Macintosh HD has over 150Gb of hidden files?

[deanrice]

Hi All

Firstly thanks for your help in advance with this, I have used many free programs to try and find the hidden files that are filling my hardrive with nothing obvious being found. I have noted that this space is not decreasing so I dont think its a running log file although im by no means an expert!

Here's what my Macbook Pro is saying from the "About my Mac/Storage Tab": -

Audio = 17.96 Gb
Movies = 2.95 Gb
Photo's = 5.57 Gb
Apps = 8.25 Gb
Backups = 301 Mb
Other = 154.06 Gb

My storage status is as follows: - 249 Gb drive with 60.3 Gb free

I appreciate that i need something like OmniDiskSweeper that will show me hidden log files etc but I have found nothing. I was away for 3 months without my TC and thought this may have something to do with it but once checking volumes there is only my Macintosh HD as an alias with nothing else mounted and nothing obvious with regard to hidden TC back ups

Im running Mac OS X Lion 10.7.3 (11D50b) and the machine is a mid 2009 2.53 GHz, 4gB 1067 MHz DDR3

Please can someone help!

Thanks in advance!

 

[GGJstudios]

If you're wondering what "Other" category in the Lion storage tab is about, this may help explain:

What is this "Other" in the storage tab? What is eating my space​

For space issues not explained by the above, there are a few things you can try, some of which may or may not apply:

• Begin by restarting your computer as a first step. This sometimes resolves issues.
• For Time Machine users on notebooks running Lion, space may being consumed by Time Machine local snapshots, which can be disabled.
  OS X Lion: About Time Machine's "local snapshots" on portable Macs
• Search with Finder to see if the space is being consumed by a very large file or several large files. Adjust the 50GB in the illustration to whatever size you deem appropriate.
  
  
• Use OmniDiskSweeper, JDisk Report, Disk Inventory X, DaisyDisk or GrandPerspective to see how space is being used on your drive. Some of these apps may show more detail than others, so try several.
• Check your drive with Disk Utility: Using Disk Utility to verify or repair disks
• Try re-indexing your drive: Spotlight: How to re-index folders or volumes

Here are a few resolutions found by others with the same question:

• Encrypted drive
• Time Machine backup files and needed disk repair
• App filling log file
• App or file was 89GB
• Drive needed to be re-indexed
• Time Machine backup file
• Large app cache file
• Garageband files and video podcasts
• Oversized email being duplicated
• Another email issue

 

[deanrice]

Firstly thankyou for your very detailed reply!

I have now resolved the issue by using Onyx, following the App instruction and then rebooting in recovery mode by using Control - R when rebooting, using the repair disc utility and rebooting as normal, all fixed!!

Thanks Again..