I regularly use CleanMyMac X to maintain or even improve the performance of this elderly MacBook Air (El Capitan). I also have obeyed CMMX's advice to have as few tabs as possible open in my browser (Chrome). I do that because I keep getting warnings as in the title above. However, I checked Storage just now, and it informed me that I have more than 9 GB free. Why am I still getting these warnings ? (My apology, by the way, if this is the wrong forum.)
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Running out of RAM/Startup disc full
- Thread starter paieye
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Use Brave over Chrome, it is much more svelte and consumes less resources.
Additionally go and grab a copy of the free app OmniDisk Sweeper it will give you a sorted report of what's consuming your drive.
Additionally go and grab a copy of the free app OmniDisk Sweeper it will give you a sorted report of what's consuming your drive.
My thanks to both of you for your help. I have downloaded and installed Brave. I have, though, this difficulty. In old age, my sight is not as good as it was, and Chrome seems to be the only browser that can provide the appearance that I need. Essentially, this means white text on a black background. Second best is black text on a white background. But coloured text on a coloured background, particularly if pastel shades are used, is disastrous. If you can steer me to getting Brave to match what Chrome does, then I should gladly change. But if that is not possible, and I must continue to use Chrome, it may be that I must think of getting a MacBook with more resources, for example 4 GB RAM, 128 GB 128 SSD. I should welcome your advice.
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I have just used CMMX to do a survey of space-usage, with the result as follows: Users, 23.5 GB, System 10 GB, Private 5.4 GB and Applications 4.5 GB. The other candidates in the list are using amounts of space measured in MB. Is there anything conspicuous about that usage that ought to alert me ?
Thank you for that, but what I do not know is what is "enough" room ? Is it simply necessary to go on removing material until the warnings stop ? I have been using CMMX this afternoon to clear out what appears to be unnecessary material. But how far can one safely go ?
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Moreover, CMMX just now gave me the gratifying information that by doing this spring-cleaning I had gained about 3.5 GB of space. So, with the 9 GB that I had free before, I ought to have more than 12 GB free now. Not according to About This Mac/Storage, I have not. It now tells me that I have got only 6.9 GB free.
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Can't that baby (MBA) be opened up and upgraded like the 2010 MBP? It would be so easy to drop in a 500GB SSD and max out the RAM. That would be my recommendation.
But you are getting vg-exc advice, in my opinion. Barring the opening, here's what you should know about a boot SSD. First of all, make sure you are using TRIM which should be automatic on the MBA. Otherwise it's a short Terminal command. So, my rule of thumb is never go past 1/2 full. Once you start your OS and applications, you could have multiple scratch disks which use a lot of space. The next thing is RAM. The less RAM you have the more the computer will use your disk to swap out the RAM to load new software, etc. Your max RAM is 4GB. Therefore, adding more RAM will help. The other thing you need to do is to get a memory stick, so you can put all your data on an external, freeing up as much RAM as possible. Don't toss your data, store it on an external. I just picked up a used (looked new) MBP 2012 for $430 at MicroCenter. I added a 500GB SSD, and removed the DVD and moved the original 500GB HDD to the optical bay. I also maxed out the memory to 16GB, and that cost an additional $170. I am running Catalina and using Photoshop and Lightroom on it. If you are using that MBA, you might not need those upgrades, but just adding a 240/256GB SSD should be sufficient, and the install is very simple. Videos at OWC and YouTube. I have never taken a MBA apart, but have done many older MacBooks and MBPs. The biggest upgrades will be on the computer itself, and allowing fast external storage. The 2012 Macs double the speed of the SSD with SATA3 and more than doubles the USB2 with USB3. You also get Thunderbolt, enabling very fast externals. You may also find a 2012 or newer affordable MBA for a good price as well. Unfortunately, the 128GB drive may be a little small since the new OSs are a lot bigger and so are the apps. I know my friend with a 2015 MBP has a 128GB, and is having your lack of space problem. I'm going to upgrade hers if this King rump virus ever ends.
But you are getting vg-exc advice, in my opinion. Barring the opening, here's what you should know about a boot SSD. First of all, make sure you are using TRIM which should be automatic on the MBA. Otherwise it's a short Terminal command. So, my rule of thumb is never go past 1/2 full. Once you start your OS and applications, you could have multiple scratch disks which use a lot of space. The next thing is RAM. The less RAM you have the more the computer will use your disk to swap out the RAM to load new software, etc. Your max RAM is 4GB. Therefore, adding more RAM will help. The other thing you need to do is to get a memory stick, so you can put all your data on an external, freeing up as much RAM as possible. Don't toss your data, store it on an external. I just picked up a used (looked new) MBP 2012 for $430 at MicroCenter. I added a 500GB SSD, and removed the DVD and moved the original 500GB HDD to the optical bay. I also maxed out the memory to 16GB, and that cost an additional $170. I am running Catalina and using Photoshop and Lightroom on it. If you are using that MBA, you might not need those upgrades, but just adding a 240/256GB SSD should be sufficient, and the install is very simple. Videos at OWC and YouTube. I have never taken a MBA apart, but have done many older MacBooks and MBPs. The biggest upgrades will be on the computer itself, and allowing fast external storage. The 2012 Macs double the speed of the SSD with SATA3 and more than doubles the USB2 with USB3. You also get Thunderbolt, enabling very fast externals. You may also find a 2012 or newer affordable MBA for a good price as well. Unfortunately, the 128GB drive may be a little small since the new OSs are a lot bigger and so are the apps. I know my friend with a 2015 MBP has a 128GB, and is having your lack of space problem. I'm going to upgrade hers if this King rump virus ever ends.
