OmniDiskSweeper

Hi Folks,
Could someone give me a general answer to this question? I downloaded OmniDiskSweeper. When I call it up and target my HD, "Previous Systems" uses 2 GB of memory.
Could I delete it and what else can I safely delete. Would appreciate an answer.
Victor

Hi Victor,
Yes, it is perfectly ok to trash the Previous System folder as long as you are sure that there is nothing in there that you want.
There are many other things that you can delete safely. For example, on my iBook, I have removed GarageBand from Applications and its Loops from HD/Library/Application Support. As my iBook only has a combo drive and I'm not into video editing anyway I have trashed iDVD & iMovie. (Not DVD player). I have also trashed preloaded games and World Book, and its associated files.
OS X comes with a vast library of printer drivers, the large proportion of which will never be used by the average user.
Printer drivers are in the HD/Library/Printers folder. You can safely delete any named drivers that you don't have a printer for. For example, if you have a Canon, you can remove Epson, Lexmark, Hewlett Packard & Brother drivers. Epson alone takes up close to 1gb. You can even remove specific drivers from within the manufacturer's folder. For example, if you have an Epson C86 you can safely trash any other specific drivers in the Epson folder like C46, C66 etc. If, at a later date, you buy a printer whose driver you removed they can be added from your install disk, the disk that comes with the printer or downloaded.
A word of warning: More cautious heads than mine advise against messing in the HD/Library, but if you stick to the examples above, i.e. GarageBand loops, World Book and printer drivers you will be OK.
Certainly, I have had no problems with my system after removing those examples.
Check, too, in your music folder. If you have 'Copy files to iTunes music folder when adding to library' selected in iTunes preferences/Advanced it is possible that you have, say, 'xyz song' in the first level of your Music folder and the same song in Music/iTunes/iTunes Library. If you are sure that you do have 'xyz song' in iTunes, it is safe to delete from 'Music'. The same principle can apply to your Pictures folder and iPhoto Library, but staying with iTunes for a moment, with iTunes open select Edit in the menu bar, then 'Show duplicate songs'. You can trash duplicates if you are sure that they are true duplicates, i.e. exact name, artist and file size. Another little note of caution, neither iTunes nor iPhoto likes having its library messed with from within a Finder window. Resolve duplicates from within the respective application only.
Some excellent advice has been posted by ~JB~, with corresponding words of caution, which would also apply to your use of OmniDiskSweeper.
Dr Smoke has some advice here too.
Last but by no means least, when you have finished dumping your unwanted stuff in the trash, don't forget to empty it. You haven't regained the space until you do
…and definitely last this time: If in doubt leave it alone and ask!
Have fun,
Adrian

Similar Messages

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    I already deleted some files in my Home folder. All that's remaining are my school files. Hmmm. That's weird. I'm sure I attached a photo. Okay, here's a link to the photo: https://www.dropbox.com/s/wmk0f7fp3eurufc/Screen%20Shot%202013-08-28%20at%2010.2 5.43%20AM.png Thank you!

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  • Omnidisksweeper wiped my photo folder. Any recovery tips?

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  • Time Capsule Problems

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    Helpmeplease111 wrote:
    How else can I free up space?
    (Taking things in reverse order), there are several tools to show what's using your disk space.
    Some are free, such as:
    [Disk Inventory X|http://www.derlien.com>
    [OmniDiskSweeper|http://www.omnigroup.com/products/omnidisksweeper>
    [SupaView|http://twinside.free.fr/supaview>
    Some of those also have other useful features.
    But I recommend [WhatSize|http://www.whatsizemac.com/index.php] ($12.99 US) for the following features:
    It's the only one with an option to show everything at once; the others only show things the logged-on user is permitted to see (click the +As User+ padlock icon in the toolbar).
    You can use any of 4 different display formats (3 text and a pie chart).
    There's a "Find Duplicates" feature.
    It has very good and complete Help.
    Do you have any suggestions on how to find and delete duplicate files easily?
    I've not used the "Find Duplicates" feature (just experimented with it a bit), but it might of help. It finds what appear to be duplicates; you'll still have to figure out whether they're really redundant.

