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Should i be worry of updates eating up my HD spaces?

Twe Foju

Twe Foju

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 20, 2007
396
0
Jakarta
what im trying to ask here, is the new update will replace the existing update?

for example Garage Band update 4.1.1 is about 48.7 MB

so does it mean if i update it, it totally use up 48.7? or will it delete the previous GarageBand update to be replaced so that it still save up spaces?

thanks =)
 
Look... That is nota huge issue. More scary is the usual Empty Trash... command in Finder actually does not erase the data, so it is still sitting there, just not listed in any way.
 
Pickoff said:
Look... That is nota huge issue. More scary is the usual Empty Trash... command in Finder actually does not erase the data, so it is still sitting there, just not listed in any way.
Click to expand...

seriously? wow.. so how you make them go away permanently? :p

you see, the problem is i dont have budget to get external HD at the moment

so im pretty strict about my internal HD space, anyway can someone answer my question yet? :p
 
Pickoff said:
Use "Secure Empty Trash" in the same directory. Its slower but worth it.
Click to expand...

Good to know. Most computers don't actually "delete" they just mark data to be overwritten. That means, the data is still there, but it has been marked in such a way that the OS knows its okay to write something else over it. Until that something else is written over it though, the data is still technically recoverable - a problem with sensitive private/financial stuff.

Does the secure empty trash actually erase the data for real?
 
If you didnt use secure erase on deleted files before, you can go through Disk Utility and use "Erase Free Space". It might take a while depending on how large the drive is, but it is a thorough way to get rid of non-securely deleted files.
 
there is a problem, i seems not to be able to open the empty secure trash through help

does it only work when the trash is filled? because my trash is empty at the moment

oh and, about the erase free space from the disk utility, does it delete the data that hadn't been deleted from the Empty Trash thing?

and is it safe to perform? i mean, i dont want any of my files to be accidentally being deleted
 
Twe Foju said:
there is a problem, i seems not to be able to open the empty secure trash through help

does it only work when the trash is filled? because my trash is empty at the moment

oh and, about the erase free space from the disk utility, does it delete the data that hadn't been deleted from the Empty Trash thing?

and is it safe to perform? i mean, i dont want any of my files to be accidentally being deleted
Click to expand...
Secure Erase only works with files that are inside the trash.

Erase free space deletes any data that was not deleted securely, and only affects what it says, the free space on your drive (which could have been occupied by a file that was not securely deleted). So it is safe to use.
 
Way to go off on a tangent guys. Although I am not quite sure how all updates work, most updates simply download, then do their job (change things, add things, remove things) and then they are deleted. So I would expect some change in space you probably won't lose 48.7mb from the garage band update.
 
zeros should be good enough...its up to you, and depending on how much free space you have it can vary in time.
 
Since I have never done an erase free space before, as I have just heard of it, I am doing a 35 times rewrite...it is estimated 5 hrs :eek: I will just leave it on while I am out tonight, but I do have question.

Is the time it takes to erase free space simply contingent on your HDD speed? I mean, Disk Utility isn't using up much CPU or RAM....
 
Twe Foju said:
thanks guys

only 1 last question

do a zero, 7 pass or 35 pass?

:D:eek:
Click to expand...

Zero is fastest.
The question is are you trying to erase sensitive data (financial, personal) or simply trying to free up space. If you're trying to free up some space none of those choices will help you, but if you are trying to get rid of something super secret use 35 pass (although go get a coffee or something as it will take hours.)
 
tuffluffjimmy said:
Zero is fastest.
The question is are you trying to erase sensitive data (financial, personal) or simply trying to free up space. If you're trying to free up some space none of those choices will help you, but if you are trying to get rid of something super secret use 35 pass (although go get a coffee or something as it will take hours.)
Click to expand...

Exactly, erase free space doesn't free up any space, it just writes zeros over the files that you erased which in reality are just marked to be written over and aren't actually erased (this is normal for any computer with magnetic media). This does nothing for performance but is more a security issue. It says Department of Defense standards are the 7 pass, so 35 pass must be rediculous.
 
if you're really trying to erase confidential stuffs, like what you did with your dormmate or what you and the other sorority sisters did back in college.. i would suggest getting a new hard drive instead..
and the old one.. bury it !:D
 
Somewhat odd-
I went to do a 35 pass earlier, it said 5 hrs for ~30 GB, so I left the house and just came back. When I got back, Disk Utility had an alert up saying I was out of disk space, hmm. So I just ended the erase free space program, and all is back to my ~30 GB free space. So now I am just doing the simplest erase free space, but I am wondering if anyone knows why it wouldn't let me do the 35?

NOTE: 1.5 GHz PBG4/120GB WDC scorpion 5400RPM/ OS 10.4.11
 
PowerBookRelic said:
Somewhat odd-
I went to do a 35 pass earlier, it said 5 hrs for ~30 GB, so I left the house and just came back. When I got back, Disk Utility had an alert up saying I was out of disk space, hmm. So I just ended the erase free space program, and all is back to my ~30 GB free space. So now I am just doing the simplest erase free space, but I am wondering if anyone knows why it wouldn't let me do the 35?

NOTE: 1.5 GHz PBG4/120GB WDC scorpion 5400RPM/ OS 10.4.11
Click to expand...

That usually happens. Really there is no point in doing a 35 pass, unless you're james bond. But I think it did do a full 35 pass. unless 35 pass only works on external drives, and the internal drive if you boot off the OS X install CD.
 
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