Is it safe to format my SSD? 15" rMBP

[Mr. RPG]

I just got a refurb, but it only has 220GB of space. Leads me to believe that it wasn't formatted when I first got it. Some of these programs I will likely never use.

Is it safe to reformat it? I've never used Mac OS X before so.. D;

I've only installed one program so far, flash.

 

[Mr. RPG]

Also, I have another question.What are the best free Mac programs?

 

[paulCC]

I just got a refurb, but it only has 220GB of space. Leads me to believe that it wasn't formatted when I first got it. Some of these programs I will likely never use.

Is it safe to reformat it? I've never used Mac OS X before so.. D;

I've only installed one program so far, flash.

Hello - your post does not say how big is the installed SSD. I guess it is 256, and you worry where are the missing 36 GB.....right ?

If so - check for the size of your hibernation file. It would be the same size as the amount of your installed RAM, which could be up to 16 GB, if you got such a nicely configured rMBP.....

Once you account for the hibernation file, maybe the amount of used SSD space starts making more sense ?

Paul.

 

[dusk007]

Don't JUST reformat it. Boot into the recovery image if you want to do that. Otherwise you may end up deleting the entire disk and you'd have to redownload OSX completely.

I think the must have utilities in OSX are BetterTouchTool, Alfred and gfxCradStatus (if 15"). Beyond that it all depends on what you need or want to do. These three I think are a good idea no matter what your uses, preferences, what ever are.

220GB of 256GB wouldn't be much missing so I agree that you should check you expectations maybe.
Simply using the recovery image to get a fresh state on a newly acquired machine isn't a bad idea though. Probably unnecessary on a refurb but it only costs a little time.

 

[ValSalva]

I'm very surprised to hear this. Apple must format the SSD or HDD of refurbs. There is private information likely all over those drives. Apple must format it and put their usual OS image on the drive. Do you have only 220GB free?

FWIW, I always do a clean install of OS X from a thumb drive when I get a new Mac. Just a leftover habit from my old Windows days. I also don't use any iLife apps. Also disable hibernate mode and delete the sleep image which as said above is the size of your installed RAM.

 

[alphaod]

256GB with overprovisioning gives you about 240GB total.

Add OS X, built-in apps, and a hibernation files, 220GB free sounds about right.

 

[dusk007]

220GB sound even right if you have no over provisioning and got 256GB at your hands.

16GB RAM means big hibernation file.
236GB
1GB recovery image and GPT
237GB
You'd only have 3 GB left for OSX if it was 240GB.

With the basic apps like iLife OSX comes in at about 20GB afaik. Removing iMovie and Garageband saves the most as they have some big sample files.
Most other stuff that can be removed isn't really worth the trouble. The gains are small and not worth it.

 

[Mr. RPG]

Hello - your post does not say how big is the installed SSD. I guess it is 256, and you worry where are the missing 36 GB.....right ?

If so - check for the size of your hibernation file. It would be the same size as the amount of your installed RAM, which could be up to 16 GB, if you got such a nicely configured rMBP.....

Once you account for the hibernation file, maybe the amount of used SSD space starts making more sense ?

Paul.

256GB.

How do you check for my "hibernation" file? Whatever that is..

Don't JUST reformat it. Boot into the recovery image if you want to do that. Otherwise you may end up deleting the entire disk and you'd have to redownload OSX completely.

I think the must have utilities in OSX are BetterTouchTool, Alfred and gfxCradStatus (if 15"). Beyond that it all depends on what you need or want to do. These three I think are a good idea no matter what your uses, preferences, what ever are.

220GB of 256GB wouldn't be much missing so I agree that you should check you expectations maybe.
Simply using the recovery image to get a fresh state on a newly acquired machine isn't a bad idea though. Probably unnecessary on a refurb but it only costs a little time.

How do you boot in to a recovery image and what does that exactly mean?

I'm very surprised to hear this. Apple must format the SSD or HDD of refurbs. There is private information likely all over those drives. Apple must format it and put their usual OS image on the drive. Do you have only 220GB free?

FWIW, I always do a clean install of OS X from a thumb drive when I get a new Mac. Just a leftover habit from my old Windows days. I also don't use any iLife apps. Also disable hibernate mode and delete the sleep image which as said above is the size of your installed RAM.

Disable hibernation mode? Why? And why delete the sleep image?

220GB sound even right if you have no over provisioning and got 256GB at your hands.

16GB RAM means big hibernation file.
236GB
1GB recovery image and GPT
237GB
You'd only have 3 GB left for OSX if it was 240GB.

With the basic apps like iLife OSX comes in at about 20GB afaik. Removing iMovie and Garageband saves the most as they have some big sample files.
Most other stuff that can be removed isn't really worth the trouble. The gains are small and not worth it.

IS iMovie any good? I may keep it. What exactly is Garageband?

 

[Freyqq]

256GB.

How do you check for my "hibernation" file? Whatever that is..



How do you boot in to a recovery image and what does that exactly mean?



Disable hibernation mode? Why? And why delete the sleep image?



IS iMovie any good? I may keep it. What exactly is Garageband?

iMovie is for making movies
Garageband is for making songs

If you don't plan on ever hibernating your computer, you can delete the sleep image and get the number of GB of ram that you have in HD space back..but unless you're really low on space it's not really worth the effort.

 

[Mr. RPG]

iMovie is for making movies
Garageband is for making songs

If you don't plan on ever hibernating your computer, you can delete the sleep image and get the number of GB of ram that you have in HD space back..but unless you're really low on space it's not really worth the effort.

Only 8GB, it's not worth it.

How do you do a factory reset of OS X though to make sure everything is gone?

 

[ugahairydawgs]

How do you boot in to a recovery image and what does that exactly mean?

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4718?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

 

[dusk007]

How do you check for my "hibernation" file? Whatever that is..
Disable hibernation mode? Why? And why delete the sleep image?

Read up on wikipedia if you want to know the difference between safe sleep and just sleep. Hibernation is imo a useless waste of space and time unless it often happens to you that your notebook runs out of energy while being in standby.
Disable via terminal
sudo pmset -a hibernationmode 0
If that doesn't immediately free space.
sudo rm -i /var/vm/sleepimage
Should delete the hibernation file.

That file is as big as your RAM i.e. 8 or 16 GB most likely. It is completely worthless if you don't need the feature. Also if you set hibernationmode to 0 which is just plain old normal standby with no specials the notebook will enter the sleep state much more quickly. Within 2 seconds. If you remember that you forgot something after you closed the lid it will wake back up almost immediately. With hibernationmode 3 (which is hibernation turned on) after you close the lid, the system first writes all the important data from RAM to the sleepimage, in a process that cannot be interrupted. With a lot of RAM and not the fastest HDD you are in for a long wait, for it to wake up again, should you have sent it to sleep prematurely.
Happens to me a hundred times more often than running out of juice while in standby on battery and really is annoying.

Your other questions have been answered.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Only 8GB, it's not worth it.

How do you do a factory reset of OS X though to make sure everything is gone?

If you bought this refurb from Apple there absolutely will not be any trace of previous owner stuff on it, so no point in resetting. Apple is not like Windows where new machines come loaded with a lot of junk.

You haven't said what size the drive is, but probably 256 nominal and 220 free sounds about right.

As you are learning you can save a few Gb by deleting big apps and the sleep image/hibernation etc.