This means your documents, movies, music, downloads, and other files are all probably saved to your startup disk, alongside macOS and every other app installed on your computer. And unless you set up an external drive, it’s probably also the place where all your other local files are stored. For most people, this is the built-in drive on their Mac. The startup disk is the hard drive or SSD that holds the operating system for your Mac. If your Mac popped up with a “Your disk is almost full” message, it was almost certainly referring to your Mac’s startup disk. What is a startup disk and how is it full? Just install MacKeeper and enable the Auto-scan feature to let it start freeing up gigabytes of space on your startup disk automatically.

You can use MacKeeper for this thanks to its Safe Cleanup, Duplicates Finder, and Smart Uninstaller features. The best way to prevent your startup disk getting full is by keeping your Mac clean on a regular basis. This guide will show you everything how to check if your startup disk is full and how to free up essential space on your Mac. The result? An annoying 'Your disk is almost full' message and possible poor performance.ĭon’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Then expand them when you need to use them again.ĭid you empty the Trash? When you move a file to the Trash, its storage space doesn't become available until you empty the Trash.Everyone keeps their house clean, but surprisingly, many Mac users neglect cleaning their Mac startup disks. If you don't want to delete certain files, you might be able to save space by compressing them.

Check the Users folder on Macintosh HD for any shared files that you no longer need to share.

If your Mac is set up for multiple users, delete users that no longer need access to your Mac. Or ask them to follow the steps in this article after logging in to their user account. Also check the Users folder on Macintosh HD for any undeleted data belonging to deleted users.

If you use your Mac to back up your iPhone or iPad, you can delete old backups.

Also choose Mailbox > Erase Deleted Items. If you use the Mail app for your email, choose Mailbox > Erase Junk Mail from the menu bar in Mail.Delete files in your Downloads folder. Open this folder from the Dock, or by choosing Go > Downloads from the menu bar in the Finder.Delete music, movies, podcasts, or other media, especially if it's media that you can stream or download again as needed.You can also delete files that you no longer need. If you have another storage device, such as an external drive connected to your Mac, you can move files to that device. Media files such as photos and videos can use a lot of storage space, so you can take steps such as these:

Free up space on startup disk mac