Macbook air disk space mystery.

[jimoz]

I've got a macbook air around 2014 vintage but up to now working fine. Recently had disk space nearly full message which I though was unusual as I'm not a heavy user of the laptop. No massive amount of photos. I have done a bit of research to try to find the problem but no joy.

I have deleted a few big files applications.
I have tried to manage the disk space after going on to 'about this mac'. My macbook doesn't have the button there and it is running El capitan which means it should have the button?
I am trying to download Mac Catalina but the installer never seems to boot after download. I was hoping this would come with the option to manage storage space button.

I have set the macintosh HD as a folder on the desktop. I have a 256GB HD.

Applications - 10.83GB
Library 6.22GB
System - 8.77GB
User information - 4KB
Users - 34.13GB

Am I missing a trick here? Why is my disk space full? I've only got about 60GB of data...

Thanks in advance!

 

[Lufbrarunner]

How much free space does Disk Utility report?
Is any of the available space marked purgeable?

 

[jimoz]

screenshot of what size app

How much free space does Disk Utility report?
Is any of the available space marked purgeable?

Thanks for the reply. Im not sure how to run the disk utility I certainly don't have the 'manage' button when checking out the storage in about this mac...

 

[jimoz]

 

[Lufbrarunner]

The second screenshot certainly shows an almost full disk. Do you have an external disk that you could move some files to? ie the photos, as they seem to be taking up the most space.

 

[jimoz]

Thats the thing though I don't have that many files. Not that I know of anyway. The whatsize app couldn't find them!

 

[jimoz]

Small world anyway i'm only in leicester. You ever done the Leic marathon? nice and flat...

 

[jimoz]

searched all .jpg and highlighted them all

 

[Lufbrarunner]

Small world anyway i'm only in leicester. You ever done the Leic marathon? nice and flat...

I did it a couple of times, should have done it last year but the floods stopped it. The last mile up New Walks is anything but flat

 

[jimoz]

Yeh I marshalled the year before and runners were clapping us marshals for standing out in the rain - was soaked that year too! That new walk hill have the crowd clapping you though better than it being out in queni or something!

 

[Lufbrarunner]

It gets a bit boring out of town, not much support. Hopefully there is a new course this year.

 

[jimoz]

Can you see anything wrong with me highlighting all my .jpg's in the above screenshot? Are there other picture formats i'm missing? I can't get my head round the fact that the disk utility and what size don't add up. In my mind I know I don't have 250gb of files. I'm an extremely light user

 

[Lufbrarunner]

You could try .tiff .bmp

 

[jimoz]

A total of about 10mb lol