  • Which is the best app to clean my mac? MacKeeper?

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    If you have a problem, please describe it, rather than your conclusion as to how it should be solved. Otherwise, see below.
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    Keeping up to date is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of trouble with system updates.
    3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
    It's not much of an exaggeration to say that the whole "utility" software industry for the Mac is a fraud on consumers. The most extreme example is the “MacKeeper” scam.
    As a rule, the only software you should install is that which directly enables you to do the things you use a computer for, and doesn't change the way other software works.
    Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception to the above rule. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction.  Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery.
    Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve.
    4. Beware of malware. Malware is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X used to be so rare that it was hardly a concern, but it's now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
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    Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must come directly from the developer's website. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash. A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam.
    In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
    Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
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    While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage use and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
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    6. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
    To use a Mac effectively, you have to free yourself from the Windows mindset that every computer needs regular downtime maintenance such as "defragging" and "registry cleaning." Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform. A computing device should not be a focus of your attention. It should be an almost invisible tool by means of which you communicate, work, and play. If you want a machine that is always whining for your attention like a neurotic dog, use a PC.
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  • I can not view pdf. files on the web.

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    Yes, it was working.
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  • What do I need to do when I receive the message ". . . your startup disc is full, you need to make some room by deleting some files"

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    My first recommendation is this: download and run the free OmniDiskSweeper. This will identify the exact size of all your folders - you can drill down into the subfolders and figure out where your largest culprits are. For example, you might find that your Pictures folder contains both an iPhoto Library and copies that you've brought in from a camera but are outside the iPhoto Library structure. Or perhaps you have a lot of purchased video content in iTunes.
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    Let us know what you find out, and if you manage to get your space back.
    Matt

  • How do I get more space on my startup disk

    How do I get more space on my startup disk?

    Freeing Up Space on The Hard Drive
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  • WhatSize this: mid-2009 MBP w/LION has full HD

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  • I was backing up my iPhone and importing photos onto iPhoto at the same time , then suddenly it says no more space available (i had 48GB before i do this and now i have 18GB) i can't find the back up or the photo anywhere , how can i delete them ?

    i was backing up my iPhone and importing photos onto iPhoto at the same time , then suddenly it says no more space available (i had 48GB before i do this and now i have 18GB) i can't find the back up or the photo anywhere , how can i delete them ? i dont need the pictures or the back ups , i want to delete them but they are not there

    Empty the Trash if you haven't already done so. If you use iPhoto, empty its internal Trash first:
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    Back up all data now.
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    Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:
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    I don't recommend that you make a habit of doing this. Don't delete anything while running ODS 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 ODS, quit it and also quit Terminal.

  • I have just taken delivery of a brand new 15" macbook pro, tried migration assistant from a time machine backup, music, photos, programs etc. They now take up 350gb of my hard drive but the files are nowhere to be found? can anyone help?

    Set migration assistant to run whilst on a lunch break, given that it needed 2 hours or so, when i returned all programs and applications had moved across from my time machine backup of a now dead 15"macbook pro 2009 edition running snow leopard...When i look at my new system information it shows my new 500gb drive is full of music, movies and photos and has only 168gb free, not enough to run a new migration and i don't have any boot disks for Lion so really don't want to erase the hard drive. To compound the problem i'm in Vietnam where there isn't a genius bar just around the corner, or even an aasp within 700km - what should I do?

    Is the HDD in the 2009 15" MBP dead?  (The original source of your data)  If not, you might want ot take it out and put it in an enclosure.
    You might try spotlight on know files to see if that gives you any clues where your data is located.
    You might down load from the Internet OmniDiskSweeper (free) and open it.  It should show you all of the files you have on your MBP and enable to locate them.
    Ciao.

  • What do I do with the results of EtreCheck if I am trying to be proactive? embarrassed grin Can anyone help?

