Dec 21, 2020 Step 3: Under MAC OS, you will notice a version number. This number should match the number in the Startup Disk section. This number should match the number in the Startup Disk section. Part 2: How to Solve Insufficient Disk Space on Mac? DaisyDisk, GrandPerspective, and Disk Inventory X are probably your best bets out of the 10 options considered. 'Helps find and delete files taking up HDD space' is the primary reason people pick DaisyDisk over the competition. This page is powered by a knowledgeable community that helps you make an informed decision.
What To Do When Recovery Mode Doesn't Work on Mac
Mac users will say that a Mac is a reliable machine that rarely lets you down, but problems can occasionally occur. Due to various reasons, your Mac can become unresponsive, a malware file could corrupt the operating system, you might accidentally delete an important system file, or you might want to wipe your Mac clean before selling or after buying a new Mac. That's where the Recovery Mode comes in handy.
The Mac Recovery Mode is an essential part of macOS. It's a built-in tool that will help you diagnose and solve the problem if your Mac suddenly runs into trouble, and you don't know what the cause of it is, or you can't resolve it with other means. Recovery Mode's purpose is to load native recovery tools that let you reinstall macOS, restore from Time Machine, repair or erase a hard disk and more. Recovery Mode loads tools from a specific disk partition that holds the duplicate OS X installer with a recovery image.
Recovery Mode was introduced in 2011 with the release of Mac OS X Lion operating system. This feature helped make user life easier as you didn't need to store DVDs or USB drives anymore to restore system software when required. It was also a win for Apple as they saved a lot of money by not producing and distributing DVDs or USB drives with the Macs they sold.
Recovery mode has four main options:
Restore From Time Machine Backup - this option lets you restore your files from a backup or local snapshot (backups, stored on your Mac when Time Machine backup disk is not available) on your startup disk if you created a backup on your Mac using Time Machine.
Reinstall macOS - reinstalls Mac operating system by connecting to Apple's servers and downloading the operating system.
Get Help Online - if you're experiencing problems while in Recovery Mode or need help navigating it, you can connect to the internet through Safari and get help from Apple's online support team.
Disk Utility - you can format and manage volumes on physical storage devices. Create a disk image that you can use to move files from one computer to another, back up and archive your files. Combine multiple hard disks into a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) set that will increase your Macs performance. Most importantly, you can use Disk Utility to check and repair disk and volumes errors.
Recovery Mode is a very handy tool, but unfortunately, it's also vulnerable to working issues. It can get stuck while you try to resolve disk problems or some other issue, or you won't be able to boot it at all. There are a couple of reasons why Recovery Mode might not work. One of the few reasons is that Mac can't create a partition for the Recovery HD. You won't be able to use Recovery Mode if your operating system is older than High Sierra. Also, a file system error can lead to Recovery Mode, not working. Recovery Mode will also not boot if your drive is corrupted.
Below you'll find three step-by-step methods on what to do when you can't access Recovery Mode.
Table of Contents:
- Method 1.Fix Recovery Mode with Time Machine
- Method 2.Use Internet Recovery Mode
- Method 3.Create a Bootable Installer
Fix Recovery Mode with Time Machine
Time Machines can help you restore your files when you can't restore them in Recovery Mode. In this case, you have to have your Backup external drive connected to Time Machine.
1. Restart your Mac.
2. Press and hold the Option key on your keyboard when you hear the start-up sound.
3. Connect your Time Machine drive. It will take some time for it to boot.
4. Choose the recovery drive to launch your Mac.
5. Click on 'Use Disk' to update the system storage.
If this method does not help, try to create a bootable installer.
Use Internet Recovery Mode
Internet Recovery Mode will appear after your computer displays an error message with Recovery Mode not working issue. It can only reinstall the Mac operating system that was initially used by the Mac.