Thank you for this very helpful post, and please accept my apology for not replying sooner. How do I know if I am or am not using TRIM ? Is it better to store qualifying material on a memory-stick or on iCloud Drive or both or something else ? I just now ran CMMX and carried out the usual tidying -- I do this every day now. I then went online, and in 10 minutes was getting the warning again about a full disc, RAM + Swap, &c. !
To check if trim is activated:
Click on the Apple icon, toolbar top left, then 'About this Mac'
Click on System Report.
On the left 'Hardware' panel, click on SATA/SATA Express
On the info that opens in central panel, look for 'TRIM Support'. It should show 'Yes'.
When installing an SSD in a Mac where it was not original fitment, the 'TRIM Support' will show 'No'. But this can then be changed to activate TRIM by using a terminal command.
I'm currently using a 17" MBPro with a large internal Samsung SSD (TRIM activated) and added memory which performs superbly. Who needs a highly expensive 16" when this modestly priced 17" performs every task I throw it.......
Thank you, Yes, TRIM supported. Where do I go from here ?To check if trim is activated:
Click on the Apple icon, toolbar top left, then 'About this Mac'
Click on System Report.
On the left 'Hardware' panel, click on SATA/SATA Express
On the info that opens in central panel, look for 'TRIM Support'. It should show 'Yes'.
When installing an SSD in a Mac where it was not original fitment, the 'TRIM Support' will show 'No'. But this can then be changed to activate TRIM by using a terminal command.
I'm currently using a 17" MBPro with a large internal Samsung SSD (TRIM activated) and added memory which performs superbly. Who needs a highly expensive 16" when this modestly priced 17" performs every task I throw it.......
Well with your Users indicating 23.5 GB , Private 5.4 GB and Applications 4.5 GB this is what I'd do:
i) Ensure that Trash has been emptied.
ii) Trash anything in Documents, Music or Movies that you obviously no longer require.
iii) Then check to see if there are Applications that you never use, i.e. GarageBand, iMovie, ditching MS Office for Open Office etc. You could use LibreOffice instead of Open Office but it requires a little more HD space.
iv) Then empty trash once again.
Whenever I delete an App, I never just drag it to trash as that often leaves behind small associated files which are not required and unnecessarily clog up the HD. I always use a small, free app called AppCleaner. It's magic, as I mentioned here.
I have gone as far as I feel that I can go with uninstalling applications, using CleanMyMac X.I have cleared out local copies of attachments, and emptied trash. What about moving documents, mail, and other files that are not system-files, off this MacBook Air, and on to a memory-stick or to iCloudDrive, or both ? I attach a screen-shot of a scan by Space Lens.
Attachments
I'm probably wrong about this, but isn't CleanMyMac the app that fills up your space with malware? Perhaps 60GB just isn't enough for a boot drive these days. The place I would look is non-Apple apps. On ElCap, the system with the Apple apps should be around 10GB. I have my Big Mac (2009 cMP) with Catalina, Photoshop and Lightroom, and a few other big apps and my boot drive is only 48GB!!!!! Something else is wrong. Don't get a thumb drive if you want decent speeds. There are lots of inexpensive SSDs so you can have an external that doesn't take forever, plus you could create a clone for your boot drive. Good luck.
First, look around on your disk with the free and open source Disk Inventory X: http://www.derlien.com/
If there are still mysterious space occupied somewhere, open up the Script Editor, and make a new AppleScript to open Disk Inventory as an administrator to see the sizes of otherwise invisible things:
You can compress a lot of files that doesn't change often (while keeping them usable, it's an Apple invention since Snow Leo, for example all system files are already compressed) with the command line tool afsctool. Unfortunately you have to install it with homebrew or such, but it certainly cuts the size of the Applications folder in half (for example, it compressed the non-Apple things in my Applications folder from 30.3GB to 15.5GB). I made a little service with Automator to quickly compress anything anywhere.
github.com
If there are still mysterious space occupied somewhere, open up the Script Editor, and make a new AppleScript to open Disk Inventory as an administrator to see the sizes of otherwise invisible things:
AppleScript:
do shell script "sudo /Applications/Disk\\ Inventory\\ X.app/Contents/MacOS/Disk\\ Inventory\\ X >/dev/null 2>&1 &" with administrator privilegesYou can compress a lot of files that doesn't change often (while keeping them usable, it's an Apple invention since Snow Leo, for example all system files are already compressed) with the command line tool afsctool. Unfortunately you have to install it with homebrew or such, but it certainly cuts the size of the Applications folder in half (for example, it compressed the non-Apple things in my Applications folder from 30.3GB to 15.5GB). I made a little service with Automator to quickly compress anything anywhere.
