There’s not that many things that are more irritating than getting the “Startup disk is almost full” notification. However, once you do get it, then you know, you have to address it, because if you leave your device on low storage for too long , then it can start to cause problems. This often happens if you end up storing excessive amounts of outdated files, caches and applications that you no have no use for. However, the most frustrating thing is that usually the documents that are consuming the most storage space are often hidden system files.

It is for this reason that users are often advised to utilise external storage devices, to store any excessive files and avoid any serious problems that may compromise their Mac’s performance. If you don’t already own a USB flash drive, SD Card or external storage device, you can always opt to buy one to prevent such problems from occurring in the future. Moreover, it is recommended that you invest in one of the sd card reader for sale that Lention has available. These adapters will allow you to access the data stored in your SD Card easily, stream in high resolution with HDMI support, offer universal compatibility and transfer files at high speeds. Plus, they are designed to be extremely durable, so you don’t have to worry about accidental damage.

Putting prevention aside, let’s discuss how you can clear you Mac’s storage space efficiently. However, for those unfamiliar with what a startup drive is, it is essentially a hard drive that contains your macOS system and all the applications you have present. If we consider the fact that it is your main hard drive, this is where your Mac boots up from, hence the Startup reference. Now, whenever you get that startup disk notification, it is meant to let you know that you urgently need to clear some space. The maximum storage in your startup disk, that your files should take should not exceed 85%. Any more than that and it threatens to create performance issues. This is why an external disk drive and usb-c hub is highly recommended by many Mac technicians. It helps to avoid excessive file buildup. Moreover, another benefit of purchasing one of these hubs from Lention is that they essentially bring together all of your core Mac functions into one port. This means that you will be able to transfer excess files to external storage drives. Plus, connect and charge multiple devices at once!

An alternative option is to acquire a Lention USB-C Cable. This should do a similar job of transferring your high storage data at high speeds across multiple devices, clearing space on your startup drive in the process. Additionally, if you do have a number of Mac accessories lying around, then you should also invest in a Cable Organizer as well. In fact, the benefit of using Lention is that their cable organizers all come made of a tough EVA material, which does well to absorb hard impacts. Also, they come with mesh pockets and elastic straps, allowing you to store multiple cables, external disk drives and accessories, even when on the move.

Clearing Storage Space

The unfortunate thing about Mac’s system optimisation, is that it doesn’t give much assistance when t comes to deleting large amounts of unused data and files. In other words, it leaves that responsibility to you.

However, there are a few things that you can do and alternatives methods that you can employ to clear any excessive files, effectively.

Clear Out Your Trash 

This may sound like an obvious suggestion, but you would be surprised how often Mac users forget or simply ignore their trash bins. They start to compile tons of deleted files that have not been permanently erased. This ends up leading up to storage issues that impede your Mac’s system performance. You can easily clear out your trash bin by simply clicking on the Trash icon and selecting Empty Trash. It’s that simple.

Clear Out Your Application Cache Files

If you are not familiar with what these are, they are essentially system files that are made whenever an application or browser accomplishes a task.

These files are actually created to help speed up your Mac, acting as task shortcuts. For instance, they can help you login to a website faster. It does this by remembering how your Mac's browser accomplished the task previously. The downside is that the more caches that are created and stored, the more space they begin to consume which leads to excessive stem junk files. This in turn contributes to the “startup disk is full” problem. You can either head to your Library folder and clear the caches manually or use a third-party app like CleanMyMacX to do it for you. We suggest the second option because the first one can pose a risk to your Mac's system, if you end up accidentally deleting the wrong system files. However, if you feel confident that you can do it without harming your Mac then simply type  ~/Library/Caches into your search bar. You can delete the unnecessary cache files from there.

Erase Downloads Folder

One of the biggest file storage consumers is the downloads folder. Most likely, you will find a lot of files and documents that you don’t need anymore. In fact, most of those fils are probably media downloads eg. movies, which often consume large amounts of storage. You can easily start to clear these files by organizing them by size and deleting the largest files first. However, if you are an avid movie downloader, you can always expand your viewing experience by purchasing a hdmi hub from Lention. These adapters offer extensive functionalities such as; high speed transfers, integrated charging, 4k resolution HDMI to HDTV video and audio output, among other features.

Transfer Your Backups Elsewhere

In most cases, some of the biggest storage consumers are your Mac’s backup files. However, the worst part about it is that unlike other files, you can’t delete them. In such situations, we suggest transferring some of those files to an external storage device or utilizing a cloud storage service lie, iCloud or Dropbox.