Why is my hard drive full?

I have a 500GB flash hard drive on my macbook pro and it is almost full. When I look at the drive in the finder, though, I see that my personal user folder is taking up 460GB of that, but then when I expand it and add up the components they only add up to 260GB. I can't figure out why. My pictures file is 125GB and my music and desktop are 60GB each, and the rest are pretty small. They don't add up to the 460GB that the overall user folder shows is in there.

If you have 10.7 or above, your Library folder is hidden. That usually takes up quite a bit of space - it contains all your Mail, caches, application files, and so on.
Either way, I would recommend running Omnidisksweeper. That usually gives a more accurate picture of your large files and folders.
http://www.omnigroup.com/more
Matt

Similar Messages

Why is my hard drive full when I only have the operating system loaded and nothing else? No pics, music, nothing...It's the 60 Gig hard drive on the air built in late 2010.

Why is my hard drive full when I'm only running the operating system and nothing else is loaded? No music, pics, nothing! I understand the hard drive is small at 60 gig, but I can't believe the os would take up that much space.

First, empty the Trash if you haven't already done so. Then reboot. That will temporarily free up some space. According to Apple documentation, you need at least 9 GB free on the startup volume 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. Back up all data now. 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. ☞ Open LaunchPad. Click Utilities, then Terminal in the icon grid. 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.

Why is my hard drive full of 90gb of "other" ?

I have nothing on the machine but 17gb of photos and 10GB od apps. What is taking this space and how can I get it back? I am not using time machine, I deleted caches and cookies and email downloads... I'm stumped! Now I am getting the "startup disk is full, but there is NOTHING left to delete! Every time I delete something, the "other" fills back up. 2GB photos deleted, 2GB pops up in "other". ????

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.

Why is my hard drive mostly backups?

Why is my hard drive full of backups?
Okay, my computer was running low on storage space, so I decided to clean it up. Now, my storage tab in "about this mac" looks like this:
What happened? Is there a secret folder somewhere where I can delete all these backups? I have a 2009 macbook pro that has seen better days, and I am currently running on OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.1. My computer doesn't run well after it has less than 100gb of free space left. Can someone please help? I would get another mac, but I don't have the money. Thanks to anyone who can help!

http://pondini.org/TM/30.html

My mac air says hard drive full and 90% is full of 'other' which I cant work out what 'other' is as i Have transferred most to my external hard drive

My mac air says hard drive full and 90% is full of 'other' which I cant work out what 'other' is as i Have transferred most to my external hard drive.
Do you know how I can tell how large each file is taking up and what my 'other' category could be?
thanks

Initial easy steps to gain disk space:
- Delete all files in the Downloads folder.
Empty the Trash.
- Start iPhoto.
Empty its trash.
Restart.
Backup:
Run a Time Machine (or other) backup since you are about to delete and move files and you may need to recover from any inadvertent mistakes or decisions. You will need one external hard drive for your Time Machine (or other) backup and a second if you plan to offload some files. (See suggestions for where to purchase hard drives at the end of this message.)
For more about backups:
Time Machine Basics: http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1427
Most commonly used backup methods:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-3045
Methodology to protect your data. Backups vs. Archives. Long-term data protection:
https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6031
Deleting files:
Then use the free application OmniDiskSweeper http://www.omnigroup.com/more to explore your volume in descending order by size so you can attack the problem from the top down, deleting the largest unwanted files first. Delete with caution and do not delete any system files. Remember to empty the trash after trashing the files.
Additional reference on freeing disk space:
http://pondini.org/OSX/DiskSpace.html
Offloading files:
Consider moving some of the no-often-used large files or directories to an external disk. Use ODS again to find them. This will be at least your second hard drive. Your first one(s) is/are for your Time Machine (or other) backup(s). Do not offload files onto a Time Machine disk.
Format the second drive as Mac OS Extended (journaled). Using OWS to find large files/folders and copy them from the system drive to the external hard drive and delete them from your internal drive.
Then  > System Preferences > Time Machine > Options… > Remove the offload HD name from the exclusions list.
Now both your system disk and your external offload disk will be backed up onto your Time Machine disk.
From: http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/freeingspace.html
To move your iTunes Music folder to another disk or partition:
To change the location of your iTunes Music folder, carefully follow the instructions in the AppleCare® Knowledge Base document "iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Music folder."Additional information can be found in iTunes Help.
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:http://www.thexlab.com/105/ 00000849.html
Laptop users may want to consider having two iTunes libraries: a small library of current favorites on their computer, while their complete library resides on an external hard drive. Utilities like iTunes Library Manager enable you to easily have multiple iTunes libraries you can use with your account. https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/7689/itunes-library-manager
To move your iPhoto Library folder to another disk or partition:
To move the iPhoto Library folder to a new location, employ the instructions in the AppleCare Knowledge Base document from http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2506 corresponding to the version of iPhoto you are using. Additional information can be found in iPhoto Help.
Laptop users may want to consider having two iPhoto libraries: a small library of current, favorite photographs on their computer, while their complete library, or archives of older photos are saved on an external hard drive. Utilities such as iPhoto Buddy and iPhoto Library Manager enable you to have multiple iPhoto libraries that you can use with your account.
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/12175/iphoto-buddy
https://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/7158/iphoto-library-manager
Hardware — Bigger disk/SSD:
OWC sells 120, 240 and 480 GB SSD upgrades for MacBook Airs. A 240 GB upgrade costs $265. http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/ . If your Mac is under warranty or AppleCare replacing the SSD will void the warranty.

