional steps automatically to save storage space:

• Detects duplicate downloads in Safari, keeping only the most recent version of the download
• Reminds you to delete used app installers
• Removes old fonts, languages and dictionaries that aren't being used
• Clears caches, logs and other unnecessary data when storage space is needed

How to free up storage space manually

Even without using the Optimised Storage features described in this article, you can take other steps to make more storage space available:

• Music, films and other media can use a lot of storage space. Learn how to delete music, films and TV programmes from your device.
• Delete other files that you no longer need by moving them to the Bin, then emptying the Bin. The Downloads folder is good place to look for files that you may no longer need.
• Move files to an external storage device.
• Compress files.
• Delete unneeded email: In the Mail app, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail. If you no longer need the email in your Deleted Items mailbox, choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items.

Learn more

• The Storage pane of About This Mac is the best way to determine the amount of storage space available on your Mac. Disk Utility and other apps may display storage categories, such as Not Mounted, VM, Recovery, Other Volumes, Other, Free or Purgeable. Don't rely on these categories to understand how to free up storage space or how much storage space is available for your data.
• When you duplicate a file on an APFS-formatted volume, that file won't use additional storage space on the volume. Deleting a duplicate file only frees up the space required by any data that you might have added to the duplicate. If you no longer need any copies of the file, you can recover all of the storage space by deleting both the duplicate and the original file.
• If you're using a pro app and Optimise Mac Storage, find out how to make sure your projects are always on your Mac and that you're able to access their files.