What does it mean when my macbook pro says startup disk is full?

When im on my macbook pro a message keeps poping up that says my startup disk is full.

First, reboot. That will temporarily free up some space. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB free for normal operation. You also need enough space left over to allow for growth of your data.
Use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper to explore your volume and find out what's taking up the space.
Proceed further only if the problem hasn't been solved.
ODS can't see the whole filesystem when you run it just by double-clicking; it only sees files that you have permission to read. To really see everything, you have to run it as root.
First, back up all data if you haven't already done so. No matter what happens, you should be able to restore your system to the state it was in at the time of that backup.
Launch the Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ If you’re running Mac OS X 10.7 or later, open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the page that opens.
After installing ODS in the Applications folder, drag or copy — do not type — the following line into the Terminal window, then press return:
sudo /Applications/OmniDiskSweeper.app/Contents/MacOS/OmniDiskSweeper
You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning not to screw up.
I don't recommend that you make a habit of this. Don't delete anything while running ODS as root. When you're done with it, quit it and also quit Terminal.

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What can I do when my macbook air says startup disk is full

What can I do and where do I look to offload things when my macbook air says my startup disk is full?
Thanks

Empty the Trash if you haven't already done so. If you use iPhoto, empty its internal Trash first:
iPhoto ▹ Empty Trash
Do the same in other applications, such as Aperture, that have an internal Trash feature. Then restart the computer. That will temporarily free up some space.
According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB of available space on the startup volume (as shown in the Finder Info window) for normal operation. You also need enough space left over to allow for growth of the data. There is little or no performance advantage to having more available space than the minimum Apple recommends. Available storage space that you'll never use is wasted space.
When Time Machine backs up a portable Mac, some of the free space will be used to make local snapshots, which are backup copies of recently deleted files. The space occupied by local snapshots is reported as available by the Finder, and should be considered as such. In the Storage display of System Information, local snapshots are shown as Backups. The snapshots are automatically deleted when they expire or when free space falls below a certain level. You ordinarily don't need to, and should not, delete local snapshots yourself. If you followed bad advice to disable local snapshots by running a shell command, you may have ended up with a lot of data in the Other category. Ask for instructions in that case.
See this support article for some simple ways to free up storage space.
You can more effectively use a tool such as OmniDiskSweeper (ODS) or GrandPerspective (GP) to explore the volume and find out what's taking up the space. You can also delete files with it, but don't do that unless you're sure that you know what you're deleting and that all data is safely backed up. That means you have multiple backups, not just one. Note that ODS only works with OS X 10.8 or later. If you're running an older OS version, use GP.
Deleting files inside an iPhoto or Aperture library will corrupt the library. Any changes to a photo library must be made from within the application that created it. The same goes for Mail files.
Proceed further only if the problem isn't solved by the above steps.
ODS or GP can't see the whole filesystem when you run it just by double-clicking; it only sees files that you have permission to read. To see everything, you have to run it as root.
Back up all data now.
If you have more than one user account, make sure you're logged in as an administrator. The administrator account is the one that was created automatically when you first set up the computer.
Install the app you downloaded in the Applications folder as usual. Quit it if it's running.
Triple-click anywhere in the corresponding line of text below on this page to select it, then copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C:
sudo /Applications/OmniDiskSweeper.app/Contents/MacOS/OmniDiskSweeper
sudo /Applications/GrandPerspective.app/Contents/MacOS/GrandPerspective
Launch the built-in Terminal application in any of the following ways:
☞ Enter the first few letters of its name into a Spotlight search. Select it in the results (it should be at the top.)
☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U. The application is in the folder that opens.
☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid.
Paste into the Terminal window by pressing command-V. You'll be prompted for your login password, which won't be displayed when you type it. You may get a one-time warning to be careful. If you see a message that your username "is not in the sudoers file," then you're not logged in as an administrator.
The application window will open, eventually showing all files in all folders, sorted by size. It may take a few minutes for the app to finish scanning.
I don't recommend that you make a habit of doing this. Don't delete anything 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 the app, quit it and also quit Terminal.

TS1365 What does it mean when my Macbook pro displays a question mark at startup, and won't boot?

My MacBook Pro won't start up. It displays a Question Mark for a while, and you can hear the HDD spinning, as well as some clicks, but nothing happens. It started after I accepted and began a recommended upgrade download and install. I started the upgrade install, rebooted, and walked away. An hour later, it displayed the progress bar as about 50% complete for the install. 24 hrs later, it was still at the same status. Several hours later, still no progress, so I hit the on/off button, shutting down the computer. After that, it would not restart...it gives the start-up chime, I hear the HDD spinning, and also hear some ominous "click click" sounds. Then a question mark pops onto the screen, and that's all. Any suggestions?

