Running out of space on your Mac isn't fun. Even worse, you often find out that you're running out of space at the worst times. Sure, you can randomly start uninstalling apps, but it's better to check your disk space and figure out which is taking up space in the first place. In computer science, a sparse file is a type of computer file that attempts to use file system space more efficiently when the file itself is partially empty. This is achieved by writing brief information representing the empty blocks to disk instead of the actual 'empty' space which makes up the block, using less disk space.
You may not think much about disk space analyzers until the day you need one. When the error message pops up on your desktop telling you that you don't have enough room on your hard disk, it might be tempting to start tossing old songs or going over your photos to see if you're holding on to some blurry ones.
That's where a disk analyzer comes in. This type of utility looks at your hard disk as a whole and breaks down what's taking up the most space. Different disk analyzers sort and organize this information in different ways, but they're all designed to help you understand what you're devoting the most storage (and, hopefully, where you can get rid of some disk-hogging data). So what are our favorite disk analyzers?
| Rating | Name | Features | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CleanMyMac X | The most powerful visual disk analyzer | Link |
| 2 | DaisyDisk | Provides handy storage categories | Link |
| 3 | Grand Perspective | Rectangle-shaped storage map | Link |
A disk analyzer is an important part of your storage management arsenal, but it's not the only part. Combined with a tool that can scan for junk data and do deep and permanent deletion, it can substantially improve your Mac's performance. It can give you a bird's-eye view of your hard disk and help you come up with a storage strategy that reflects your priorities.
Choosing the best disk space analyzer for Mac
How can you tell which storage manager will work for you? After all, the default Finder feature on your desktop has pretty decent functionality. Why not just use that?
To get a sense of what's out there, we went in search of the best disk space analyzers for Mac:
1. CleanMyMac X: A top-tier Mac disk analyzer
- It has a free version — a link download it from the developer's site
- Important system folders are protected
- Easy multi-level navigation and other disk maintenance tools
One of the standout disk analyzers available is CleanMyMac X's Space Lens feature. Part of the app's wider set of powerful utilities, Space Lens helps to visualize the relative sizes of different folders. Representing each area of storage as a bubble, this module helps you map and explore the different parts of your drive. Each bubble's size corresponds to the total storage it's using.
The interface lets you move smoothly between files, either by clicking with the mouse or using the arrow keys. This makes it simple to move through your disk and see what areas are using the most storage. The Quick Look tool gives you more detailed information about a file without actually opening it.
CleanMyMac X integrates file cleanup tools right into Space Lens. A pop-up window lets you select unwanted apps for deletion without leaving the file viewer. You can add files to a running hit list as you go, then permanently remove them all with a click once you've got enough to free up some room on your disk.
It's this level of slick functionality that makes CleanMyMac X our pick for disk analyzer. Click the link to try it for free.
CleanMyMac X is a disk space analyzer that's fully notarized by Apple.
2. DaisyDisk: a stylish Mac disk analyzer
The beautiful mapping features of DaisyDisk certainly win style points. The app represents your hard disk as a colorful wheel divided into segments.
You navigate by clicking into individual segments to zoom in on particular storage areas. A simple drag-and-drop tool lets you assemble the files that you'd like to delete, while a counter adds up the space you'll free up by deleting them.
DaisyDisk's integrated preview function lets you check the contents of selected files, even videos, so you can be sure that you're not deleting anything you'd rather keep.
3. Finder: The classic Mac disk analyzer
Finder is the standard-issue storage manager on every Mac computer. Its smiling blue face icon has been synonymous with Mac OS for years, and it's not a bad disk analyzer for the casual user.
Finder lacks the bells and whistles of some of the other apps listed here, but it's more than capable of sorting your hard drive by file size, giving you a rough but useful picture of what's hogging the most storage.
This isn't an ideal workaround, though. Finder is a general-purpose workhorse, and finding big files isn't its main job.
4. Grand Perspective: A great Mac storage manager
A longtime fixture for Mac disk management, Grand Perspective might look a little outdated. Its boxy, heat-map style display, though, is a surprisingly effective way to visualize blocks of data on your disk.
You can adjust the app to show more than just file size: the heatmap can be coded to file age, last change and more. However, it's more technical than its younger competitors, and takes a little more effort to decipher the results.
5. Disk Inventory X: a useful disk storage tool for Mac
Disk Inventory X is another disk analyzer that's been around for a while. Its age shows in its somewhat dated display, but its tree mapping of your hard drive is an excellent way to see where your storage is being used.
Space Puncher Mac Os X
Disk Inventory X misses out on a leading spot because it's due for an update and because its tree mapping feature can be tricky to adjust to.
6. OmniDiskSweeper: a technical disk manager for Mac
Like the other apps discussed here, OmniDiskSweeper scans and interprets your hard disk data. Unlike the others, it doesn't visualize that data in any way.
While it gives users lots of raw information and control, the app also requires a higher level of technical skill than the others to operate. It relies on you, the user, to make decisions about what can be safely deleted.
More up-to-date disk analyzers can generally recommend files that are safe to delete.
