Clean up cache files on your Mac. Cache files are files that help your Mac run programs a bit more smoothly. Think of them like blueprints for a house: your Mac has the blueprints for how a program is supposed to load/run/look, so it loads it faster; without them, it’d be like building it from scratch. Your Mac hard drive consists of disks (or partitions). Each disk (or partition) has your Mac data on it, which consists of your operating system, applications, etc. Most Mac users have just one disk but power users may have two or more. Let’s look at an example of a Mac with only one hard disk: Your Mac's hard drive is 500GB.
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So, your Mac is running out of storage. You try to figure out what’s taking up your disk space by clicking the Apple logo on the top-left of the screen, selecting About This Mac, and hitting the Storage tab.
To your surprise, you see a yellow bar representing “System” that seems to occupy way more space than you think it should. In the example above, it only shows 33.87 GB, but take a look at this Apple discussion — some Mac users report that System Storage takes an astonishing 250 GB.
Worse yet, you have no idea what’s included in “System” storage, because clicking the “Manage” button brings you to this System Information window… and the “System” row is greyed out.
Go to the Downloads folder in the Finder and type disk image into the search box. Select Disk Image under the Kinds header. Now, delete all of those downloaded DMG files that are just taking up space!
Why does my Mac system require so much space?
What does it contain?
Is it safe to remove some of those system files?
How do I regain more storage space?
Questions like these may easily get to your head. Although my Mac now has a good amount of disk space available, I’m always wary of files that are taking up more space than they should.
I have no idea why “System” is greyed out while “Documents,” “System Junk,” “Trash,” etc. allow you to review the files based on size and type. My hunch is that Apple does this on purpose to prevent users from deleting system files that could lead to serious issues.
What Files Are Included in System Storage on Mac?
During my research, I found many people report that Apple counts iTunes backup files and app caches (e.g. Adobe video cache files) in the System category.
Since it’s greyed out and we are unable to click on that category for deeper analysis, we’ll have to use a third-party app to assist.
CleanMyMac X is perfect for this kind of analysis. Since I tested the app in our Mac cleaner review, it immediately came to my head when I saw “System” was greyed out in Storage. Note that CleanMyMac isn’t freeware, but the new “Space Lens” feature is free to use and it allows you to scan your Macintosh HD, and then show you an in-depth overview of what’s taking up disk space on your Mac.
Step 1:Download CleanMyMac and install the app on your Mac. Open it, under “Space Lens” module, first click the yellow “Grant Access” button to allow the app to access your Mac files and then select “Scan” to get started.
Step 2: Soon it’ll show you a folder/file tree and you can hover your cursor over each block (i.e. a folder). There you can find more details. In this case, I clicked “System” folder to continue.
Step 3: The file breakdown below indicates that some Library and iOS Support files are the culprits.
The interesting part is that the System file size shown in CleanMyMac is much smaller than the size shown in System Information. This puzzles me and makes me believe that Apple definitely has counted some other files (not real system files) in the System category.
What are they? I have no clue, honestly. But as reported by other Mac users who experienced the same issue, they said Apple also considers app caches and iTunes backup files as System files.
Out of curiosity, I ran CleanMyMac again for a quick scan. That app found 13.92 GB in iTunes Junk. Further review revealed that the junk files are old iOS device backups, software updates, broken downloads, etc.
But even after adding this amount to the original system files returned by DaisyDisk, the total size is still a bit less than what’s returned in System Information.
If cleaning the System Storage is still not enough to bring your Mac available disk space to a normal level (i.e. 20% or more), see below.
What Else Can I Do to Reclaim More Disk Space?
There are tons of ways out there. Here are a few of my favorites that should help you get back a decent amount of space quickly.
1. Sort all files by size and delete old large files.
Open Finder, go to Recents, and look at the Size column. Click on it to sort all recent files by file size (from large to small). You’ll have a clear overview of what items are eating up a large amount of space, e.g. From 1 GB to 10 GB, and from 100 MB to 1 GB.
In my MacBook Pro, I found a few large videos that could be transferred to an external drive. Download virtualbox for mac.
Note: If the Size column doesn’t show up, click on the Settings icon and select Arrange By > Size.
2. Run CleanMyMac.
If you are not a power Mac user, another way to help you quickly locate unnecessary files is using CleanMyMac, an app that won our award for the best Mac cleaner software. As you can also see in my detailed review here, I believe CleanMyMac is a must-have app for all basic users.
