

You could do a periodic “Get Info” in the Finder to check on how large the file is. The command creates a file named stupidfile.crap using a device available on Unix/Linux, called /dev/zero which sends zeros which we use to create a large file. Don’t let the sparse interface scare you this thing has superpowers!Įnter the following: dd if=/dev/zero of=~/stupidfile.crap bs=20m Open the Terminal app, found in the Utility folder in Applications.

It’s easy enough thanks to MacOS Unix underpinnings.
#SYSTEM STORAGE TAKING UP WAY TOO MUCH SPACE IN MACOS SIERRA HOW TO#
How to remove Purgeable Disk Spaceįirst, I created a 20 GB file using the Terminal application. But after a quick hack, I’ve created an easy way of forcing MacOS to remove the “Purgeable” disk space. After searching the net, I couldn’t find a good solution. But for some reason, MacOS Sierra refused to recognize that I had the free disk space. The issue is, I manually deleted stuff like iMovie and GarageBand with the associated files by hand using OmniDiskSweeper, which is a free and excellent application for finding and removing large unused files on your disk.

My problem was that MacOS Sierra refused to remove the Purgeable part of the partition, so when I tried to install Bootcamp, It only showed the “real” free disk space. One “real,” that shows exactly how much there is, and then you have the Purgeable part, that includes software that can be uninstalled on the fly and later restored if enough space is available. If you have it enabled in System Preferences under iCloud/iCloud Drive settings (which I think is on by default), you essentially have two different values of how much disk space you have available. This feature isn’t well-implemented, though. (not actually my disk, forgot to take a screenshot) Optimize Disk StorageĪpple added a feature called “ Optimize Disk Storage” in MacOS Sierra.
