Hard Disc Drive

[Davidharry]

I have a MacBook Air
Model Name: MacBook Air

Model Identifier: MacBookAir7,2

Processor Name: Intel Core i5

Processor Speed: 1.8 GHz

Number of Processors: 1

Total Number of Cores: 2

L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

L3 Cache: 3 MB

Memory: 8 GB

Boot ROM Version: MBA71.0171.B00

SMC Version (system): 2.27f2
.Version 10.13.5
Went to have a look at my storage to see how much was taken by the MacBook System is 42.6GB then in about 10min it showed 50gb.
Can any Please advise me on this system storage figure the internal ssd is a 256gb.
Don't understand this.
Hope I did it correct to get a screen shot and upload the file.

Thanks David.
[doublepost=1531333296][/doublepost]Sorry didn't know how to add another file in first posting

 

[Audit13]

If the os and programs needs ram in excess of 8 GB, the os will start using virtual memory.

 

[KGB7]

My guess is that time mashine is taking up additional space and that’s why you seeing a large usage by OS (system).

 

[Davidharry]

Many thanks for your replies.
Don't quite understand the answers all this apple is new to me.
My guess is that time mashine is taking up additional space and that’s why you seeing a large usage by OS (system).
What do you actually mean, If I decide to stop using the time machine the system should show less storage.
If thats the case what is the alternative to the Time machine for backup.
Sorry to be so thick its all new but getting there very slow with help from you people.
Thanks once again.
David.

 

[Audit13]

You have a time machine backup on your main internal drive?

 

[Davidharry]

Hi. Thanx I did have the Time machine backing up to an external drive.
How do I turn off the time Machine Please.I will use the external drive for backup by means of drag & drop method every week or maybe depending what I will be doing on the MacBook that warrants a further backup with drag & drop method.
What does one say regarding that method.
Many Thanks.
David.

 

[Audit13]

If time machine is backing up to an external drive, I don't think the reduced space would be related to time machine.

You can turn off automatic time machine backups in preferences.

Time machine backups are not created using a drag and drop process.

I use a large external drive for nothing but time machine. I create the initial backup, turn off automatic backups, connect the external when I want to make a back, and manually start the time machine backup process. The first backup takes a while but subsequent backups are quicker because it's creating incremental backups.

 

[Davidharry]

Okay. So if I turn off the automatic time machine backup it will only backup to the external drive?.
Next I want to start from the beginning how do I delete the backup that are on the internal created by the time machine.
Please.

 

[Audit13]

There phone should be no time machine backups on the internal drive unless the drive has more than one partition and you directed time machine to use one of the two partitions.

Time machine backup location is set in preferences.

 

[Davidharry]

Does this screen shot mean anything that can help the issue.

 

[BrianBaughn]

That screen shot tells me you have 136GB free and thus I wonder what the worry is.

 

[Davidharry]

Many Thanks to all once again.Just looked a lot amount in the system 44GB.
Tanx.
David.

 

[Audit13]

The drive space looks fine. You have a lot of data and programs on the drive? How big is the home folder?

 

[kohlson]

I have lots of apps on my MBP, and it has 59.3GB on System. I wouldn't get too worried about it. Also, the space used by TM in System is temporary. That is, in background it starts doing.a little TM processing and storing it. Then when connected to a disk it transfer this over and the size is reduced. But then it starts over again. Nothing to worry about. I would be more worried if there wasn't a backup!

 

[NoBoMac]

Those bar graphs of where space is being eaten up can be highly variable. For example, my Mac says I only have 5GB of photos, when I know it's actually about 50GB (mix of jpeg and RAW files). Other reads as 53GB.

As for TimeMachine, yes, it does backup to internal drive when the target drive is not available, so, there will be some space taken up until you plug in the external. Eg. my drive has 1.5GB of backups. See attached for location and what it looks like.

So, no, I would not turn off TimeMachine, as probably will not open up much space and now you don't have backups. Can turn it off to clear the space and turn back on, but, will just start using some of the disk for backups again.

 

[Davidharry]

Many thanks for your time and patience once again. I will play it by ear to see how it develops.