Why does my hard drive state I have used 500 gb when I have only used 280 gb?

Why does my hard drive state I have used 500 gb when I have only used approximately 280 gb?

Have you emptied your trash lately...
Also... See these links...
Apple ML = Increase Disc Space
http://support.apple.com/kb/PH10677
See Here > Where did my Disk Space go?
And Here > The Storage Display

Why is my hard drive requiring authentication before allowing me to drag documents to it?

Why is my hard drive requiring authentication before allowing me to drag documents to it?

Why do you even think it needs defraginng, your iMac is not an old MS Windows machine?. Defragging HD's is a very antiquated and unneccessary thing to do. Even current MS Windows machines don't need it.

Why do new hard drives keep failing in Mac Mini OSX Server?

Why new new hard drives keep failing in Mac Mini OSX server?

If it only failed in 8 days.. I just return the drives back to newegg and get a different brand like western digital. NewEgg has a 30 day return policy.
If you deal with any hard drive manufacturer now, they will give you a refurbished item and not a new item that you are entitled.
As for testing hardware....
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1509
even if it still passed Apple tests.. it does not mean logicboard is fine..... it just means it passes the tests.
At this point, If i were you, I would just go back to NewEgg and send back the Seagates letting know they are bad and prefer a different brand such as Western Digital.
Install the Western Digitals and see how long they last. If they fail again in a a short amoung of time, it's the logicboard then.
This is based on experience in dealing with repairs with Macs, PCs, and other various kinds of Servers and computers over the last 10+ years.
In fact, One of my clients who has a Dual 4-core Intel Xeon Server with a Supermicro logicboard, one of their SATA drive ports are bad. Every 4 months like clock work the Mirror RAID Drive would degrade on that port. Then after figuring out that the drives are not necessary bad, I swapped to using another spare SATA port and since then no problems.

Why is my hard drive randomly trashing unselected files?

Hey all,
I've noticed that everytime i plug in my hard drive, a selection of files end up in the trash, and these are files that i have not deleted. i made the mistake of emptying the trash and lost a whole lot of files from my hard drive.
when i unplug the hd the files are no longer in the trash, but when i plug it back in the trash is full. this is a problem because the files i do delete to free up the space on my hd seem to end up in the trash with files that i havent deleted at all, and the only way to free up space on my hd is to empty the trash. how can i resolve this problem of making sure only the files i delete are in the trash and not importrant unselected files?? Help!

Why do you even think it needs defraginng, your iMac is not an old MS Windows machine?. Defragging HD's is a very antiquated and unneccessary thing to do. Even current MS Windows machines don't need it.

Hard drive full on wake. But restart fixes it?!