1. Restart your Mac.
2. Simultaneously hold down Option + Command + R keys on your keyboard until you see a globe photo and progress bar.
Fix It Space Mac Os X
3. Select the internet connection that you're using. Enter the network password.
4. Wait for it to load. You'll see the Recover Mode window popup.
5. Click on 'Reinstall macOS' and then on 'Continue.'
6. Follow the steps to continue the installation process.
Fix It Space Mac Os Download
Create a Bootable Installer
To create an installer, you need to have a USB flash drive with a bootable OS X installer inside to fix the system. Before using the USB, make sure to remove everything from it, as the process will delete your files on the drive. Also, make sure your USB has at least 8 GB of storage. You can download the installer from the App Store or Apple.
1. Download the macOS installer.
2. When the installer window pops up, go to the upper menu bar, click on the installer menu and click on 'Quit.'
3. Open Finder and go to Applications.
4. Find the installer named Install macOS (OS name), right-click on it, and click on 'Show Package Content.'
5. Go to the 'Contents' folder and the 'Resources' folder.
6. Find 'createinstallmedia.'
7. Press Command + Space keys on your keyboard to open Spotlight and enter 'Terminal' to open it.
8. In Terminal, type in: sudo (space)
9. Drag the 'createinstallmedia' file to the terminal window and type in: --volume (space)
10. In the Finder window, simultaneously press Shift + Command+ G keys on your keyboard.
11. In the bar, enter in: /Volumes
12. Plug your USB drive into your Mac.
13. You'll see your drive appear in the 'Volumes' folder.
14. Drag your drive to the same Terminal window.
15. In Terminal, press Enter and enter your user password. The password characters won't be shown in the Terminal window.
16. When asked if you wish to continue, enter: y
17. After the disk is erased and the data is copied to your USB, remove it from your Mac.
18. Shut Down your Mac.
19. Press and hold the Option key on your keyboard when you hear the start-up sound.
20. Connect the USB with the bootable installer to your Mac.
21. Click on the drive from the list.
22. Click on Install macOS.
23. Wait for it to load. You'll see the Recover Mode window popup.
24. Click on 'Reinstall macOS' and then on 'Continue.'
25. Follow the steps to continue the installation process.
If Mac fails to install the operating system, try to fix the Recovery Mode by using Internet Recovery Mode.
If you still can't access Recovery Mode, contact Apple support.
Let us know in the comments which method helped you!
Video on What To Do When Recovery Mode Doesn't Work on Mac
With time, your Mac may get inundated up with multiple files: video, audio, pictures, documents, etc., thereby gradually eating up disk space. If necessary action isn't taken to clean up the clutter, it may ultimately lead to a warning message: Your startup disk is almost full. Don't worry, this is normal and can be rectified.
Finding Out Why Your Startup Disk is Full on Mac OS X
To determine the reasons why your startup disk is full, follow these steps:- Hit the Apple icon at your screen's top-left corner.
- Select 'About This Mac'.
- Hit Storage.
Top 10 Ways to Clean Startup Disk on Mac OS X (El Capitan)
Let's cruise through the top 10 methods to clean your startup disk. Having gone through the steps, you may learn more about your Mac and also discover a few new ways to fix the issue.
1. Empty out the Trash
In Mac OS X, almost every deleted file or document heads to the Trash Bin. Bypassing Trash is often not possible when deleting files permanently. Trash Bin files could either be individually deleted or emptied at once by right-clicking the Trash icon. However, some of the erased files may still leave their footprints. Follow these steps to delete the files completely:
- As aforementioned, right-click the icon.
- Now hit the button 'Command' on your keyboard.
- The icon's Empty Trash will now get converted to Secure Empty Trash. Clicking this option will permanently delete the entire Trash Bin.
2. Clean up your Downloads, Movies and Music folders
It's important to frequently check and clean up your download, movie and music folders. Most download files aren't needed or used after some time. You can move the downloaded files to an external hard drive or the Documents folder. Before cleaning up the contents, organize the space by Date Last Opened or Date Modified. This will help you locate files that haven't been used much since their download.
