Chrome App = HUGE!

[Michael73]

I've got a new Mac Pro with a 1TB SSD on it's way and I need to do some housekeeping on my current 1.5TB boot drive so everything fits on the new one.

In looking at which programs are the biggest space hogs, Chrome ranks second to only iMovie!?! Chrome takes up 1.14GB! I've cleared cache, removed cookies, etc. but can't figure out why on earth it's so big. By comparison Firefox uses 111MB and Safari a paltry 37MB.

Any ideas on what's up and how to smallify this browser?

 

[maflynn]

My chrome app is only consumer 298MB - not sure why yours is taking a gigabyte

Are you counting its files used in ~/Library or the app itself?

 

[dejo]

My Chrome app is only 297 MB.

 

[Michael73]

Have a look...not sure. One Password is the only extension but that can't really be the culprit. I'm almost ready to just delete and re-download it.

 

[maflynn]

Delete it and reinstall it.

btw, I also have the 1Password extension and I have the stated 298mb

 

[Michael73]

Solved

Deleted and reinstalled and now 149.1MB.

I wonder what the issue was?!?

 

[DeltaMac]

The issue is:
Chrome updates itself, and keeps the previous version inside the package.
It cleans out the oldest version when the next version is installed - and the "clean-out" sometimes does not happen - and old versions are kept.
You can right-click on Chrome, choose "Show Package Contents", then open the Contents folder. Open the Versions folder that you find. A fresh install will have one item. If Chrome has updated, there will be two folders with versions. A faulty Chrome will accumulate versions. Some Chrome versions are updated daily. 150 MB or so each time, added to the versions folder, adds up!
That's what happened. You can clear out that folder manually, keeping the newest one - but maybe something wrong with the app folder. Redownload will fix the issue (but you can check that folder now and then.)

 

[flux73]

Google used to make really efficient software. I'm finding that to be less and less true over time.

I've switched to Safari with the new Mavericks release and have been quite happy so far. Though I will say I'm really impressed with Coast on the iPad and am hoping for a OS X port soon.

 

[inkswamp]

The issue is:
Chrome updates itself, and keeps the previous version inside the package.
It cleans out the oldest version when the next version is installed - and the "clean-out" sometimes does not happen - and old versions are kept.

This is exactly right. I discovered this a while back when my Chrome app had swollen to >1 GB. I don't understand why Google feels the need to do something as wonky as storing old versions of Chrome inside its own package file. Regardless, if Google is going to insist on including such a pointless feature, they really ought to make sure it actually works right.

FWIW, I have the same version of Chrome installed as Michael73 and it's at 442 MB and has 3 previous versions tucked away. Ridiculous.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

Google used to make really efficient software. I'm finding that to be less and less true over time.

I've switched to Safari with the new Mavericks release and have been quite happy so far. Though I will say I'm really impressed with Coast on the iPad and am hoping for a OS X port soon.

OSX port of Coast soon?

 

[maflynn]

The issue is:
Chrome updates itself, and keeps the previous version inside the package.
It cleans out the oldest version when the next version is installed - and the "clean-out" sometimes does not happen - and old versions are kept

Wow, I did not know this. I'll have to keep an eye on things to make sure the app doesn't not grow unfettered