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      iMac 1920 x 1080
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      disk1s1 (disk1s1) <not mounted>: 32 KB
      LaCie (disk1s3) /Volumes/LaCie: 499.97 GB (139.69 GB free)
    Gatekeeper:
      Mac App Store and identified developers
    Launch Daemons:
      [loaded] com.adobe.fpsaud.plist Support
      [not loaded] com.adobe.SwitchBoard.plist Support
      [loaded] com.google.keystone.daemon.plist Support
      [loaded] com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist Support
    Launch Agents:
      [not loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
      [loaded] com.adobe.CS5ServiceManager.plist Support
      [running] com.brother.LOGINserver.plist Support
      [loaded] com.divx.dms.agent.plist Support
      [loaded] com.divx.update.agent.plist Support
      [loaded] com.google.keystone.agent.plist Support
      [loaded] com.hp.help.tocgenerator.plist Support
    User Launch Agents:
      [loaded] com.adobe.AAM.Updater-1.0.plist Support
      [loaded] com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist Support
      [failed] com.apple.CSConfigDotMacCert-[...]@me.com-SharedServices.Agent.plist
      [not loaded] com.google.Chrome.framework.plist Support
    User Login Items:
      iTunesHelper
      MacLWSLauncher
      AdobeResourceSynchronizer
      EvernoteHelper
      Caffeine
      Android File Transfer Agent
      Dropbox
      VerizonUpdateCenter
      WidgetRunner
      Google Drive
      RealPlayer Downloader Agent
      EvernoteHelper
      Kodak Share Button Agent
      HP Product Research
      HPEventHandler
    Internet Plug-ins:
      o1dbrowserplugin: Version: 5.4.2.18903 Support
      OVSHelper: Version: 1.1 Support
      Default Browser: Version: 537 - SDK 10.9
      Flip4Mac WMV Plugin: Version: 2.4.4.2 Support
      RealPlayer Plugin: Version: (null) Support
      AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
      FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
      DivX Web Player: Version: 3.2.1.977 - SDK 10.6 Support
      Silverlight: Version: 5.1.20513.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
      Flash Player: Version: 14.0.0.145 - SDK 10.6 Support
      iPhotoPhotocast: Version: 7.0 - SDK 10.8
      googletalkbrowserplugin: Version: 5.4.2.18903 Support
      QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
      AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.07 - SDK 10.6 Support
      CouponPrinter-FireFox_v2: Version: Version 1.1.9 - SDK 10.5 Support
      SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.3 - SDK 10.6 Support
      WidevineMediaOptimizer: Version: 6.0.0.12757 - SDK 10.7 Support
      JavaAppletPlugin: Version: 14.9.0 - SDK 10.7 Check version
    Safari Extensions:
      Conduit Search for Safari: Version: 1.0
    Audio Plug-ins:
      BluetoothAudioPlugIn: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.9
      AirPlay: Version: 2.0 - SDK 10.9
      AppleAVBAudio: Version: 203.2 - SDK 10.9
      iSightAudio: Version: 7.7.3 - SDK 10.9
    iTunes Plug-ins:
      Quartz Composer Visualizer: Version: 1.4 - SDK 10.9
    User Internet Plug-ins:
      ConduitNPAPIPlugin: Version: 1.0 - SDK 10.6 Support
      Picasa: Version: 1.0 Support
    3rd Party Preference Panes:
      Flash Player  Support
      Flip4Mac WMV  Support
      Growl  Support
    Time Machine:
      Skip System Files: NO
      Auto backup: YES
      Volumes being backed up:
      Macintosh HD: Disk size: 930.71 GB Disk used: 105.30 GB
      Destinations:
      LaCie [Local] (Last used)
      Total size: 465.64 GB
      Total number of backups: 210
      Oldest backup: 2011-01-02 19:28:34 +0000
      Last backup: 2014-07-31 10:04:28 +0000
      Size of backup disk: Adequate
      Backup size 465.64 GB > (Disk used 105.30 GB X 3)
      Time Machine details may not be accurate.
      All volumes being backed up may not be listed.
    Top Processes by CPU:
          2% Dropbox
          2% WindowServer
          1% RealPlayer Downloader Agent
          0% fontd
          0% launchservicesd
    Top Processes by Memory:
      262 MB Finder
      229 MB mds_stores
      213 MB com.apple.IconServicesAgent
      164 MB Evernote
      164 MB Numbers
    Virtual Memory Information:
      10.43 GB Free RAM
      3.78 GB Active RAM
      560 MB Inactive RAM
      1.24 GB Wired RAM
      8.88 GB Page-ins
      0 B Page-outs

