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TICKET ARCHIVE -> Startup Disc Full

JamiDNYC - Jul 21, 2005 - 8:56 pm

Stats:
Powerbook G3 Bronze
Memory: 640 MB SDRAM
Processor: 500 MHz
OS X - 10.3.9

Problem:
I keep getting a message stating that my startup disc is full. When I use "Mail," I have to force quit, but then the finder says I have 565.1 MB available.

Sometimes the finder says I have zero MB available, so I have deleted many files, I'll empty the trash, some MB will become available, but then as soon as I open "Mail," any MB that was available is now gone, and I have to force quit.

I really do not have a lot of files on my computer. It seems that with 640 MB SDRAM I shouldn't be having this problem.

HELP!!! THANKS!
Jami

Cheryl - Jul 21, 2005 - 9:59 pm

Jami,

The disk is full warning is not related to the memory installed on the computer. OS X needs at least 10 - 15% free disk space to work smoothly. That means that if you have an 80 GB drive you should have at least 8 - 12 GB of free, empty space.

First, check your downloads folder - where you have your downloads placed. Delete those files that you downloaded but never installed.
Now go to Home>Library>Caches.
Open the following folders and trash everything that is inside. If some of the folders are empty, that is okay.
iPhoto
iPhoto cache
Mail
Metadata
QuickTime
Safari
Sherlock
Software Update
SoftwareUpdate Cache

Empty the trash and now open a finder window and check at the bottom to see how much is now available.

You may need to copies files to another drive or disk, then trash those files, emptying the trash in order to free up disk space.

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Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !

Cheryl

JamiDNYC - Jul 21, 2005 - 10:44 pm

Cheryl,

Thanks for your response! I went to the Libray folder and then the cache folder, and none of those folders you mentioned are in there. Only things like "com.apple.ATS.System.fcache." Any other place they would be?

I have a 12GB hard drive, so how much free space would I need? Right now it is 375 MB. I just don't understand why this is happening, because I really don't have much on my computer.

Thanks,
Jami

Cheryl - Jul 21, 2005 - 11:04 pm

Jami,

You have two Library folders. One is in your Home folder. The other is on the Hard drive sitting by itself.

With a 12 GB drive, you should have just less than 2 GB of free space (1.8 exactly).

Do you shut down your computer every night? It could be that the nightly routines of OS X are not being done.
Download Macaroni and have it do all the routine jobs. Then set it so it does these routines at the time you start up the computer.

Macaroni
http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/9633

After three days, you should notice a big improvement.

Have you installed anything lately?

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Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !

Cheryl

JamiDNYC - Jul 22, 2005 - 1:08 am

Thanks. I did what you said re the library and cache, and I now have 494 MB of free space, but that's not enough, huh?! I do have OS9 on my computer, and I really only use it for Outlook Express. I'm sure there must be many files I could delete. Any ideas on that?

Off topic question:
When I try to open something such as a photo, the default program is almost always Quicktime in OS9.2. Of course I'd rather it be OSX. How do I change the default program so that doesn't happen anymore?

Thanks!!
Jami

Cheryl - Jul 22, 2005 - 4:48 pm

Jami,

Yes, I bet there are alot of files on the OS 9 that can be deleted. First go to Applications(Mac OS9) and see what is in there. You can trash all the programs that you have not used in a long time. Don't trash anything in System Folder - with the 9 on the folder icon. You may render classic useless.

As for Outlook - You should migrate over to an OS X email client. Mail is very good, Thunderbird is looking to be a good one too.

To change the default. Click once on the photo file. Now go to the File menu and select Get Info.
When that window opens you will see several sections. Look for Open with.
If the arrow is not pointing down, click on it.
Now there is a pull down menu. In that menu select what you want to open that image with - iPhoto or Preview.
If it is not in your choices in the pull down menu, select Other. Now you can navigate to Applications> & select your choice.
Then click on the change all button at the bottom of that section.

Now all the images will open with that program.
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Let me know if you need further assistance and thank you for using MacOSX.com !

Cheryl