How to delete System storage on Mac – Guide
Solid state drives (SSDs) are incredibly fast, but their high cost means that Macs with a built-in SSD boot drive have much less capacity than their hard drive-based counterparts. This can be a problem if you have a large collection of photos or music files, or if you use your Mac to edit videos. And so, if you have an SSD, you may spend a lot of time checking the Storage tab of About This Mac. One thing you might have noticed is the colored bar labeled ‘System Data’. What is it and how to clean it? Read and find out. ..
What’s in the system on Mac storage?
The System folder on your Mac contains various files that are scattered across your drive. These files include old Time Machine snapshots, iOS backups, cache files, any disk image downloaded to update apps or macOS, and whether you’ve activated FileVault encryption. FileVault encryption then protects your files in System.
How much space the system is taking up up?
- Open the system file explorer.
- Type “ls -l” to list all the files in the system.
- Look for a file with a “.sys” extension and see how many files are associated with that name.
To open the App Store, click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the screen. ..
This Mac is a powerful and versatile computer that can handle any task you throw at it. With its fast processor, large storage space, and great graphics, it’s perfect for online gaming, streaming video, and more.
In the small window that appears, click on the Storage tab to see a list of devices that are currently stored on your computer.
The graph below illustrates how your disk space is being allocated by the Windows operating system. The system is grayed out and if you hover your mouse over the area it will reveal the size. For a more detailed analysis, click on the Manage… button which opens a new window with the various elements listed, along with the storage space they are using.
You will need to clean System if you want to keep it clean.
Why is the system storage on my Mac so high?
If you have a lot of files that are large in size, your Mac may be struggling to keep up with the demand and start to experience slowdowns and crashes. ..
When you shoot up the storage overview in About This Mac, it’s worth waiting a few minutes before concluding that the system is taking up an obscene amount of storage.Apparently, it can reset itself after a few minutes when some things that were assigned to the System are relocated to iCloud or elsewhere (although that didn’t happen in our case unfortunately).
Can I delete system storage on my Mac?
There is no cleaning system or exclusion system button available on macOS, so you’ll have to manage the storage yourself. In the sections below we will explain how to delete each type of file from the system. While it is possible to manually delete the various files included in the System category, we recommend that you only do this if you are sure you know what you are doing. It’s easy to accidentally delete an important file, only to find it causes problems later on. If disaster strikes, try some of the tips inside how to recover deleted files on Mac. Also, before removing anything, we suggest performing a full backup of your Mac’s storage, just so you can return it to its previous state if any issues arise. Reading how to Backup a Mac and the best Mac backup software for more details.
The best way to clean your Mac is to use a cleaning system like MacPaw’s CleanMyMac X or Nektony’s MacCleaner Pro. These apps can safely delete files you don’t need, so you don’t have to worry about finding and identify files that can be safely deleted.
How to remove Time Machine snapshots on Mac
System administrators and users alike are constantly creating local snapshots on their Macs as part of Time Machine backups. These snapshots are saved to the system’s boot volume, which can be a problem if you don’t have enough free space. If old snapshots are deleted when new ones are created, you may not have access to them if you need them. ..
There are a few easy ways to remove local snapshots from your hard drive. You can just turn off Time Machine feature itself, which will remove all local snapshots stored on your Mac. There is also a slightly more complicated method using Terminal. We explain both in our walkthrough guide to removing these space-stealing artifacts, so read how to delete Time Machine backups on Mac to find the easiest way to remove them. ..
How to remove old iOS backups on Mac
Apple’s older backups can use up space on your Mac, so it’s a good idea to clean them every now and then. Depending on which version of macOS you are using, here is how to quickly dispose of them:
- Open Finder and select the backup file(s).
- Drag and drop the backup files into the Trash can.
- Close Finder.
macOS Catalina or later
Scroll to the bottom of the page and tap on “Settings” Scroll down to “Cellular” and tap on it Under “General,” make sure that “Show Cellular Status in Menu Bar” is turned off. This will stop your phone from constantly displaying your cellular data usage. ..
Highlight the ones you no longer need and why they’re important to you.
Delete Backup and confirm your choice to delete the backup file.
macOS Mojave or earlier
In the Preferences window, click on the Music tab. Under “Playback Options,” make sure that “Copy files to iTunes library when adding to library” is checked. ..
In the Devices tab, you can see a list of devices that are connected to your computer.
If you have a lot of data, make sure to back it up regularly. But if you only need a few backups, consider high-quality backups that you don’t need anymore.
How to find the System folder on Mac
To access the System and Library folders on a Mac, you can do so through a menu option in Finder. To grant yourself temporary access, follow these steps: ..
To open a new Finder window, press Command+N. ..
Open the “Home” folder.
Right-click and choose Show View Options from the menu and then click on the “Layout” tab. In the “Layout” tab, you’ll see a list of options that relate to how your page looks. You can change the layout of your page by choosing one of the following options: -By using a table or grid layout -By using a column layout -By using a mix of table and grid layouts
In order to enable the Show library folder option in Windows 10, open the Start menu and type “cmd” and hit enter. Then type “shell” and hit enter. Finally, type “show library” and hit enter. This will open the Show library folder in Windows 10.
Final note
Delete System Storage on Mac: A Guide If you have any questions about this guide, or if you just want to share your love for it, please feel free to do so in the comments below. We would really appreciate it!