The Movies folder is where you probably have a few hundred gigabytes of digital content. Click the Movies folder and press Command-I. Look at the pop-up that shows up at your window's top right to find out the folder's space consumption. Clean up the space or move the files to an external hard disk. The same process applies to cleaning the Music folder too.
3. Clean your Desktop
Having the desktop cluttered with multiple apps and files will slow down your Mac. The reason being every icon consumes some RAM.
However, the solution is pretty straightforward. Clean up the desktop and don't store files there. If you need to store temporary files, create a dedicated folder.
4. Remove unnecessary applications
Safely and permanently remove or uninstall apps and their preferences, components, log files, etc. Sending them to the Trash Bin isn't mission completed. To uninstall, choose an application.
This is a disk cleaning aspect with which CleanMyMac 3 will come quite handy. To get the job done, launch the application, hit Uninstaller, choose the application to be removed and click Uninstall.
5. Delete old iTunes Library backups
Recent iTunes versions generate existing iTunes Library file's backup each time the iTunes app is updated. Once you're happy with the performance of a current iTunes update, delete the old files by heading to the previous iTunes folder.
6. Clean up your iPhoto library
The iPhoto app has its dedicated recycle bin. To get started, choose files you'd like to get rid of. These may include bad or inadvertently clicked photos. Service copies also must be booted out. These are copies of original images that were altered. The original image is copied and stashed away safely. Needless to say, these copies eat up considerable disk space.
The folders Master, Original, Modified and Preview must be checked to determine if there're copies. To access the folders, open the Finder window and head to the Pictures folder. Press Ctrl and click the iPhoto library and choose Show Package Contents. You must now manually go through the folders and find out copies with altered original copies.
This could be cumbersome if you've got a huge photo repository. With CleanMyMac 3, the cleaning will be safer and faster. The cleaning app scans the library and only gets rid of the duplicates. CleanMyMac3 is highly recommended during such scenarios since critical or wrong files once cleaned up cannot be recovered.
7. Get rid of localization files
If you chose the option Easy Install during Mac OS X installation, several localization files for different languages get installed. The files allow the OS X interface to show up in multiple languages. To delete them:
- Open Finder.
- Head to Applications.
- Press Ctrl and left-click an application simultaneously.
- Choose 'Show Package Contents'.
Now, head to Resources under Contents and locate files ending with .lproj. There's a specific language prefix before the file name. For instance, German language files will show up as de.lproj. Delete the unwanted language files.
You could easily get rid of these files using a third-party alternative like CleanMyMac 3. You'll only require a click and no surfing through multiple folders to get the job done.
8. Remove old iOS backups
Backups can consume excessive space. You could locate and eliminate them by:
- Opening the Finder window.
- Hitting 'Go' in the menu pane.
- Choosing 'Go to Folder'.
- And heading to the Backup folder.
Clean up all the outdated, old backups.
9. Clean up cache files on your Mac
Caches are non-permanent files that help increase the speed of specific tasks. However, with time, the files could get bloated.
To get cleaning, click the Finder application. Then, long press the Option key and hit the menu bar's Go option. This should expose the typically hidden Library folder. You would find your caches folder in the Library folder.
Also, there are several third-party applications, such as CleanMyMac 3, which help make the cleaning process much simpler and hassle-free.
10. Remove old iOS device backups
iOS-based devices automatically backup certain settings and files to a Mac every time they're hooked to a computer. The backups are saved in the Backup folder: Home/ Library/ Application Support/ MobileSync/ Backup.
CleanMyMac 3 is a long-term, automatic cleaning solution that keeps the startup disk spotless. It can clear several gigabytes of space within a few minutes.
How to Prevent Startup Disk Full on Mac in the Future
Fix It Space Mac Os X
3. Select the internet connection that you're using. Enter the network password.
4. Wait for it to load. You'll see the Recover Mode window popup.
5. Click on 'Reinstall macOS' and then on 'Continue.'
6. Follow the steps to continue the installation process.
Fix It Space Mac Os Download
Create a Bootable Installer
To create an installer, you need to have a USB flash drive with a bootable OS X installer inside to fix the system. Before using the USB, make sure to remove everything from it, as the process will delete your files on the drive. Also, make sure your USB has at least 8 GB of storage. You can download the installer from the App Store or Apple.
