MacBook Air...start up disk is full?

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

Your Start up disk is full.

I have been getting this message for several weeks so I have emptied my trash, taken off all photos, and anything else that I stored on the machine. There was not a lot stored because I really only use the MacBook for emailing with customers and friends and surfing the net.

I did read online about what to do but what I read wanted me to download software to clean the machine, which I do not want to do.

Yes, I know I can go to the Apple store, and I will, but it is an hour away and cannot get there this week. I will need to make an appointment at the genius bar first. Any quick tips would be appreciated thanks!

GATORGIRL · ‎07-28-2016

@Mom2Dogs

I have found the Apple Support Community to be invaluable on the few occasions I've needed technical assistance:

https://discussions.apple.com/welcome

ChynnaBlue · ‎05-22-2012

I would try the steps listed on this site: http://macpaw.com/how-to/startup-disk-full-on-mac-os-x

If that doesn't work, I would call Apple support before making ann appointment with the local store. They may be able to help you over the phone and save you a trip to the store.

Click here for Forum Tips

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

How large is your HD and how much space do you have left on it?

Did you check your Downloads folder for items you can trash?

Which OS are you using?

If you are NOT using El Capitan, repair permissions & restart your computer.

Read the suggestions mentioned in Apple Communities: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7132355?language=en

Do a search in Apple forums for your particular issue. Research

Apple Knowledge Base

Check out the following article for info:

Where did my Disk Space go?

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

Mz iMac · ‎07-26-2014

@Mom2Dogs

I forgot to add....

"Yes, I know I can go to the Apple store, and I will, but it is an hour away"

An APSP may be closer:

How to find your nearest Apple Premium Service Provider

"Never argue with a fool. Onlookers may not be able to tell the difference."

dooBdoo · ‎06-27-2010

@Mom2Dogs, I genuinely mean no offense, but I'd be very cautious about following all the advice on the MacPaw site since it's a commercial website and the article is heavily devoted to promotion of their own "CleanMyMac" application, software to be used with caution in my opinion (you can go to the Apple.com support community and read the threads about "CleanMyMac" for more info). In addition to other things you might look at, try starting your device in safe mode, then shut down, and then reboot normally. This article tells you about safe mode:

click this safe link to Apple.com (or search for info about "Apple safe mode"):

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

Few things reveal your intellect and your generosity of spirit—the parallel powers of your heart and mind—better than how you give feedback.~Maria Popova

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

@dooBdoo...no offense taken.....

I am very green with the inner workings of my computers, I have 2 Imac's and the MacBookAir....I an very confident doing my work...but when something goes wrong, I am totally lost.

I am not downloading anything to clean up my mac....I found a few more files to get rid of... I copied and then deleted and I am confident everything is gone from the computer that was not on the machine when I purchased it. I thought I was home free...I shut down, restarted and there it was again that darm message!

I did read the links that were given to me and thought that I could take care of the issue myself but I decided that I just do not feel confident doing anything with out a warm body sitting beside me. (beause this is my work laptop and I get email only on this MacBook) so I will call and make an appointment for Sunday at the Apple Store.

I appreciate all the advice, thanks!

glb613 · ‎03-09-2010

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@dooBdoo...no offense taken.....

I am very green with the inner workings of my computers, I have 2 Imac's and the MacBookAir....I an very confident doing my work...but when something goes wrong, I am totally lost.

I am not downloading anything to clean up my mac....I found a few more files to get rid of... I copied and then deleted and I am confident everything is gone from the computer that was not on the machine when I purchased it. I thought I was home free...I shut down, restarted and there it was again that darm message!

I did read the links that were given to me and thought that I could take care of the issue myself but I decided that I just do not feel confident doing anything with out a warm body sitting beside me. (beause this is my work laptop and I get email only on this MacBook) so I will call and make an appointment for Sunday at the Apple Store.

I appreciate all the advice, thanks!

I bet the problem is the the "other" files on your hard drive. If you look at what is taking up space (click on the apple in the upper left corner of the screen and select about this Mac), select storage and you'll see the categories. If "other" has taken up a lot of space, that is what's causing your problem.

I had the same problem with my Macbook Pro and couldn't find any solutions to get rid of the files. I read they are often left over from doing other tasks like installing programs. I didn't install much of anything yet had all of these files. When I had a totally different problem and did a restore from a backup, the files were gone. My computer runs better than ever.

My suggestion would be do a backup then a restore. It doesn't take long and since you will restore from a backup, you don't have to worry about reinstalling everything. Go to the Apple forums if you want step by step instructions.

Like you, I don't have an Apple store in town. When I called Apple Care I found there is a company called Simply Mac that is a certified Apple repair company. While you may not have one in your town, perhaps one is located closer than an Apple store. Good luck.

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

@glb613...your problem sounds like mine....the 'other' taking up space is the OS El Capitan....the only way to fix the problem is to go back to the previous OS....

I called apple care this morning and the technician walked me thru looking at what might be the problem. I had only a couple of files that were not needed, so I trashed those things. My MacBook is old, 2010...I am not really interested in spending the money right now on a new MacBook but I might be forced to. Love Apple Care they are great!

glb613 · ‎03-09-2010

@Mom2Dogs wrote:
@glb613...your problem sounds like mine....the 'other' taking up space is the OS El Capitan....the only way to fix the problem is to go back to the previous OS....

I called apple care this morning and the technician walked me thru looking at what might be the problem. I had only a couple of files that were not needed, so I trashed those things. My MacBook is old, 2010...I am not really interested in spending the money right now on a new MacBook but I might be forced to. Love Apple Care they are great!

Too many people think old means obsolete or no good anymore. Unless a computer is too old to be safe (no security updates for example) or has such a slow processor it's too slow, doing a factory restore can give you several years of use. After I did a restore, my Macbook runs great.

It also depends on how you use a computer. Surfing the net, e-mail and shopping doesn't require a powerhouse like a gamer needs. Macbooks are very expensive and I plan on getting the longest use from mine as I can. If that means doing a restore/recovery occasionally, I'll do it. The same thing applies to all apple devices.