startup disk full

Hi Forum..

I have a macbook Pro mid 2010 version, with 2.4 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4 Gb 1067 Mhz DDR3, 250GB Sata Disk. I also have Parallels Desktop 7 that I just added and still trying to load Windows 7 on that for PC software I still have to use.

I keep getting a message :startup disk is Full. Need to make more space on your startup disk by deleting files.

I have 559 mb free out of 249.s GB of space. The Storage window is telling me that I've used 248 GB of "other" and every other type of space is empty like music, vide, etc. and I know I have some of that on my laptop. I am also using LION but it still shows Snow Leopard on my disk space.

My Questions is, could there be a partition that my ex son-in-law may have put on here that has a bunch of empty space that needs to be repartitioned? or am I out of memory???

Disk Inventory X

Disk Inventory X will help you find what is using up all that room

Startup disk

Thanks for the info. I will check it out.

Startup Disk is Full

I have the same "Startup Disk is Full" issue. This isn't isolated - it's all over the Apple Community boards. It isn't related to Parallels or anti-virus software or any of the standard culprits. People with very little experience and less technical acumen than some of us are completely perplexed and a little scared. I think this has to do with the OS 10 back-up scheme. Please post with a real solution - not "check ____". I've probably already checked it or done it - this isn't my first time out at the rodeo. I have a MacBook Pro 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 process with 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 RAM, Version 10.7.3. This problem is more apparent since 10.7. I haven't installed new software there are no new large files. I've captured video using Captivate 5.5 but the problem existed before that! I do have DropBox installed - but I had DropBox installed before the problem began so DropBox probably isn't the culprit. I have used the built-in disk monitoring utility in OS X most of the space is being eaten by "Other" - in other words no help there. I have a 120.47 GB HD with 6.31 GB available and the Out of Disk Space on Startup Disk error occurs frequently - often when I'm trying to eliminate duplicate data records in Ancestry's Family Tree Maker 2. FTM does run a synchronization about every 5 - 10 minutes. DropBox is at 67.8% of its 50.83 GB capacity. The DropBox application also runs a synchronization process. I do not believe it uses Apple Sync Services. iCloud synch is turned off as is MobileMe. There is no external drive connected. Every few days I run system maintenance using Onyx (latest release) Automation - I also go through and clear out all the cache and files I can using these utilities and manually. I use File Buddy's Rebuild LS Database feature and erase unused space. I use Onyx to Secure Empty Trash each time I run the updates. I have deleted all languages I don't actually use using FIle Buddy's Languages Inventory delete feature. I used AppCleaner to delete unnecessary apps. I've moved several files over to a networked Mac Mini to free up space on my disk. DropBox is also installed on that machine - it's having no issues. I started the maintenance procedure when I started encountering issues at the recommendation of several postings. Does anyone have any useful recommendations?

You have 6.31GB free on your computer. That is why you are having issues. OS X prefers to have 20% of the drive free so it can easily move files, and store caches.

Boy that is a hard post to even read let alone answer Stretch! No such things as paragraphs.

harryb2448 said:

Boy that is a hard post to even read let alone answer Stretch! No such things as paragraphs.

Click to expand...

Haha, you aren't kidding.

I am getting the message the startup disk has no more space available for application memory? Is that the same problem? I have 361.27 GB free of 499.25 GB. I am so frustrated and I have no idea where to start with this.

(I'm reposting - with smaller paragraphs [o make the "the paragraphs are HUGE aren't they crowd a bit happier"] plus I updated the fact that yes I had tried Disk Inventory - that's where I got "Other" from in the previous posting - I simply forgot the name of it because I've tried so many things I'm at a complete loss.)

I have the same "Startup Disk is Full" issue. This isn't isolated - it's all over the Apple Community boards. It isn't related to Parallels or anti-virus software or any of the standard culprits. People with very little experience and less technical acumen than some of us are completely perplexed and a little scared.

I think this has to do with the OS 10 back-up scheme. Please post with a real solution - not "check ____". I've probably already checked it or done it - this isn't my first time out at the rodeo. I have a MacBook Pro 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 process with 4 GB 1333 MHz DDR3 RAM, Version 10.7.3.

This problem is more apparent since 10.7. I haven't installed new software there are no new large files. I've captured video using Captivate 5.5 but the problem existed before that!

I do have DropBox installed - but I had DropBox installed before the problem began so DropBox probably isn't the culprit. I have used the external disk utility "Disk Monitor" (previously stated in error that it was "internal" - it wasn't) in OS X most of the space is being eaten by "Other" - in other words no help there. I already tried Disk Inventory and the problem absolutely occurs in the “Other” group of applications. I downloaded it, found that "Other" were the majority of files and since it doesn't tell you what "Other" is - I promptly uninstalled it.