1. Download the macOS installer.
2. When the installer window pops up, go to the upper menu bar, click on the installer menu and click on 'Quit.'
3. Open Finder and go to Applications.
4. Find the installer named Install macOS (OS name), right-click on it, and click on 'Show Package Content.'
5. Go to the 'Contents' folder and the 'Resources' folder.
6. Find 'createinstallmedia.'
7. Press Command + Space keys on your keyboard to open Spotlight and enter 'Terminal' to open it.
8. In Terminal, type in: sudo (space)
9. Drag the 'createinstallmedia' file to the terminal window and type in: --volume (space)
10. In the Finder window, simultaneously press Shift + Command+ G keys on your keyboard.
11. In the bar, enter in: /Volumes
12. Plug your USB drive into your Mac.
13. You'll see your drive appear in the 'Volumes' folder.
14. Drag your drive to the same Terminal window.
15. In Terminal, press Enter and enter your user password. The password characters won't be shown in the Terminal window.
16. When asked if you wish to continue, enter: y
17. After the disk is erased and the data is copied to your USB, remove it from your Mac.
18. Shut Down your Mac.
19. Press and hold the Option key on your keyboard when you hear the start-up sound.
20. Connect the USB with the bootable installer to your Mac.
21. Click on the drive from the list.
22. Click on Install macOS.
23. Wait for it to load. You'll see the Recover Mode window popup.
24. Click on 'Reinstall macOS' and then on 'Continue.'
25. Follow the steps to continue the installation process.
If Mac fails to install the operating system, try to fix the Recovery Mode by using Internet Recovery Mode.
If you still can't access Recovery Mode, contact Apple support.
Let us know in the comments which method helped you!
Video on What To Do When Recovery Mode Doesn't Work on Mac
With time, your Mac may get inundated up with multiple files: video, audio, pictures, documents, etc., thereby gradually eating up disk space. If necessary action isn't taken to clean up the clutter, it may ultimately lead to a warning message: Your startup disk is almost full. Don't worry, this is normal and can be rectified.
Finding Out Why Your Startup Disk is Full on Mac OS X
To determine the reasons why your startup disk is full, follow these steps:- Hit the Apple icon at your screen's top-left corner.
- Select 'About This Mac'.
- Hit Storage.
Top 10 Ways to Clean Startup Disk on Mac OS X (El Capitan)
Let's cruise through the top 10 methods to clean your startup disk. Having gone through the steps, you may learn more about your Mac and also discover a few new ways to fix the issue.
1. Empty out the Trash
In Mac OS X, almost every deleted file or document heads to the Trash Bin. Bypassing Trash is often not possible when deleting files permanently. Trash Bin files could either be individually deleted or emptied at once by right-clicking the Trash icon. However, some of the erased files may still leave their footprints. Follow these steps to delete the files completely:
- As aforementioned, right-click the icon.
- Now hit the button 'Command' on your keyboard.
- The icon's Empty Trash will now get converted to Secure Empty Trash. Clicking this option will permanently delete the entire Trash Bin.
2. Clean up your Downloads, Movies and Music folders
It's important to frequently check and clean up your download, movie and music folders. Most download files aren't needed or used after some time. You can move the downloaded files to an external hard drive or the Documents folder. Before cleaning up the contents, organize the space by Date Last Opened or Date Modified. This will help you locate files that haven't been used much since their download.
The Movies folder is where you probably have a few hundred gigabytes of digital content. Click the Movies folder and press Command-I. Look at the pop-up that shows up at your window's top right to find out the folder's space consumption. Clean up the space or move the files to an external hard disk. The same process applies to cleaning the Music folder too.
