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HELP! "Startup disk is full" BUT IT ISN'T!

Your Get Info window hasn't updated the space available yet. Disk Utility would be more accurate.

You have something cramming up your space, whether it be bugged files or maybe something you aren't aware of. Not quite sure.
 
nazedayo said:
Thank you but it's not just "other" that is the problem... the problem is that while in some windows it says I have a 100GB left, some say I have less than 1 GB. I got an error message saying my startup disk is almost full, so I'm guessing it's the latter. But how can I resolve this?!
Click to expand...

If it is not the OTHER, then take a look at DiskInventory X (will not work in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion), OmniDiskSweeper, JDisk Report or GrandPerspective to see where your HDD space went to.
 
nazedayo said:
Please look at this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62640174@N03/6719120471/in/photostream/lightbox/

As you can see, in the HD description (top right) and "Get Info," (bottom left) it still has over a 100 GB left in storage, yet on the Disk Utility and "About this Mac" it says it has little less than a GB left. What gives?

Desperately want to recover this space somehow =(

Thank you and please advise =(
Click to expand...
You're seeing this because of the Local backups on your computer. These backups are automatically created on portable Macs in between Time Machine backups and disk space is freed as needed. It's therefore correct that there's less than 1GB free but the operating system will function as if there's 140GB available. If you have a Time Machine backup configured, let it run and that will free up some space.
If you have no use for the Local Backups they can be disabled with a command line switch as detailed here:
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110727051031397
This will disable and remove those backups.
 
chrfr said:
You're seeing this because of the Local backups on your computer. These backups are automatically created on portable Macs in between Time Machine backups and disk space is freed as needed. It's therefore correct that there's less than 1GB free but the operating system will function as if there's 140GB available. If you have a Time Machine backup configured, let it run and that will free up some space.
If you have no use for the Local Backups they can be disabled with a command line switch as detailed here:
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110727051031397
This will disable and remove those backups.
Click to expand...

Thanks!! It has been saying that time machine ran out of space, so I cleared up some stuff and now time machine is running... let's see if this solves the problem.
 
nazedayo said:
Thanks!! It has been saying that time machine ran out of space, so I cleared up some stuff and now time machine is running... let's see if this solves the problem.
Click to expand...

I don't want to seem rude, but the link I gave you in my first reply, would have helped you just the same, though you didn't want to listen.

The strange thing is, I am used to posters, having been given an answer, that could have helped the poster, that ignore the answers, but I am still not used to that.

Down vote away I assume.
 
chrfr said:
If you have no use for the Local Backups they can be disabled with a command line switch as detailed here:
http://hints.macworld.com/article.php?story=20110727051031397 This will disable and remove those backups.
Click to expand...
No, it won't. That article is about how to enable, not disable, local snapshots. To disable local snapshots, this applies.

And simsaladimbamba is right. If the OP had followed the link in the 2nd post of this thread, they would have found the answer to disabling local snapshots in the first post of that thread. People don't read anymore.
 
nazedayo said:
Thanks!! It has been saying that time machine ran out of space, so I cleared up some stuff and now time machine is running... let's see if this solves the problem.
Click to expand...

I think even though you are now backing up to a different hard drive the backup that as on your main hard drive will remain there.

I'd wait until Time Machine finishes it's backup. Re-boot and see if the old backup is still on your main hard drive. If it is delete it.
 
Disk full

I know this is an old thread, but I figured I'd post my solution.

I had a user in our environment show up with 300GB + of mystery space being taken up. After messing around and basically resetting all the permissions on his user folder to be wide open to the admin account, I found that the .trash file was the culprit. That's one thing to consider, check the hidden files. I used OmniDiskSweeper to locate it, but only after the permissions were all reset.
 
Solution for AV professionals

This might be a solution for those who work in AV.

I installed a 256GB ssd. Got a message saying my startup disk was full but could not find the bulk of the files.

OmniDiskSweeper quickly showed me there was an Adobe disk cache folder which Finder was not showing me.

That simple.
 
Startup disk really isn't full

Since updating to Mavericks, I've been getting the "startup disk is full" message as well. Also, I have the impression my Mac Mini has slowed down somewhat.

However, in Finder, I see I have more than 300 GB free space on a 500 GB Mac HD. I have downloaded OmniDisksweeper and WhatSize which give me the same numbers, so no mysterious "Other" category here.

I have tried deleting the trash in Mail and iPhoto, but the message still keeps coming up.

I use Time Machine, but it is not set to make local backups while my TimeCapsule is unavailable.

Help would be much appreciated!
 
nazedayo said:
Please look at this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/62640174@N03/6719120471/in/photostream/lightbox/

As you can see, in the HD description (top right) and "Get Info," (bottom left) it still has over a 100 GB left in storage, yet on the Disk Utility and "About this Mac" it says it has little less than a GB left. …
Click to expand...

The photo is no longer available.

With less than 1 GB free space – so little – I doubt that Mobile Time Machine local snapshots were the sole cause of the issue.
 
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