3. Remove duplicate files with Gemini 2.
Don’t forget those duplicates and similar files! They can stack up without you being aware of it. Finding them is sometimes time-consuming. That’s what Gemini 2 is designed for. Simply select a few frequently used folders (e.g. Documents, Downloads, etc.) in the main zone of Gemini.
It then scans them and returns all the duplicate files that might be worth removing. Of course, it’s always a good practice to review them before doing so. You can also read our Gemini review here.
Wrapping It Up
Ever since Apple introduced the Optimized Storage feature on macOS Sierra and High Sierra, users got the option of saving space by storing content in the cloud. Apple also has several new tools that make it easy to find and remove unneeded files.
That bar under the Storage tab is beautiful. It does allow you to get a quick overview of what’s taking up the most space on our hard drive. However, it still lacks insights on the “System” category as it’s greyed out.
Hopefully, the guides above have helped you figure out the reasons you’ve got so much “System” data, and most importantly you’ve reclaimed some disk space — especially for new MacBooks pre-installed with flash storage (usually 128 GB or 256 GB) — the storage is so precious!
/Mac Cleaner /Top 2 Ways to Remove Mac Purgeable Space [2019 Update]
I’m a Mac user and I use it for storing large-sized files. I’m a video special effects specialist and I am responsible for my company’s large video files.
I just heard about the Purgeable storage in macOS Sierra. What is it? Can you tell me more about this Purgeable storage?
You’re in the right place. I'll show you about what is Mac Purgeable space and how to remove purgeable space on Mac.
Tips: This software can help you easily clean up your Mac.
Article Guide
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Part 1. What is Mac Purgeable Disk Space?
Apple is very ingenious. The company and its devices wish to work smart as opposed to working hard. They didn’t make your hard drive space bigger. What they’ve done is to handle the limited space on your Macintosh with the help of cloud storage. This, in turn, made one part of your storage bar and turned it into a piece called “Purgeable.”
Now, let’s dive more into detail with the said slice of the storage pie. Purgeable storage actually contains files that your macOS refers to as suited for removal.
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That’s why it’s called purgeable, it can actually be deleted from your drive without causing any issues. Purgeable storage is actually related to the Optimized storage feature of your macOS Sierra. If Optimized storage is activated, a lot of files gets transferred to the cloud. Some of them are referred to as optional files. Download microsoft lync for mac.
Tip:How to deal with the issue of 'Your startup disk full'?
Part 2. Purgeable Files: Which Ones Are Considered Such?
No one is 100% sure as to which files are considered purgeable. Some guessed that files and system-generated files that have these two criteria are considered purgeable:
- Super old files you have not used or opened for a really long time.
- Files that are already synced to iCloud. Thus, the original file can be removed on your Mac device since it already has a copy on iCloud.
Purgeable files vary in types. It can be any type out there. It can be movies you watched on iTunes. Or, it can also be language files you have never used before. The type of language files that your system hasn’t displayed cause you might not need it or might not understand it.
However, what renders these files purgeable and what does it actually mean? The system on your device looks for these files. It knows that when your Mac is about to run out of disk space and your Optimized Storage is activated, it can automatically delete these files to free your storage of space.
Part 3. How to Force Removal of Purgeable Space on Mac?
This is very easy. All you need is a tool called iMyMac-Cleaner’s Mac Cleaner. With this tool, you can find all useless files on your device and delete purgeable space on Mac with a few clicks. You can know more useful cleaners form here.
Here’s how to use Mac Cleaner to remove purgeable space on Mac step-by-step:
Step 1: Download And Open iMyMac-Cleaner
Step 2: Scanning System Junk
Step 3: Review Items And Select Which To Delete
Step 4: Clean Up Finished
Step 2: Scanning System Junk
Step 3: Review Items And Select Which To Delete
Step 4: Clean Up Finished
Step 1: Download And Open iMyMac-Cleaner
Download the iMyMac-Cleaner on your computer and open it. The main screen will appear and it will display the System Status. Click the module named System Junk on the left-hand side.
Step 2: Scanning System Junk
Click the Scan button and wait. The scanning process will start and wait for it to finish. After it is completed, it will display all Junk files to you.
