Hi, my startup disk was nearly full, so I bought external drives to move iTunes and Photos. Before I could do that, my kids downloaded more files, and now I can’t log in. After entering my password, all I see is the desktop background with no icons or menus. How can I access the system to delete files and fix this?
You should start in Safe Mode to free up disk space. Here are the steps：
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Restart your computer first.
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Enter the Safe Mode. Hold down the Shift key as soon as you hear the startup sound and do not release until you see the Apple logo and progress bar.
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Delete unnecessary files. After entering the system, try to delete some files that are not needed, especially those that take up a lot of space.
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Restart the computer.
You can delete files using Recovery Mode. First, shut down your Mac, then turn it on while immediately pressing and holding Command (⌘) + R until you see the Apple logo. In the “macOS Utilities” window, select “Disk Utility.” Choose your startup disk and click “Mount” if necessary. After closing Disk Utility, select “Terminal” from the Utilities menu. Use Terminal commands to navigate and delete any unnecessary files.
Thank you so much for helping me.