Hello

I have recently had to re-install everything from scratch (Including Mac OS) due to something getting into my Mac (including the Time Machine backup)

On the Time Machine backup when I would restore, I would be getting around 911GB of space left available to me. Now bear in mind that I only install what I need on this computer. I only use logic so I have no need to VST or AAX.

On my old backup, this is how it is, no unnecessary files. Thing thing is, on the new installation, I have done exactly the same, and there is absolutely no difference. Prior to removing the files, I had 900GB available, and after removing the files, it is still at 900GB.

I don't understand it, it is like the Mac is not registering it. I have looked in system settings at the storage several times, and it will go from 900GB to 907GB and then back again. Or it'll be 907GB when I shutdown and then 900GB when I start the Mac up again

I am really starting to think that it is the Mac that is the problem and not the files on it.

Has anyone else had this issue?

Thanks in advance

 

I'm not a Mac user, but I think it's because of the backup files.

Limit the size of Time Machine backups
https://kb.synology.com/en-ph/DSM/tutorial/How_can_I_limit_space_taken_up_by_Time_Machine_backup

The Time Machine backup volume on the Mac is full
https://support.apple.com/de-de/guide/mac-help/mh15137/mac

 

My Time Machine is an external SSD

 

How to find and remove large files on your Mac
One day, you'll probably see the "Startup disk is almost full" message. It could be because there are numerous large files hidden deep in your Mac's memory, taking up all the hard drive space.

Find the largest files in one click
If you have enough time, you can go through all the data stored on your Mac using the methods described below. If you want to speed up the process, we recommend CleanMyMac. The app has a tool called "Large & Old Files". Here you can see all the large files on your Mac at a glance and delete them directly. https://macpaw.com/de/cleanmymac

Manually search for large files
The first place to start is the macOS storage overview. If you click on "About This Mac" in the Apple menu and then on "Storage", you get a rough overview of storage usage. From here you can open the Finder and search specifically for large files on your computer.

The Finder's advanced search is even more effective. After opening the Finder, you can start an advanced search using the keyboard shortcut Cmd + F. Here you can select "size" as a criterion and you can search specifically for files that are larger than a certain value.
Using specialized software

If you want to know more precisely or want to save yourself the trouble of searching manually, you can use programs. Such tools analyze the storage space and visualize the results so that you can see at a glance which files or folders are taking up a lot of space.

 

I think I have actually sorted it. I told finder to show me all the sizes of the folders, and then traced it. I eventually found a UAD folder with loads of VST versions of the plugins. Which equated to the size that was missing. Once I deleted them I looked at my storage and it is back to how it was on the old Time Machine backup

 

Congratulations @MusicMaker2023!

 

Thank you for your help