The Junk files will be classified into different categories including Application Cache, Photo Junks, Mail Junk, System Logs, System Cache, User Logs, and Trash Bin, among others.
Note: You can click Rescan to scan your device again.
Step 3: Review Items And Select Which To Delete
Click a certain category. And then review the files found on the right-hand side of the screen. Select the files you want to delete. After which click the Clean button. The software will ask for confirmation. Click again to confirm.
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Step 4: Clean Up Finished
The files will now be erased. It will then show folders marked as Zero KB. Other folders will not be shown as Zero KB because they are auto-recreated folders.
Repeat steps 1 to 4. But in this case, select MAIL TRASH or LARGE & OLD FILES instead of System Junk.
Part 4. How to Remove Purgeable Storage On Your Device?
Actually, you don’t need to do this by yourself. But if you wish to do so, you can move to the next part of this guide.
Purgeable space is there in that whenever your device is running out of space, you will be safe knowing that it will automatically clear up the allocated purgeable space.
This will lead to more free space on your Mac. Mac os x install dvd.dmg download. The best thing to do for you to avoid lifting a finger is to activate other Storage. In this way, your device will automatically purge the said files. To do this, follow the steps below:
- Go to the About This Mac menu.
- Next, go to the Storage tab.
- After which, press Manage.
Now, you have the ability to activate a particular option that you wish to be synced to iCloud.
Part 5. Bonus Tip: How to Preview Purgeable Storage In Your Sierra?
You may use Sierra or High Sierra on your Mac, and there must be some purgeable storages.
You have the ability to check out the amount of space in your Sierra can purge in a variety of places:
- The first method you can do is to check your native storage tab. You can access this tab by going to the Apple Menu and selecting About This Mac. Then, you go to the tab named Storage.
- You can also view it on your Finder’s Status Bar. To display your Status Bar, you should click View and then press Show Status Bar.
- The third option is to go to the top menu and click Go. Then, select Computer. Next, right-click on the hard drive. Then, go to getting Info.
- The fourth option would be to click View. Then, go to the Options panel. This will activate the Desktop display of hard disks.
- The final option would be to ask Siri about how much space you have left on your device.
In Conclusion
Purgeable space on Mac is one way your device works smarter instead of harder. Instead of putting a bigger disk space on your Mac, you are given an optimization feature. Download mountain lion dmg. Purgeable files are files that can be removed without causing issues to your device. It is automatically deleted on your device if Optimized Storage is turned on.
However, if you find your Mac is running slowly and want to delete more unnecessary files on your system, you can use a tool like iMyMac's Mac Cleaner. It helps you scan your device for unneeded files and delete them completely without causing harm to your device.
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Willan2019-10-04 10:10:05
I've tried many ways manually, they lost my time and I felt troublesome. So I turned to a third-party to help me. Luckily, iMyMac Mac Cleaner mentioned in this post satisfied my needs and saved my time.
iMyMac2019-10-04 11:03:06
Thanks for your support!
Velin2019-10-08 09:35:56
I totally agree that we should remove purgeable space on our Mac because that really helps us save much storage space. Thanks for your tips! They work well for me.
iMyMac2019-10-08 11:40:20
Thanks for your support!
Abby H2019-06-28 11:04:07
National Clean Out Your Computer Day! It's a great idea to nudge me into doing some cleaning. After reading this post, I have been using iMyMac Mac Cleaner to remove purgeable space on my Mac to save more storage. It helps a lot to organize my Mac regularly.
iMyMac2019-06-28 13:47:23
Clean Up Disk Space Mac
Thanks for your support!
Cathy2019-05-21 10:06:05
I bought my MacBook at my first college year. It companied me all the time through my college years. So the full storage thing really bothered me. Lots of solutions have I tried. Then I have tried the first way mentioned in this post about using Mac Cleaner to remove purgeable space on my Mac, it really helps! Thanks so much, pretty happy!
iMyMac2019-05-21 11:01:05
Thanks for your support and happy to hear that!
KHUY PY2019-04-04 15:14:26
I found in Get Info. of may hard disk, the 38.49 GB purgeable. and How to delete this unused space?ThanksPy
iMyMac2019-04-04 17:08:06
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Thanks for your support! You can just check the Part 3 in this article, there are detailed steps to help you delete that unused space. Hope that really help you!
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