When I wake my mac from sleep in the morning my mac is running really slow and it says my hard rive is full, but I know this isn't true. When I do a restart it shows the hard drive with 10% free as it should be (22GB on a 250GB hard drive)
Why is it doing this and forcing a restart?!
Thanks,
James

Downloaded Etrecheck....this is the report....lots of red stuff!
Problem description:
Mac using has plenty of hard drive space…but slowing down to halt and saying all arrive space taken up
EtreCheck version: 2.1.8 (121)
Report generated 24 March 2015 15:04:43 GMT
Download EtreCheck from http://etresoft.com/etrecheck
Click the [Click for support] links for help with non-Apple products.
Click the [Click for details] links for more information about that line.
Hardware Information: ℹ️
    MacBook Air (13-inch, Mid 2013) (Technical Specifications)
    MacBook Air - model: MacBookAir6,2
    1 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 CPU: 2-core
    4 GB RAM Not upgradeable
        BANK 0/DIMM0
            2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
        BANK 1/DIMM0
            2 GB DDR3 1600 MHz ok
    Bluetooth: Good - Handoff/Airdrop2 supported
    Wireless: en0: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
    Battery Health: Normal - Cycle count 96
Video Information: ℹ️
    Intel HD Graphics 5000
        Color LCD 1440 x 900
        Thunderbolt Display 2560 x 1440
System Software: ℹ️
    OS X 10.10.2 (14C1514) - Time since boot: 5:24:17
Disk Information: ℹ️
    APPLE SSD SD0256F disk0 : (251 GB)
        EFI (disk0s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
        Macintosh HD (disk0s2) / : 250.14 GB (24.52 GB free)
        Recovery HD (disk0s3) <not mounted> [Recovery]: 650 MB
USB Information: ℹ️
    Sunplus Innovation Technology. USB to Serial-ATA bridge 500.11 GB
        HD_500GB (disk2s1) /Volumes/HD_500GB : 500.11 GB (282.67 GB free)
    Samsung M3 Portable Samsung M3 Portable 1 TB
        EFI (disk1s1) <not mounted> : 210 MB
        Thunderbolt 1TB Samsung (disk1s2) /Volumes/Thunderbolt 1TB Samsung : 999.86 GB (848.14 GB free)
    Apple Inc. FaceTime HD Camera (Display)
    Apple Inc. Apple Thunderbolt Display
    Apple Inc. Display Audio
    Apple Internal Memory Card Reader
    Apple Inc. iPhone
    Apple Inc. BRCM20702 Hub
        Apple Inc. Bluetooth USB Host Controller
    Logitech USB Receiver
Thunderbolt Information: ℹ️
    Apple Inc. thunderbolt_bus
        Apple Inc. Thunderbolt Display
Gatekeeper: ℹ️
    Mac App Store and identified developers
Kernel Extensions: ℹ️
        /Applications/Parallels Desktop.app
    [loaded]    com.parallels.kext.hypervisor (10.1.4 28883 - SDK 10.7) [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.parallels.kext.netbridge (10.1.4 28883 - SDK 10.7) [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.parallels.kext.usbconnect (10.1.4 28883 - SDK 10.7) [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.parallels.kext.vnic (10.1.4 28883 - SDK 10.7) [Click for support]
        /Library/Extensions
    [loaded]    com.sophos.kext.sav (9.2.50 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.sophos.nke.swi (9.2.50 - SDK 10.8) [Click for support]
Problem System Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [killed]    com.apple.AirPlayUIAgent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.bird.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.CalendarAgent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.CallHistoryPluginHelper.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.CallHistorySyncHelper.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.cmfsyncagent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.coreservices.appleid.authentication.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.EscrowSecurityAlert.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.icloud.fmfd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.iconservices.iconservicesagent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.pluginkit.pkd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.printtool.agent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.recentsd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.SafariNotificationAgent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.sbd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.scopedbookmarkagent.xpc.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.secd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.security.cloudkeychainproxy.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.spindump_agent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.syncdefaultsd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.telephonyutilities.callservicesd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.xpc.loginitemregisterd.plist
    22 processes killed due to memory pressure
Problem System Launch Daemons: ℹ️
