How Do I Delete Files on a Mac Startup Disk?
Hard Drive space on macOS has increased a lot to accommodate all your files. You can max it up to 8TB with the latest MacBook Pro. MacOS Big Sur has shifted its orientation towards a browser platform. The more you install apps on your Mac or browse different sites, the chances are higher to accumulate a lot of caches, cookies, temp files, junk files, etc. It is necessary to delete unwanted files on Mac regularly.
If your Startup disk has all the stuff, eventually it may run out of space. If you have ever received a âYour startup disk is almost fullâ error message, itâs time to perform cleanup and optimization on your Mac. You can remove unnecessary data on Mac, but it is also important to delete unwanted programs and remove app clutter from Mac. You can do this manually or make use of the Advanced Uninstall Manager to declutter apps and associated files.
Manage Disk Space
When the Mac Storage disk is almost full, your system may perform sluggishly or it may max out the storage. You may face boot issues or frequent system crashes. You must know whatâs taking up your space and where to start cleaning up. You can Manage Disk Space with the following steps.
Step 1. Click on the Apple icon and select the âAbout This Macâ option.
Step 2. Click on the Storage tab on the top of the window. It will populate a graphical representation of the storage usage. You may find categories like Movies, Photos, Music, Docs, and Others with different color shades.
Step 3. Click on the Manage button to explore all the files using the File Explorer window.
Step 4. Click on different categories in the left panel, select unwanted files and hit the Delete key.
Delete Unwanted Programs
Deleting unwanted programs on Mac is very important as these programs update themselves in the background and take up a lot of space. They also utilize system resources while booting your Mac or running in the background.
Step 1. Click on the Finder App and then go for the Applications folder.
Step 2. It will list out all the installed apps on your Mac. Identify apps that need to be uninstalled.
Step 3.Right-click on the app and click on the âMove to Trashâ option. If prompted, confirm to delete the app from your Mac. This option will only delete the app but not its associated files.
Delete Unwanted Files on Mac
Once you delete unwanted apps, itâs time to remove app clutter from individual folders. These steps can help you declutter cache, cookies, temp files, junk files and other app clutter.
Step 1. Click on the Finder App, and select âGo to Folderâ under the Go menu.
Step 2. Type ~/Library/Caches and hit the Enter key. It will open up File Explorer with all the cache folders.
Step 3. Select just the files and press the Delete key. Do not attempt to delete any folder from here. Close the window once done and repeat the process with the below addresses.
~/Library/Logs
~/Library/Caches
~/Library/Preferences
~/Library/Internet Plug-Ins/
~/Library/Application Support/CrashReporter/
~/Library/Saved Application State/
~/Library/Application Support
~/Library/Containers
~/Library/Cookies
Delete all the temp files cookies, plug-ins, cache, app preferences, log files and more to make room for upcoming files. Right-click on the Trash Bin and tap on Empty Trash to permanently remove all the files from your Mac.
Remove iOS Backup
If you update your iPhone or iPad using iTunes on your Mac, it may store old backups that take up a lot of space. It is essential to remove old iOS backup files to quickly free up a lot of space.
Step 1. Click on the Finder App, and select âGo to Folderâ under the Go menu.
Step 2. Type ~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/ in the search box and hit Enter.
Step 3. You will find different backup folders. Keep the most recent one and then delete all the older backup folders. This will free up a lot of space on your Mac.
Remove Language Packs
Language packs occupy a lot of space and most of the apps come with different language packs. You can keep the language pack you want and remove the rest of the language packs.
Step 1. Click on the Finder App and then go for the Applications folder.
Step 2. Right-click on the app and click on Show Package Contents.
Step 3. Click on Contents and then navigate to Resources.
Step 4. Select language packs ending with the .lproj file extension that you wish to remove. Language pack names will have 2 initial alphabets for every language. Select and press the Delete key to remove the language pack. Follow the same process with other installed apps.
Use Advanced Uninstall Manager
You can automate the process of uninstalling apps and removing app clutter. The best app uninstaller for Mac can automatically list out all the apps and their associated files.
Advanced Uninstall Manager is the Best Mac Uninstaller in 2022 to automatically find and remove app clutter. It is best compatible with macOS 10.8 and earlier versions to quickly find and remove unwanted apps. It has a user-friendly interface to easily uninstall unwanted programs, delete unwanted files on Mac, delete app residual files, preferences, log files, cache, cookies, and other supporting files.
Summing Up
Installing a lot of apps, taking backup, syncing with multiple devices may make you run into a âYour startup disk is almost fullâ error message. It is important to periodically remove unnecessary data on Mac and clean your Mac temp files. The manual process is tiring and time-consuming yet canât free up a lot of space. You can make use of Advanced Uninstall Manager to quickly uninstall unwanted apps and declutter your Mac in no time. Keep it Clean!
