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Macintosh HD almost full: used space for Macintosh HD doesn't add up

I checked the available storage space on my internal hard drive and was surprised that my Macintosh HD is almost full. Disk Utility says there's 1.69 TB of used space out of 2 TB, so does Get Info. But when I calculate the used space of the 4 main folders of Macintosh HD (Applications, Library, System, and Users), the number doesn't match. The folders used 1.18 TB of space but my Macintosh HD has used 1.69 TB of storage. What's going on?

Best Answered by

Jenny Zeng

Answered on Tuesday, August 27, 2024

The used space on Macintosh HD doesn't add up with the total number of the folders because the former also includes the space occupied by the following files:

  • Hidden files: Files hidden from users are also taking up space. To view them, press Command-Shift-period. 
  • Purgeable space on Mac: Local snapshots, and files moved to the Trash will clutter your space too.

To have a clear picture of the space usages, you can scan your drive with iBoysoft DiskGeeker for Mac. It can then anaylze your disk space and help you find and remove the files (hidden files included) that are eatting up your drive effortlessly.