It means that it cannot find certain startup files. In your case it's probably because you interrupted the installation or the installation failed and files were corrupted or lost. Do the following:
Reinstalling Lion/Mountain Lion Without Erasing the Drive
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the main menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion: Select Reinstall Lion/Mountain Lion and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible because it is three times faster than wireless.

What does it mean when the error code says:

what does it mean when it says: cannot get mail-connection to server failed?
I'm talking about my Ipad 2

It means that the iPad cannot connect to the company that serves your email to you.
This can be cause by incorrect settings on your iPad. But if you were able to get mail regularly iprior to this on your iPad it could be a problem with your email provider that is causing the problem.
We're you able to get your email previously with the same device?

What does it mean when my MacBook only turns on when the charger is connected?

I just came home vacation with my laptop fully charged and when I went to go turn it on today it wouldn't unless the charger was in. Then I removed the charger and the computer shut down. What does this mean?

Battery Information:
Model Information:
Serial Number:          DP-ASMB016-3889-210
Manufacturer:          DP
Device name:          ASMB016
Pack Lot Code:          0002
PCB Lot Code:          0000
Firmware Version:          0110
Hardware Revision:          0500
Cell Revision:          0102
Charge Information:
Charge remaining (mAh):          0
Fully charged:          No
Charging:          No
Full charge capacity (mAh):          0
Health Information:
Cycle count:          752
Condition:          Check Battery
Battery Installed:          Yes
Amperage (mA):          0
Voltage (mV):          9727
System Power Settings:
AC Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Automatic Restart On Power Loss:          No
Wake On AC Change:          No
Wake On Clamshell Open:          Yes
Wake On LAN:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
Battery Power:
System Sleep Timer (Minutes):          60
Disk Sleep Timer (Minutes):          10
Display Sleep Timer (Minutes):          60
Wake On AC Change:          No
Wake On Clamshell Open:          Yes
Display Sleep Uses Dim:          Yes
Reduce Brightness:          Yes
Hardware Configuration:
UPS Installed:          No
AC Charger Information:
Connected:          Yes
Charging:          No

What does it mean when Mtn. Lion says it's "Calculating"?

I have a 30-day old iMac, good Internet connection, and I am still struggling with downloading Mountain Lion. I started the download this morning, and when I came home this evening, it said it was "Calculating."
What does this mean?

Have you tried in Safe Mode ?
Restart holding the "shift" key.
(Expect it to take longer to start this way because it runs a directory check first.)
And stay with the ethernet connection.

MacBook Pro says "startup disk full" and that I have 58GB of photos, but folder appears empty

For the past couple of days, I've been getting the message that I'm unable to save/download something because the startup disk is full. I checked the storage and the main problem appears to be 58.7 GB of photos, even though I've deleted all photos I could find (including iPhoto). I checked all of the folders on Finder, only to find my picture one taking up most of the space, but when I tried to view what was inside it appeared empty, and it wouldn't let me move the folder to trash. Any help on how to delete the contents of the folder?
Thank you

just kidding i figured it out

MacBook air says startup disk is full

What do you do when it says startup disk is full

Freeing Up Space on The Hard Drive
1. See Lion's Storage Display.
2. You can remove data from your Home folder except for the /Home/Library/ folder.
3. Visit The XLab FAQs and read the FAQ on freeing up space on your hard drive.
4. Also see Freeing space on your Mac OS X startup disk.
5. See Where did my Disk Space go?.
6. See The Storage Display.
You must Empty the Trash in order to recover the space they occupied on the hard drive.
You should consider replacing the drive with a larger one. Check out OWC for drives, tutorials, and toolkits.
Try using OmniDiskSweeper 1.8 or GrandPerspective to search your drive for large files and where they are located.

