The Struggle of Managing Large Files on a Mac: How to Effectively Delete Them and Optimize Your Mac’s Performance

Maximising Storage Space and Enhancing Performance

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We’ve all been there — our Mac’s storage is filling up, and we can’t figure out why. After digging through our files, we realise that the culprit is a handful of large files taking up precious space. But how do we effectively delete these large files without causing harm to our computer or losing important information?

In this post, we will explore two ways to delete large files on a Mac : Finder and Terminal. We will also provide tips and tricks for managing large files and freeing up space on a Mac, as well as a section on optimising your Mac for better performance.

Method 1: Finding Large Files on a Mac

1. Open Finder and navigate to the folder where you want to search for large files.
2. Click “File” in the menu bar and select “New Smart Folder”.
3. In the “File Size” drop-down menu, select “is greater than” and enter the size of the files you want to find (for example, “100 MB”).
4. Click on “Add”, and your search results will be displayed in the new Smart Folder.

Method 2: Deleting Large Files Using Finder

1. Open Finder and navigate to the folder where the large files are located.
2. Select the large files you want to delete.
3. Press the “Command” + “Delete” keys on your keyboard.
4. A dialogue box will appear asking if you want to delete the selected files. Click “Delete” to confirm.

Method 3: Deleting Large Files Using Terminal

1. Open Terminal (you can find it in the Applications > Utilities folder or by searching for it in Spotlight)
2. Use the command “cd” followed by the folder path where the large files are located.
3. Use the command “rm” followed by the file name you want to delete.

It’s important to note that Terminal commands are executed immediately and cannot be undone, so it’s crucial to be careful when using this method.

Tips and Tricks for Managing Large Files and Freeing Up Space on a Mac

1. Use external hard drives or cloud storage to store files. This can free up space on your Mac and provide a backup of your files.
2. Go through your files regularly and delete any duplicates or unnecessary files.
3. Use a program like CleanMyMac to scan your Mac for large files and delete them with one click.
4. Uninstall programs you no longer use.
5. Empty your trash regularly.

Dangers of Deleting Large Files

While deleting large files can free up space on your Mac, it’s essential to be careful. Always double-check before deleting any files, and be cautious when using Terminal. If you accidentally delete a large file, you can use a program like Disk Drill to recover it.

Optimising Your Mac for Better Performance

1. Keep your Mac up to date with the latest software updates.
2. Close unnecessary programs and tabs.
3. Clean up your desktop by organising your files into folders.
4. Use a program like OnyX to optimise your Mac’s performance.
5. Empty your cache and history regularly

In Conclusion

Managing large files on a Mac can be a hassle. Still, with the methods outlined above, you can effectively delete them without causing harm to your computer or losing important information. Of course, remember to always double-check before deleting.