    I stumbled upon a forum discussion of EtreCheck. It seemed like a good way to be proactive for problems
    It isn't. Below is a good way to be proactive for problems.
    How to maintain a Mac
    1. Make two or more backups of all your files, keeping at least one off site at all times in case of disaster. One backup is not enough to be safe. Don’t back up your backups; all should be made directly from the original data. Don’t rely completely on any single backup method, such as Time Machine. If you get an indication that a backup has failed, don't ignore it.
    2. Keep your software up to date. In the App Store or Software Update preference pane (depending on the OS version), you can configure automatic notifications of updates to OS X and other Mac App Store products. Some third-party applications from other sources have a similar feature, if you don’t mind letting them phone home. Otherwise you have to check yourself on a regular basis.
    Keeping up to date is especially important for complex software that modifies the operating system, such as device drivers. Before installing any Apple update, you must check that all such modifications that you use are compatible. Incompatibility with third-party software is by far the most common cause of trouble with system updates.
    3. Don't install crapware, such as “themes,” "haxies," “add-ons,” “toolbars,” “enhancers," “optimizers,” “accelerators,” "boosters," “extenders,” “cleaners,” "doctors," "tune-ups," “defragmenters,” “firewalls,” "barriers," “guardians,” “defenders,” “protectors,” most “plugins,” commercial "virus scanners,” "disk tools," or "utilities." With very few exceptions, such stuff is useless or worse than useless. Above all, avoid any software that purports to change the look and feel of the user interface.
    It's not much of an exaggeration to say that the whole "utility" software industry for the Mac is a fraud on consumers. The most extreme examples are the "CleanMyMac," "TuneUpMyMac," and “MacKeeper” scams, but there are many others.
    As a rule, you should avoid software that changes the way other software works. Plugins for Photoshop and similar programs are an obvious exception to this rule. Safari extensions, and perhaps the equivalent for other web browsers, are a partial exception. Most are safe, and they're easy to get rid of if they don't work. Some may cause the browser to crash or otherwise malfunction. Some are malicious. Use with caution, and install only well-known extensions from relatively trustworthy sources, such as the Safari Extensions Gallery.
    Only install software that is useful to you, not (as you imagine) to the computer. For example, a word processor is useful for writing. A video editor is useful for making movies. A game is useful for fun. But a "cache cleaner" isn't useful for anything. Cleaning caches is not an end in itself.
    Never install any third-party software unless you know how to uninstall it. Otherwise you may create problems that are very hard to solve. Do not rely on "utilities" such as "AppCleaner" and the like that purport to remove software.
    4. Don't install bad, conflicting, or unnecessary fonts. Whenever you install new fonts, use the validation feature of the built-in Font Book application to make sure the fonts aren't defective and don't conflict with each other or with others that you already have. See the built-in help and this support article for instructions. Deactivate or remove fonts that you don't really need to speed up application launching.
    5. Avoid malware. Malware is malicious software that circulates on the Internet. This kind of attack on OS X was once so rare that it was hardly a concern, but malware is now increasingly common, and increasingly dangerous.
    There is some built-in protection against malware, but you can’t rely on it—the attackers are always at least one day ahead of the defense. You can’t rely on third-party protection either. What you can rely on is common-sense awareness—not paranoia, which only makes you more vulnerable.
    Never install software from an untrustworthy or unknown source. If in doubt, do some research. Any website that prompts you to install a “codec” or “plugin” that comes from the same site, or an unknown site, is untrustworthy. Software with a corporate brand, such as Adobe Flash Player, must come directly from the developer's website. No intermediary is acceptable, and don’t trust links unless you know how to parse them. Any file that is automatically downloaded from the web, without your having requested it, should go straight into the Trash. A web page that tells you that your computer has a “virus,” or that anything else is wrong with it, is a scam.
    In OS X 10.7.5 or later, downloaded applications and Installer packages that have not been digitally signed by a developer registered with Apple are blocked from loading by default. The block can be overridden, but think carefully before you do so.
    Because of recurring security issues in Java, it’s best to disable it in your web browsers, if it’s installed. Few websites have Java content nowadays, so you won’t be missing much. This action is mandatory if you’re running any version of OS X older than 10.6.8 with the latest Java update. Note: Java has nothing to do with JavaScript, despite the similar names. Don't install Java unless you're sure you need it. Most people don't.
    6. Don't fill up your disk/SSD. A common mistake is adding more and more large files to your home folder until you start to get warnings that you're out of space, which may be followed in short order by a startup failure. This is more prone to happen on the newer Macs that come with an internal SSD instead of the traditional hard drive. The drive can be very nearly full before you become aware of the problem.
    While it's not true that you should or must keep any particular percentage of space free, you should monitor your storage use and make sure you're not in immediate danger of using it up. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of free space on the startup volume for normal operation.
    If storage space is running low, use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the most space. Move seldom-used large files to secondary storage.
    7. Relax, don’t do it. Besides the above, no routine maintenance is necessary or beneficial for the vast majority of users; specifically not “cleaning caches,” “zapping the PRAM,” "resetting the SMC," “rebuilding the directory,” "defragmenting the drive," “running periodic scripts,” “dumping logs,” "deleting temp files," “scanning for viruses,” "purging memory," "checking for bad blocks," "testing the hardware," or “repairing permissions.” Such measures are either completely pointless or are useful only for solving problems, not for prevention.
    To use a Mac effectively, you have to free yourself from the Windows mindset that every computer needs regular downtime maintenance such as "defragging" and "registry cleaning." Those concepts do not apply to the Mac platform.
    A well-designed computing device is not something you should have to think about much. It should be an almost transparent medium through which you communicate, work, and play. If you want a machine that needs a lot of attention, use a PC.
    The very height of futility is running an expensive third-party application called “Disk Warrior” when nothing is wrong, or even when something is wrong and you have backups, which you must have. Disk Warrior is a data-salvage tool, not a maintenance tool, and you will never need it if your backups are adequate. Don’t waste money on it or anything like it.