I have a 120.47 GB HD with 6.31 GB available and the Out of Disk Space on Startup Disk error occurs frequently - often when I'm trying to eliminate duplicate data records in Ancestry's Family Tree Maker 2. FTM does run a synchronization about every 5 - 10 minutes. DropBox is at 67.8% of its 50.83 GB capacity. The DropBox application also runs a synchronization process. I do not believe it uses Apple Sync Services. iCloud synch is turned off as is MobileMe.

There is no external drive connected. Every few days I run system maintenance using Onyx (latest release) Automation - I also go through and clear out all the cache and files I can using these utilities and manually. I use File Buddy's Rebuild LS Database feature and erase unused space. I use Onyx to Secure Empty Trash each time I run the updates. I have deleted all languages I don't actually use using FIle Buddy's Languages Inventory delete feature.

I used AppCleaner to delete unnecessary apps. I've moved several files over to a networked Mac Mini to free up space on my disk. DropBox is also installed on that machine - it's having no issues. I started the maintenance procedure when I started encountering issues at the recommendation of several postings. Does anyone have any useful recommendations?

The resulting clean-up yields not 6.31 GB of freed up space but over 12 GB! So 6 – 9 GB disappears quite literally overnight. I thought I had a runaway process from Adobe which caused the issue. They use (used) a scheme with their trial software whereby you download the trial and a handy-dandy little gem known as the Akamai downloader installs itself, then downloads the software and remains on your machine. It creates errors every 30 seconds in your logs (I know because I looked at Console).

Adobe refused to help so I called Akamai and they helped me uninstall the Akamai downloader. No Akamai software is apparent. Note that my problem started before I downloaded the Adobe Captivate trial – but things have gotten worse not better

Install Disks?

harryb2448 said:

Boy that is a hard post to even read let alone answer Stretch! No such things as paragraphs.

Click to expand...

By the way those install disks we need to hold onto - don't exist as of OS 10.7 unless you make them yourself. And even then pray that your memory stick doesn't encounter issues because whatever you use - disks won't do it anymore - any kind of "disk".

Your suspicion that the problem is in the OS X backup scheme may be the cause if you are using Time Machine. Since Lion arrived when Time Machine cannot find the designated backup drive it stores backups locally )on the internal drive) until it can connect to the external drive. OS X Lion: About Time Machine's "local snapshots" on portable Macs

Apparently over a period of time Time Machine gets rid of the local backup if it is reconnected to the normal backup drive. Some posts have suggested that this process takes up to a week but I doubt it takes that long. Try this procedure to get rid of them manually Lion’s local backup devours disk space

Do as you suggest and make a Lion USB thumb drive, which will be bootable. With MB and MBP it does seem a clean install of Lion is much more satisfactory than an upgrade.


http://osxdaily.com/2011/07/08/make-a-bootable-mac-os-x-10-7-lion-installer-from-a-usb-flash-drive/

Startup disk full

I have had the same problem numerous times and the only solution I have ever found is to re boot. I have 70 gb free (actual) and when I get the message there is between 0 and 100 mb free. After re booting it is always gone back to normal. Note to all this is either a mis reporting problem or some cache or program is mis reporting its size. There is no actual shortage of space. I have tried to find the problem or get it to go away while the problem is active but even when closing every program you still have a os that won't work without space to work.

A tech in the Apple store told me to verify and repair disk permissions for this problem, and when I did that last night I didn't follow up w a restart, so I got the msg first thing this morn.

Although I'm not very tech savvy, I believe regular disk permission repair does help - I have 472.48 gb available memory, as I've only used 27 gb

Did the tech explain why a permission repair corrects this problem? I'm skeptical to say the least. First of all a permission repair fixes the permissions on System files. If the files that were taking up space were something else a permission repair has little/no effect. Second, I would think that this would be a commonly known fix if it resolved this issue for any length of time.

Don't get me wrong permission repair has a place in the troubleshooting arsenal. Unfortunately it is often touted as a magic bullet that fixes everything.

Do you mean closing every program or quitting using the Quit line in the Menu Bar? Closing the Window does not quit the application in all cases.

Am aware of the no OS X.7 and later media which is why suggesting making the bootable thumb drive prior to running the Installer.

re disk repair

I notice that the permissions that need repair apply to software updated programs - iTunes is incessantly updating, and it is always on the repair list - this last time Safari was, and I just applied an update to it as well.

No, the tech did not explain his solution - I didn't spend much time w him bc of his patronizing demeanor. La! Too much like a macho car mechanic with what he thought was a naive old lady he could sell more stuff to.

But I took the advice, got out of there, and using disk repair every few weeks has belayed the startup disk error msg....

I'm glad you got things figured out. I have serious reservations about whether the permission repair is what fixed the problem. Oh well, one more thing to investigate.