    [killed]    com.apple.awdd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.cache_delete.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.ctkd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.icloud.findmydeviced.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.iconservices.iconservicesagent.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.iconservices.iconservicesd.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.ifdreader.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.MobileFileIntegrity.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.nehelper.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.spindump.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.sysmond.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.tccd.system.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.wdhelper.plist
    [killed]    com.apple.xpc.smd.plist
    [killed]    org.cups.cupsd.plist
    15 processes killed due to memory pressure
Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Java-Updater.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.sophos.uiserver.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.trusteer.rapport.rapportd.plist [Click for support]
Launch Daemons: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.adobe.fpsaud.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.microsoft.office.licensing.helper.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.Helper-Tool.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.oracle.java.JavaUpdateHelper.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.sophos.common.servicemanager.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.trusteer.rooks.rooksd.plist [Click for support]
User Launch Agents: ℹ️
    [loaded]    com.adobe.ARM.[...].plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.akamai.single-user-client.plist [Click for support]
    [loaded]    com.google.keystone.agent.plist [Click for support]
    [running]    com.spotify.webhelper.plist [Click for support]
User Login Items: ℹ️
    iTunesHelper    Application (/Applications/iTunes.app/Contents/MacOS/iTunesHelper.app)
    Window Tidy    Application (/Applications/Window Tidy.app)
    Dropbox    Application (/Applications/Dropbox.app)
    Google Drive    Application (/Applications/Google Drive.app)
    Deezer    Application (/Applications/Deezer.app)
Internet Plug-ins: ℹ️
    FlashPlayer-10.6: Version: 17.0.0.134 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    QuickTime Plugin: Version: 7.7.3
    AdobePDFViewerNPAPI: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    AdobePDFViewer: Version: 11.0.10 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    Flash Player: Version: 17.0.0.134 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    Default Browser: Version: 600 - SDK 10.10
    SharePointBrowserPlugin: Version: 14.4.8 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    Unity Web Player: Version: UnityPlayer version 4.6.2f1 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    Silverlight: Version: 5.1.30514.0 - SDK 10.6 [Click for support]
    JavaAppletPlugin: Version: Java 8 Update 31 Check version
Safari Extensions: ℹ️
    1Password
    Facebook Improved
    Pin It Button
    Open in Internet Explorer
3rd Party Preference Panes: ℹ️
    Akamai NetSession Preferences [Click for support]
    Flash Player [Click for support]
    Java [Click for support]
    MusicManager [Click for support]
    Paragon NTFS for Mac ® OS X [Click for support]
    Trusteer Endpoint Protection [Click for support]
Time Machine: ℹ️
    Skip System Files: NO
    Mobile backups: OFF
    Auto backup: YES
    Volumes being backed up:
        Thunderbolt 1TB Samsung: Disk size: 999.86 GB Disk used: 151.72 GB
        Macintosh HD: Disk size: 250.14 GB Disk used: 225.62 GB
    Destinations:
        Data [Network]
        Total size: 3.00 TB
        Total number of backups: 25
        Oldest backup: 2014-12-24 04:08:34 +0000
        Last backup: 2015-03-15 13:09:18 +0000
        Size of backup disk: Adequate
            Backup size 3.00 TB > (Disk used 377.34 GB X 3)
Top Processes by CPU: ℹ️
       103%    prl_vm_app
         5%    WindowServer
         0%    fontd
         0%    prl_client_app
         0%    prl_disp_service
Top Processes by Memory: ℹ️
    1.07 GB    prl_vm_app
    275 MB    softwareupdated
    48 MB    com.apple.WebKit.WebContent
    39 MB    InterCheck
    30 MB    prl_client_app
Virtual Memory Information: ℹ️
    64 MB    Free RAM
    544 MB    Active RAM
    507 MB    Inactive RAM
    2.04 GB    Wired RAM
    15.49 GB    Page-ins
    401 MB    Page-outs
Diagnostics Information: ℹ️
    Mar 24, 2015, 03:03:08 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/QuickLookSatellite_2015-03-24- 150308_[redacted].crash
    Mar 24, 2015, 03:02:52 PM    /Users/[redacted]/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/QuickLookSatellite_2015-03-24- 150252_[redacted].crash
    Mar 24, 2015, 09:39:12 AM    Self test - passed
    Mar 23, 2015, 12:03:56 PM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/softwareupdated_2015-03-23-120356_[redacted].cp u_resource.diag [Click for details]
    Mar 21, 2015, 05:13:55 PM    /Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/Skype_2015-03-21-171355_[redacted].cpu_resource .diag [Click for details]

