What to delete from my hard drive

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
I have Time Machine and it keeps telling me that i do'nt have enough space to back up whats on my computer. I haven't put anything particularly big on there recently so I'm confused. But maybe I need to just get rid of stuff on my hard drive. But what can I delete? I don't understand what half these applications and folders are for. Or do you think there's another problem? I have a 2006 iMac with Safari OS x 10.6.8
 

chscag

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
65,248
Reaction score
1,833
Points
113
Location
Keller, Texas
Your Mac's Specs
2017 27" iMac, 10.5" iPad Pro, iPhone 8, iPhone 11, iPhone 12 Mini, Numerous iPods, Monterey
If you don't know what to delete, my advice is not to delete anything from your Mac. The solution is to buy and use a larger external hard drive that will accommodate all your data to be backed up by Time Machine.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
What size is your backup drive...and how full (number of gigs used) is the drive you are backing up?

Time Machine is supposed to do a complete backup the first time...then just do incremental periodic backups of what changed since the last backup. Eventually the backup drive gets full (full of multiple Time Machine backups)...and then Time Machine is supposed to overwrite the oldest backup with the newest backup (a FIFO approach).

- Nick
 
OP
P
Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Points
1
Thanks Nick. My capacity is 319.94 and I only have 76.15 available. when I go into Time Machine it is only showing Oct. 2014. I can't click on the folders older than that (they're dark and there's no writing on them anyway). I wonder if Time Machine isn't working properly?
 
Joined
Nov 28, 2007
Messages
25,564
Reaction score
486
Points
83
Location
Blue Mountains NSW Australia
Your Mac's Specs
Silver M1 iMac 512/16/8/8 macOS 11.6
Again. Are you using an external hard drive for Time Machine backups? That is the best advice. If not what happens when (and not if) the drive fails? And the free 20% space is the absolute minimum before you gets slow downs and beach balls.
 

pigoo3

Well-known member
Staff member
Admin
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
44,210
Reaction score
1,418
Points
113
Location
U.S.
Your Mac's Specs
2017 15" MBP, 16gig ram, 1TB SSD, OS 10.15
My capacity is 319.94 and I only have 76.15 available. when I go into Time Machine it is only showing Oct. 2014.

Is this the size (gigs used & gigs free) of your computers internal HD...or the specs on the external hard drive for the Time Machine backups? I needed to know both.

If we are only talking about one hard drive for everything...and if you are storing your Time Machine backups on the same hard drive as your day to day HD (everything is on your computers internal HD)...we will need to talk about this!;)

- Nick
 

vansmith

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 19, 2008
Messages
19,924
Reaction score
559
Points
113
Location
Queensland
Your Mac's Specs
Mini (2014, 2018, 2020), MBA (2020), iPad Pro (2018), iPhone 13 Pro Max, Watch (S6)
and then Time Machine is supposed to overwrite the oldest backup with the newest backup (a FIFO approach).
I've noticed that sometimes TM doesn't do this (for whatever reason). I've had it complain of a lack of space and not do anything about it. I wonder if this is happening here.
 

Shop Amazon


Shop for your Apple, Mac, iPhone and other computer products on Amazon.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
Top