GitHub - RJVB/afsctool: This is a version of "brkirch"'s afsctool utility that allows end-users to leverage HFS+ compression.
This is a version of "brkirch"'s afsctool utility that allows end-users to leverage HFS+ compression. - RJVB/afsctool
github.com
That sounds like a nice tool for non-replaceable drives. As for the Apps folder, I have 63, but only use 11GB, and that includes big Adobe Photo Apps on this MBP. I just did a clean install of Catalina, and the entire group of Apple Apps is less than 1 GB! The entire clean installation is only 15GB. On a 12-core with all the apps I use, my system disk is still less than 50GB. How many apps do you have?(rhetorical) Thanks for that AppleScript and link as well.
I have too much junk in the Apps folder.
But there are huge directories in /Library, that's also went from 10GB to 5GB in my case. And if you use Homebrew to install things, have a look in /usr/local. And in your ~/Documents and ~/Library folders, if you have many emails, they are also stored by single files. So there are many hidden opportunities to make some extra free space.
There is one thing to be aware that the folder to be compressed should not have open files because they makes afsc hang (until the app/process is using them).
I have too much junk in the Apps folder.
I had to quote the funny line.
I think your compression scheme is a good thing to have around to help with an overcrowded drive, I just try to avoid the situation. Obviously $ is a big factor.
When I bought my first SSD, it was 60GB and about $200 (and still working, but too slow)! Then for years my boot was a 120GB Accelsior which cost around $300. The price of speed has come down considerably.
Basically, I only do two things to stay lean. I use a minimum of 500GB for a boot SSD. This sounds like a big waste of space, but I have several apps that use swap files and need lots of fast storage. So the space is not really unused, and never fill it to more than half and use TRIM. The other precaution is using clean OS installs for boot drives, and add the non-Apple software manually. I have used Migration Assistant for apps, but only when it has recently come from a clean install. It's amazing what you don't miss.
I recently bought a fast 1TB Samsung 860 EVO SSD (which does't slow down under continuous write), because the Fusion Drive in my Mini was brutally slow. When it run out of free memory, creating a new swapfile took … half a minute? I was surprised how fast the "slow" 5400RPM Apple HDD actually is, when I unfusioned it.
I did clean installs a looong ago. With MacOS Classic 8-9 it was fun reinstalling and enabling/disabling extensions and whatnot, but not anymore.
I just want my things working without breaking…
I recently bought a fast 1TB Samsung 860 EVO SSD (which does't slow down under continuous write), because the Fusion Drive in my Mini was brutally slow. When it run out of free memory, creating a new swapfile took … half a minute? I was surprised how fast the "slow" 5400RPM Apple HDD actually is, when I unfusioned it.
I did clean installs a looong ago. With MacOS Classic 8-9 it was fun reinstalling and enabling/disabling extensions and whatnot, but not anymore.
I’m not a technician, but I know the Apple stock 2.5” HDDs are the slowest spindles I know of. They average about 25MB/s, and you are comparing it to your 860 which averages about 550MB/s. I have a NVMe 970 as my boot and it averages over 2500MB/s.
I believe the swap file is dynamic, so depending on how much RAM you have, unless you are doing a lot of work, the swap file will stay very small. That’s the reason it worked seemingly fast, I’m guessing. But I believe you made the right decision to replace the dreaded Fusion drive. I have only worked on one, and the first thing I did was to separate the Fusion into the 120GB SSD and the 3TB 3.5” spindle. With Thunderbolt, you can also add fast disks, HDD or SSD.
Blackmagic Disk Speed Test reports 75MB for the 5400RMP hard disk, so it's not that slow.
Swap file sizes were increasing a long time ago, the first was 64MB, then they doubled until they reached 1GB, now on High Sierra they are simply 1GB each. As you can see, not enough memory was always an issue for me.
This late 2010 MacBook Air is regrettably too old for any OSX later than El Capitan, and its resources of RAM and storage are tiny, 2GB and 60 GB respectively. That places a severe limit on what I can do. Is it feasible to move applications to a memory-stick, and launch them when wanted from there ? What about moving everything in the way of data-files to iCloud Drive ? As you can see, I am looking for simple,essentially non-technical, solutions. Meanwhile, I am grateful to everyone that has come to my aid !