How to Free up Space on Mac El Capitan? [Tips & Tools]

Keeping your Mac running smoothly requires sufficient storage space. This guide provides comprehensive steps to free up disk space on macOS El Capitan, enabling you to install the latest macOS updates and enjoy optimal performance.

Checking Available Disk Space

Quickly check your available space using Disk Utility:

1. Open Spotlight Search (Command Spacebar).
2. Type "Disk Utility" and press Enter.
3. Disk Utility displays your free disk space.

Identifying Space Hogs

To understand why your storage is full, check your startup disk usage:

1. Click the Apple menu (top left).
2. Select "About This Mac."
3. Go to "Storage" for a detailed breakdown of disk usage.

Common culprits include:

• Un-emptied Trash
• Cache and junk files
• Unused applications
• Old device backups
• Duplicate media files
• Large multimedia files
• Unnecessary language files

Freeing Up Disk Space: A Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these methods to reclaim valuable storage:

1. Empty the Trash: Locate the Trash icon in the Dock, click it, and select "Empty Trash." Confirm the action when prompted.

2. Remove Cache Files: Access cache files via Finder (Shift Command G), navigate to "~/Library/Caches," and delete unwanted files.

3. Delete Unnecessary Apps: In Finder, locate and move unwanted applications from the Applications folder to the Trash.

4. Delete Old iTunes Backups: Connect your device, open Finder, use "Go to Folder" (Go > Go to Folder) to navigate to "~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/", and delete outdated backups.

5. Clear Downloads: Sort your Downloads folder by size (View > Sort By > Size) to easily identify and remove large, unnecessary files.

6. Flush DNS Cache: Open Terminal (Spotlight Search > Terminal), paste sudo dscacheutil -flushcache;sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder;say cache flushed, and press Enter.

7. Delete Duplicate iTunes Songs: In iTunes or Music, use "File > Library > Show Duplicate Items" to find and remove duplicate songs.

8. Delete Old iOS Backups: Access storage management (Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage > Manage), locate iOS Files, and delete unnecessary backups.

9. Get Rid of Large Files: Use Finder's search function (Command F) to locate files larger than a specified size (e.g., 500MB) and delete those you no longer need.

10. Remove Localization Files: Use a cleaning application to efficiently identify and remove unused language files.

11. Clean Up Cache Files (Alternative Method): Access the Library folder (hold Option while clicking "Go" in Finder), navigate to "Caches," and delete unnecessary cache files.

12. Free Up Space via Terminal (Advanced): Use Terminal commands (sudo rm -rf /private/var/log/* for system logs and rm -rf Voices/* for speech voices—use caution!).

13. Clean Up Disk Space via Finder (Direct Deletion): Directly locate and delete files via Finder.

14. Use a Cleaner Application: Employ a dedicated cleaning application to automate the process of identifying and removing junk files.

Preventing Future Storage Issues

• Use external drives for large files.
• Utilize web-based apps instead of installing them.
• Download videos at lower resolutions.
• Back up to the cloud.
• Regularly clear junk and cache data.
• Use a cleaning app for efficient maintenance.

This comprehensive guide empowers you to effectively manage your macOS El Capitan storage, ensuring a smooth and efficient user experience. Remember to always back up your important data before performing any significant file deletions.

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