What does it mean that my macbook pro freezes until i smack it lightly in the bottom right hand corner by the trackpad???? is this specifically a hard drive problem? I don't know what to do.....

its' been happening a year now maybe?
i have a macbook pro 17" from 2008 or 9.
been a great computer but little things are going now....
for some reason my firewire ports don't like to work and randomly tell me my external drives are disconnected. my firewire 800 doesn't work at all..
my lcd is getting dim.
and the latest thing is my computer will freeze when you're doing something simple like googling something and it will stay frozen until you smack it on teh lower corner next to teh trackpad on the right hand side.
more than annoying.
what can i do?
i was going to try to repair this one, but it seems like it would be more cost efficient to just get a new one...
OH and my keyboard gets more than hot now
AND i can't, for whatever reason, burn any dvds or cds in my drive.. it gives me some random error..
my $h*t$ jacked up.
HELP!

Why did you put up with all those issues for a year?

What does it mean when my MacBook makes a clicking sound, and when I turn it off and back on again all I get is a folder icon with a ? in it?

My MacBook made a clicking sound. I turned it off for 5 minutes, then restarted it. Now all I get is a folder with a ? on it. Is my battery fried?

That folder with the question mark icon means that the MacBook can't find the boot directory. That can either mean it can't find the hard drive or the Operating System data on the hard drive is somehow corrupted.
Put your install DVD into the optical drive and reboot. As soon as you hear the boot chime, hold down the "c" key on your keyboard (or the Option key until the Install Disk shows up). That will force your MacBook to boot from the install DVD in the optical drive.
When it does start up, you'llsee a panel asking you to choose your language. Just press the Return key on your keyboard once. It will then present you with an Installation window. Completely ignore this window and click on Utilities in the top menu and scroll down to Disk Utility and click it. When it comes up is your Hard Drive in the list on the left?
If it is then click on the Mac OS partition of your hard drive in the left hand list. Then select the First Aid Tab and run Repair Disk. The Repair Disk button won't be available until you've clicked on the Mac OS partition on your hard drive. If that repairs any problems run it again until the green OK appears and then run Repair Permissions.
If your hard drive isn’t recognized in Disk Utility then your hard drive is probably dead.

What does this mean? (pic) macbook pro

So I've decided to update to Yosemite, and now I keep getting this:
I've already installed it, but it still comes up. Can anyone let me know please? thank you

Downloading this may help, if you have not alrady.
http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1572

What does it mean when I get the message "scratch disc is full"?

Trying to work on Photoshop and I'm getting the message, "scratch disc is full".

Ultimately here is the deal. Like OS X and Windows do at the system level, Photoshop will grow a virtual memory scratch file on your hard drive if you don't have enough RAM to do what you are trying to do.
That means, step 1 in preventing the scratch file is to put more RAM in the Mac so that Photoshop doesn't run out so fast and have to shove data off to the disk to make room.
Step 2 is to put the scratch file on another disk. This is why pros have often used desktop towers, because you can put multiple disks inside them. For example, system on one disk with lots of free space, photo library on another disk so it can grow freely, and another disk that is used exclusively to hold scratch files for Photoshop and other programs that need to do the same thing like Apple Final Cut. Splitting the data streams (system, file access, scratch) like this also speeds up the machine considerably since they're not all trying to use the disk at the same time.
The way you put the scratch file on another disk is to go into the Photoshop prefs, click Performance, and assign one of your other disks as a Scratch Disk there. (Use a fast disk, not a network or USB 1.0/2.0 disk, and partitioning your main disk will not help.)
If you do this, you don't need to change your main disk at all, you don't need to manually move any files off of it. Because by moving the scratch file off your main disk, the 58GB of free space you have there will now be plenty.
I used to use a PowerBook with an external monitor as a Photoshop machine, and plugged in a FireWire 800 external as a scratch disk. Even just doing that helped a lot.

What does it mean when app on iPhone says waiting?

some of my apps do not open and it says waiting. What is wrong?

Actually what was wrong was all the apps that said waiting needed to be updated. Thanks for you suggestions Kuantan!

What does it mean when the message icon says i have messages but i dont have any messages

okay . so i'm having trouble with my phone like on the home page after you unlock your phone . on the message icon it says i have 3 messages but when i open the icon i don't. & when i get a text message and my phone is locked it wont light up to tell me i have a message.

check your notifications as far as texts not showing up in the lock screen, it could be turned off.
try resetting your phone to get rid of the "3 message" notification

What does it mean when my mobile device says "this accessory may not be supported" or something similar to that? Does it mean I have to get a new charger?

Please lmk ASAP.

Does the charger actually chafe the phone?
I have same thing with one of mine I got from the market.
But as it still does the job I just ignore the alert
My stereo has a similar issue where it doesn't charge but still plays music so it suits me still
Hope that eases your mind.

What does it mean when my macbook pro says startup disk is full?

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