Hard Drive FULL, trying to move files

My startup disk and hard drive are full. I've backed up my machine two ways (two external hard drives to be redundant) I'm paranoid of losing pictures and music. I want to remove my pictures from mentioned machine (2007 Macbook Pro) and put pictures on my wife's Macbook Pro which is much newer and had adequate storage space.
Heck I don't even have to do that, I just want to lose the 38gb of pictures on this machine. I cannot open iPhoto because it says it has to update my library to view picures, but when it attempts to do so the message comes up that there isn't enough room on the Hard Drive. When I try to move photos all I see is iPhoto Library icon, and you cannot open/explore at all. My questions is do I delete the whole library? I was planning on going through the library first to try and get rid of duplicate phtotos (which for some reason there is alot of) and then re assesing.
Second Question, if I delete off my computer, can I put only some back on my machine? I'd probably only put on more recent pics, but need to know.
After that is all worked out, can I put the entire library on another Macbook Pro by simply adding the entire iPhoto library onto that machine? Happy Sunday THANKS!

1. The iPhoto library is a SQLite database and there are no user serviceable parts in it. You CAN NOT modify it in any way except using iPhoto. Using the finder or any other program will corrupt the database and cause data loss
2. Typically there are no duplicates within the iPhoto library. There will always be two or three versions of each photo. These are critical to the operation if iPhoto and can not be deleted (see #1)
3. The iPhoto library must be treated as a single entity. To move it simply drag it to the new location intact as a single entity
4. To move selected photos between libraries use iPhoto Library Manager
LN

Why is my hard drive running all the time in Mountain Lion

My hard drive is powering up far more than it ever did with Lion, and this of course is killing battery power rapidly. Any one know why my hard drive runs so often on the new OS?
Thanks!

Great. Thanks. What I mean is my hard drive actually revs up and makes noise far more often than it ever did on Lion. It is actively engaged in a higher usage than ever before and this of course makes the battery quickly expire.
Would anyone else like to offer advice? Thanks!

Hard Drive Full - After Reboot, Will Not Boot to Mac OS - Boot Camp OK Tho?

Hello all,
I having a severe issue with my 2007 Macbook Pro 2.33 w/10.6.xx (I believe I'm up to 10.6.2). Yesterday I was on the net in Firefox and got a message from the OS that my hard drive was full and that I had to kill some running apps to recover needed virtual memory. I killed everything but Firefox, finished my web-based game and shut down. The next time I attempted to start the computer, it would not go past the "gray screen with Apple logo and spinning wheel". In fact, if I hold the option key at startup, I can see my Windows Boot Camp partition, any bootable CD/DVD I might have in the drive and "EFI Boot" only. I cannot see Macintosh HD as option.
Here is a list of things I have done/tried:
1. The day before yesterday, Mac OS (10.6.xxx) informed me on my 2007 15" 2.33 MBP that it was out of HDD space and I needed to kill some apps to recover virtual memory.
2. I force killed everything but FF since I was in a game of Settlers on Asobrain at the time!
3. The computer ran fine for the rest of the session.
4. When I rebooted, all I could get was gray screen and spinning wheel.
5. I forced shut down, tried again, same thing.
6. I tried resetting PRAM with Ctrl-Cmd-P-R at startup, same thing.
7. I tried booting to safe mode. I got past login but it never loaded anything but the default background wallpaper. I shutdown.
8. I booted from the Snow Leopard DVD and ran disk verify, then disk repair but it could not be completed as the drive has been "corrupted".
9. At this point all I get upon startup now is Gray screen w/ Apple, then spinning wheel with progress bar that never goes anywhere then it shuts itself down.
10. When I start the computer in Target Disk Mode (TDM), only my Boot Camp partition will mount, not my Mac HD
11. *I do have boot camp installed, with XP Pro, and it will boot without a problem. In fact, I have HFSExplorer (a free utility f . or reading HFS volumes while in Windows) installed on the Windows side and I can see/browse folders on the Mac partition, so on the fact alone that I can boot to windows I know I don't have a HDD failure.
12. I have also tried booting to Single User mode which worked, I got the prompt. I tried using the "fsck -fy" command and it could not repair the volume.
13. I have tried creating an image of the Macintosh HD while in Disk Utility booted from the Mac Install DVD, but I get an "i/o error".
Please help! Any good suggestions, help, etc. is much appreciated! -Kyler