3. Clean your Desktop
Having the desktop cluttered with multiple apps and files will slow down your Mac. The reason being every icon consumes some RAM.
However, the solution is pretty straightforward. Clean up the desktop and don't store files there. If you need to store temporary files, create a dedicated folder.
4. Remove unnecessary applications
Safely and permanently remove or uninstall apps and their preferences, components, log files, etc. Sending them to the Trash Bin isn't mission completed. To uninstall, choose an application.
This is a disk cleaning aspect with which CleanMyMac 3 will come quite handy. To get the job done, launch the application, hit Uninstaller, choose the application to be removed and click Uninstall.
5. Delete old iTunes Library backups
Recent iTunes versions generate existing iTunes Library file's backup each time the iTunes app is updated. Once you're happy with the performance of a current iTunes update, delete the old files by heading to the previous iTunes folder.
6. Clean up your iPhoto library
The iPhoto app has its dedicated recycle bin. To get started, choose files you'd like to get rid of. These may include bad or inadvertently clicked photos. Service copies also must be booted out. These are copies of original images that were altered. The original image is copied and stashed away safely. Needless to say, these copies eat up considerable disk space.
The folders Master, Original, Modified and Preview must be checked to determine if there're copies. To access the folders, open the Finder window and head to the Pictures folder. Press Ctrl and click the iPhoto library and choose Show Package Contents. You must now manually go through the folders and find out copies with altered original copies.
This could be cumbersome if you've got a huge photo repository. With CleanMyMac 3, the cleaning will be safer and faster. The cleaning app scans the library and only gets rid of the duplicates. CleanMyMac3 is highly recommended during such scenarios since critical or wrong files once cleaned up cannot be recovered.
7. Get rid of localization files
If you chose the option Easy Install during Mac OS X installation, several localization files for different languages get installed. The files allow the OS X interface to show up in multiple languages. To delete them:
- Open Finder.
- Head to Applications.
- Press Ctrl and left-click an application simultaneously.
- Choose 'Show Package Contents'.
Now, head to Resources under Contents and locate files ending with .lproj. There's a specific language prefix before the file name. For instance, German language files will show up as de.lproj. Delete the unwanted language files.
You could easily get rid of these files using a third-party alternative like CleanMyMac 3. You'll only require a click and no surfing through multiple folders to get the job done.
8. Remove old iOS backups
Backups can consume excessive space. You could locate and eliminate them by:
- Opening the Finder window.
- Hitting 'Go' in the menu pane.
- Choosing 'Go to Folder'.
- And heading to the Backup folder.
Clean up all the outdated, old backups.
9. Clean up cache files on your Mac
Caches are non-permanent files that help increase the speed of specific tasks. However, with time, the files could get bloated.
To get cleaning, click the Finder application. Then, long press the Option key and hit the menu bar's Go option. This should expose the typically hidden Library folder. You would find your caches folder in the Library folder.
Also, there are several third-party applications, such as CleanMyMac 3, which help make the cleaning process much simpler and hassle-free.
10. Remove old iOS device backups
iOS-based devices automatically backup certain settings and files to a Mac every time they're hooked to a computer. The backups are saved in the Backup folder: Home/ Library/ Application Support/ MobileSync/ Backup.
CleanMyMac 3 is a long-term, automatic cleaning solution that keeps the startup disk spotless. It can clear several gigabytes of space within a few minutes.
How to Prevent Startup Disk Full on Mac in the Future
The biggest disk space-hogging element on your Mac is always those huge multimedia files and documents. These could be cumbersome to clean if done manually. However, a software application like CleanMyMac 3 will carry out the task within minutes. Moreover, the software will also warn you whenever the disk space is nearing exhaustion, helping you stay on top of space utilization, always.
To make accessing and monitoring the software features easier, a fresh menu bar is available that keeps track of memory usage, free space, and existing trash size. Customer alert standards can be set in software preferences, which notifies you whenever disk space is extremely low or the bin size is too high. This is a helpful feature for people with limited disk space on their Macbooks.