  • How can I find saved movies on my hard drive?

    I am trying to clean out my hard drive by putting a lot of pictures and videos on an external hard drive.  I went through all my saved videos that were in Iphoto and transfered them to the hard drive and then deleted them. 
    When I open up my storage information it still says I have 84 GB of videos on my Macbook Pro hard drive, which doesn't make sense because I just transfered and deleted 77 GB of video.(Had 84 to start with)  I tried searching the hard drive but I have no clue where else the videos could be saved. 
    Can anyone help??

    Resources to check your hard drive space
    Disk Inventory X
    OmniDiskSweeper
    WhatSize
    SpaceControl

  • How do I exclude directories from Finder search results? I'm trying to find the biggest FILES on my computer and it keeps showing me "Macintosh HD" as the biggest, how can I search for files of type "NOT folder/directory"?

    Basically I've lost 10GB of free space over the last few weeks so my plan was to search for files modified in the last 2 weeks in order to figure out which ones are big and where that space went.
    So I open finder, go to "File > Find", and enter a search:
    Modified > In the last 2 weeks
    All fine so far.
    Problem is, it's showing whole directories as results. Which essentially means that when I order the list by size, Macintosh HD is at the top, followed by "Users", then "Applications", then one of my bigger movie files, then "Library", etc.
    How can I do a search which will ignore folders? I want individual files. Knowing that Macintosh HD is the biggest item on my computer and was modified in the last 2 weeks is utterly useless to me.
    Older versions of Finder in OS 9 had a feature where you could search for "files, whose type "IS NOT" folder", but OS X doesn't seem to have such a feature.
    Can anyone help?

    How much free space is on the HD, where has all the space gone?
    OmniDiskSweeper is likely the easiest/best, and is now free...
    http://www.omnigroup.com/applications/omnidisksweeper/download/

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