Hello and welcome to the discussions. All OS X drives need to keep 10-15% free space. If you were operating with less that that capacity, it is quite possible that some files were overwritten. Thus corrupted. The only thing that I could suggest is to try to copy your drive to an external HD or another Mac (Space permitting) Then reinstall using the install disc. You will then have to physically copy files from the external to your new install.
How large was your HD and how much free space does it have? You can use the install disc and Disk Utility to find out.
Cheers,
Glynn

Apple Hardware Test (AHT) Hard Drive Full Read Fail But SMART Status OK

I have a Mac mini Server from Mid 2010 running Snow Leopard Server.
Ocassionally, it'll freeze up with the spinning beachball wheel for a few minutes. This usually happens when opening an app or performing an app function from the menu bar. It's a pretty clean system—there are not many apps installed.
I suspect it's a hadrware issue. I ran Disk Utility's Permission and Disk Repair. All good. SMART Status is verified. So I ran the Apple Hardware Test. Everything passes except for the Hard Drive's "Full Read"—it fails because "Reading took longer than the average time". The Hard Drive "Short .. test" and "Check SMART Status" pass.
Does anyone have an idea of what's going on here? Is the hard drive the issue? I don't understand how there can be a read issue (or hard drive issue), when the SMART Status is verfied.

S.M.A.R.T isn't perfect. Neither is AHT for that matter, but if it is reporting that reading is taking longer than it should then an impending failure is likely. The occasional "wait cursor" appearance supports that diagnosis.
Consider yourself fortunate in that you still have the ability to back up anything important, and you can plan a convenient time for its replacement.

External Hard Drive Full, how do I delete back ups from years ago?

I have a LaCie 500GB external hard drive. I bought it to store my iTunes library on it, then when Time Machine came out a few years ago, I began backing up using Time Machine onto the same drive. Now the drive is about full, but it is mostly full from backups. How do I delete older back ups that are from almost 3 years ago? I can seem to go in there and do anything. I need more room for my iTunes library.
I also recently bough a portable G-Drive 500 GB hard drive for my photos. So I was thinking I'll just change my Time Machine backup to that. Or just transfer my iTunes to that one so I can carry it on the road. But that'll take awhile I know, and the connection is not as fast, as its only USB whereas my LaCie is an F-400 connection.
Thanks

saxman66 wrote:
I have a LaCie 500GB external hard drive. I bought it to store my iTunes library on it, then when Time Machine came out a few years ago, I began backing up using Time Machine onto the same drive. Now the drive is about full, but it is mostly full from backups. How do I delete older back ups that are from almost 3 years ago? I can seem to go in there and do anything. I need more room for my iTunes library.
I take it everything is in the same partition? If so, that's (obviously) a problem. Ordinarily, you'd just let Time Machine handle it -- it will delete the oldest backup(s) when it needs room for new ones.
You can do this manually, though. See #12 in [Time Machine - Frequently Asked Questions|http://web.me.com/pondini/Time_Machine/FAQ.html] (or use the link in *User Tips* at the top of this forum).
I also recently bough a portable G-Drive 500 GB hard drive for my photos. So I was thinking I'll just change my Time Machine backup to that. Or just transfer my iTunes to that one so I can carry it on the road. But that'll take awhile I know, and the connection is not as fast, as its only USB whereas my LaCie is an F-400 connection.
That would be an excellent idea. In addition to not having to manually delete old backups, you can let Time Machine back up the other disk, as well as your internal HD. Be sure to format it +Mac OS Extended (Journalled).+

Why is my hard drive full?

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