Has it ever happened to you that every time you try to install a new program on your Mac, you find yourself looking at a “low disk space” error?
Well, if this has happened to you, you are not alone. This is a common problem among Mac users as they are always running out of storage space. And if you are also a Mac user, you know how annoying it can be for you to be stuck in the middle of an installation.
There can be several reasons for this issue – maybe you have installed a recent macOS update, large multimedia files on your hard drive, an application that requires a lot of disk space to install, and so forth.
However, you can deal with this issue with a little guidance. In this article, you’ll find all the information on finding and deleting files on your computer. Read on to learn more about it:
What you can expect in this article:
How to Delete Files on Your Mac (without Moving Them to Trash)
When you are looking to empty some space on your computer – moving a bunch of files from folders and then deleting them manually from the Trash can be a time-consuming process. To make it a more efficient and fast process. You can find more on deleting files here but first, let’s find how to permanently delete unimportant files from your Mac without sending them to the Trash.
#1 With the Use of Hotkeys
- Select the files you want to delete.
- Press Option + Command + Delete keys all at once.
- A window will pop up to confirm if you want to delete the selected files, click delete and the selected files will be permanently deleted from your system.
#2 With the Menu Option
- Check the files you want to delete
- Click on the file next to the finder in the menu bar.
- Press the Option key and choose to Delete permanently.
After using both these fixes, you’ll find that the first method is a little quicker than the second. However, the second one may come in handy when you don’t want to use your keyboard.
How to Delete Files That Are in Use
Sometimes, when you are trying to delete a particular file, you see a message “the file is in use” – this stops you from deleting that file. But there is still a way to delete these files. Let’s find out how:
- First, close the application or file that you are trying to delete and try deleting them again from your Mac.
- Suppose you are still unable to delete that file. Restart your computer.
- Now try deleting those files again. You’ll find that your issue is resolved now.
Following the Mac users, this fix comes in handy when you are trying to update a program, but you cannot delete the previous one and in many other cases.
The Bottom-Line
Mac users seldom find them at their wit’s end when trying to clear up some extra space on their device. The fixes mentioned above will help you remove extra files from your hard drive, ultimately helping your Mac perform better.
