A time will come when you no longer have that much space left on your Macbook’s hard drive. If you have made a switch from another type of computer, do not be surprised when this happens.
While Macs are great for many things, they are not the best when it comes to providing users with enough storage space. Of course, this disadvantage is not that much of a hindrance, especially if you do not have the tendencies to hoard digital clutter.
In case you do have that, there are plenty of ways to keep the space at a reasonable level. Take the steps mentioned below, and create a maintenance routine. Stick to it, and you should not run out of hard drive space on a Macbook.
Step #1 – Get Rid of Other Storage
Temporary junk files like backups, app plugins, extensions, and caches are often referred to as other storage, and that other storage is something you need to remove regularly.
You will find that accessing these files like most data on the computer is not possible without changing the system settings. And even then, tinkering and removing files manually has its risks. Backups are more or less imperative because the odds are that you will remove something accidentally.
On the other hand, you also have another option and one that would be more efficient. Getting a cleanup utility tool would simplify the process of removing other storage files. And an investment like that would be good since you would be removing these kinds of files regularly.
Step #2 – Delete Useless Applications
Applications that have been idly staying on the computer for a few months are probably better off to get deleted. Look at the list of your application manager and sort it by date modified.
Pick the apps that you want to remove and drag them into the Trash Bin, and remember to empty the trash.
In case you ever need to use an application again, downloading and installing it should not take too long. But if the priority is to free up disk space, you should not hesitate and remove applications that serve no purpose.
Step #3 – Scan for Potential Malware
There are a lot of potential malware and viruses that can make things quite bad for you and the Macbook. Lack of disk space could also be traced back to a cybersecurity threat that is consuming space without you even realizing what is happening.
If you have a reliable antivirus that scans the system without any breaks and removes any threats it detects, you should be fine. But take ex tra precautions and perform a custom disk scan to make sure that there are no corrupted files.
Step #4 – Check Email and Download Folders
Email and download folders could take up more space than you realize. One file is not usually large, but if you forget about email attachments and downloads, the number accumulates pretty fast, and it can reach even gigabytes. Checking these folders on a regular basis should keep everything more in check.
Step #5 – Transfer Files to Cloud Services
Recovering deleted files is one struggle many experience but an even worse struggle is to figure out where to keep your files when you are out of storage space. Cloud-based services like Dropbox are perfect if you want to have quick access to the files, but would like to free up disk space as well.
It is hard to find a safer location. And you can move the files back and forth between the hard drive and the cloud so long as there is an internet connection. Not to mention that some files, like text documents, are something you can launch directly from the cloud.
Step #6 – Buy External Storage Devices
External storage devices are different from clouds because they cost money, but you are not limited to how many you can buy.
Disks, USB sticks, and external hard drives are the usual options. And when you have a multitude of files on the computer without any options of deleting everything, moving this data to another location is the most reasonable option. It just so happens that external hard drives provide the necessary services. Even if you are on a small budget, you can still look for second-hand devices because those would do the job just fine as well.
Step #7 – Look for Language Pack Files
A number of applications come with language pack files that offer nothing of real value. The majority of users are content with just the English version. Thus, keeping more than 50 other language files makes very little sense. Sometimes, these language files require over 1 gigabyte of space.
If you have multiple applications like that, it is only natural that you are going to experience problems with hard drive space. Look through your list of installed apps and remove any language pack files that are not needed.
