Too much space used in Hard drive

Thank everyone for their input!!

I have verified the disk. I have run ONYX and SMART Utility with no errors found. And now, I have run Apple Hardware Test in Loop Mode overnight (8 hrs), also with no errors.

I read in the Apple hardware Test instructions (the ones that come on the DVD) that "In many cases a clean installation of the MAc OS X fixes recurring problems." Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated greatly!

fjoseph said:

Thank everyone for their input!!

I have verified the disk. I have run ONYX and SMART Utility with no errors found. And now, I have run Apple Hardware Test in Loop Mode overnight (8 hrs), also with no errors.

I read in the Apple hardware Test instructions (the ones that come on the DVD) that "In many cases a clean installation of the MAc OS X fixes recurring problems." Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated greatly!

Click to expand...

Doing a clean reinstall of OS X may be an option, but honestly it is very rarely necessary. Before doing that, to further troubleshoot the spinning ball issue, I would remove the new RAM and see if that resolves. If so, then the RAM is the obvious culprit. It may simply not play well with the stock RAM. Where did you buy the RAM anyway?

Of course you still have the problem where your hard drive appears to be too full. That does seem to be a bit much space used up if indeed you only have about 50 MB of images on it and nothing else. The app that was recommended earlier, Grand Perspective, may help shed some light.

If all else fails, a reinstall may be in order. A number of us here, myself included, who upgraded from Snow Leopard to Lion have wound up doing clean reinstalls of Lion and have found that doing so cleared up a few little issues.

Hi, thanks.

I got the RAM at B&H. If I do the clean reinstall, would it help if the RAM is actually the issue?

My husband also got RAM from B&H in the same order at the same time and he is not having issues. Just a thought.

Ok. He also has an iMac.

fjoseph said:

Hi, thanks.

I got the RAM at B&H. If I do the clean reinstall, would it help if the RAM is actually the issue?

Click to expand...

fjoseph said:

My husband also got RAM from B&H in the same order at the same time and he is not having issues. Just a thought.

Click to expand...

fjoseph said:

Ok. He also has an iMac.

Click to expand...

After you post, you should see an Edit button. Click that to add something you forgot to mention.

fjoseph said:

I got the RAM at B&H. If I do the clean reinstall, would it help if the RAM is actually the issue?

Click to expand...

Not at all.

fjoseph said:

Hi, thanks.

I got the RAM at B&H. If I do the clean reinstall, would it help if the RAM is actually the issue?

Click to expand...

Nope, if RAM is the issue, and you reinstall, you can still have that issue.

I had a Mini with a bad RAM stick that was corrupting the hard drive. Reinstall didn't help because the bad RAM just did it again.

Thanks for the tip!

lifeisabeach said:

Not at all.

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Ok. I'll check out the RAM. I trust that you think it is still a possibility even after running the Apple Hardware Test for 8 hours in loop mode, extended testing with no errors.

So please be patient and give me step by step instructions on how to remove the RAM and what to do next to see if that was the problem.

Thanks again!

fjoseph said:

Ok. I'll check out the RAM. I trust that you think it is still a possibility even after running the Apple Hardware Test for 8 hours in loop mode, extended testing with no errors.

Click to expand...

It is less likely, but still worth considering. Using RAM from two different manufacturers just opens a door to quirky behaviors.

So please be patient and give me step by step instructions on how to remove the RAM and what to do next to see if that was the problem.

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iMac: How to remove or install memory

BTW… you said you got your iMac in September, but you are running 10.6.8? If that is a new iMac, I believe it should have come with 10.7.0, maybe 10.7.1. You can find out which iMac you have here:
Where can I locate the Model Identifier (Model ID) or Machine Model for my Mac? Are Model Identifiers unique? What are the limitations identifying a specific Mac using the Model Identifier? @ EveryMac.com

The model identifier will clue us in.

I'm leaving town in the morning and won't be back till Sunday, so I'll be bowing out here. Hopefully someone else can pick up behind me and maybe bust out an idea or two.

Thank you so much for all your help!! Enjoy your trip.

fjoseph said:

Thanks for the tip!

Click to expand...

Not sure which tip that is, but here's another one...

fjoseph said:

Ok. I'll check out the RAM. ... Thanks again!

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Instead of replying separately to two (or more) posts, you can combine them into one reply, as I've done here. Simply use the Quote + button for each post you want to reply to, then use the Post Reply button (not Post Quick Reply). That will quote all posts so marked and then you can insert your replies.

Thanks for the new tip!