Conclusion
Mac Os Desktop Spaces
Choosing the best storage manager depends on your user skills. Of course, you can always use Finder but you can do infinitely more with dedicated tools. If Omnisweeper is too geeky for you, you can look at CleanMyMac X's Space Lens — it's visually appealing and powerful at the same time.
Space Puncher Mac Os Catalina
Space Puncher Mac Os 7
macOS Big Sur was officially released for all users in November last year, and since then Apple has released updates with bug fixes and overall improvements. However, as reported by Mr. Macintosh, Big Sur still has a serious issue that can result in data loss when users try to upgrade a Mac to the latest version of the operating system without enough space available.
You may not think much about disk space analyzers until the day you need one. When the error message pops up on your desktop telling you that you don't have enough room on your hard disk, it might be tempting to start tossing old songs or going over your photos to see if you're holding on to some blurry ones.
That's where a disk analyzer comes in. This type of utility looks at your hard disk as a whole and breaks down what's taking up the most space. Different disk analyzers sort and organize this information in different ways, but they're all designed to help you understand what you're devoting the most storage (and, hopefully, where you can get rid of some disk-hogging data). So what are our favorite disk analyzers?
| Rating | Name | Features | Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CleanMyMac X | The most powerful visual disk analyzer | Link |
| 2 | DaisyDisk | Provides handy storage categories | Link |
| 3 | Grand Perspective | Rectangle-shaped storage map | Link |
A disk analyzer is an important part of your storage management arsenal, but it's not the only part. Combined with a tool that can scan for junk data and do deep and permanent deletion, it can substantially improve your Mac's performance. It can give you a bird's-eye view of your hard disk and help you come up with a storage strategy that reflects your priorities.
Choosing the best disk space analyzer for Mac
How can you tell which storage manager will work for you? After all, the default Finder feature on your desktop has pretty decent functionality. Why not just use that?
To get a sense of what's out there, we went in search of the best disk space analyzers for Mac:
1. CleanMyMac X: A top-tier Mac disk analyzer
- It has a free version — a link download it from the developer's site
- Important system folders are protected
- Easy multi-level navigation and other disk maintenance tools
One of the standout disk analyzers available is CleanMyMac X's Space Lens feature. Part of the app's wider set of powerful utilities, Space Lens helps to visualize the relative sizes of different folders. Representing each area of storage as a bubble, this module helps you map and explore the different parts of your drive. Each bubble's size corresponds to the total storage it's using.
The interface lets you move smoothly between files, either by clicking with the mouse or using the arrow keys. This makes it simple to move through your disk and see what areas are using the most storage. The Quick Look tool gives you more detailed information about a file without actually opening it.
CleanMyMac X integrates file cleanup tools right into Space Lens. A pop-up window lets you select unwanted apps for deletion without leaving the file viewer. You can add files to a running hit list as you go, then permanently remove them all with a click once you've got enough to free up some room on your disk.
It's this level of slick functionality that makes CleanMyMac X our pick for disk analyzer. Click the link to try it for free.
CleanMyMac X is a disk space analyzer that's fully notarized by Apple.
2. DaisyDisk: a stylish Mac disk analyzer
The beautiful mapping features of DaisyDisk certainly win style points. The app represents your hard disk as a colorful wheel divided into segments.
You navigate by clicking into individual segments to zoom in on particular storage areas. A simple drag-and-drop tool lets you assemble the files that you'd like to delete, while a counter adds up the space you'll free up by deleting them.
DaisyDisk's integrated preview function lets you check the contents of selected files, even videos, so you can be sure that you're not deleting anything you'd rather keep.
3. Finder: The classic Mac disk analyzer
Finder is the standard-issue storage manager on every Mac computer. Its smiling blue face icon has been synonymous with Mac OS for years, and it's not a bad disk analyzer for the casual user.
Finder lacks the bells and whistles of some of the other apps listed here, but it's more than capable of sorting your hard drive by file size, giving you a rough but useful picture of what's hogging the most storage.
This isn't an ideal workaround, though. Finder is a general-purpose workhorse, and finding big files isn't its main job.
4. Grand Perspective: A great Mac storage manager
A longtime fixture for Mac disk management, Grand Perspective might look a little outdated. Its boxy, heat-map style display, though, is a surprisingly effective way to visualize blocks of data on your disk.
You can adjust the app to show more than just file size: the heatmap can be coded to file age, last change and more. However, it's more technical than its younger competitors, and takes a little more effort to decipher the results.
5. Disk Inventory X: a useful disk storage tool for Mac
Disk Inventory X is another disk analyzer that's been around for a while. Its age shows in its somewhat dated display, but its tree mapping of your hard drive is an excellent way to see where your storage is being used.
Space Puncher Mac Os X
Disk Inventory X misses out on a leading spot because it's due for an update and because its tree mapping feature can be tricky to adjust to.
6. OmniDiskSweeper: a technical disk manager for Mac
Like the other apps discussed here, OmniDiskSweeper scans and interprets your hard disk data. Unlike the others, it doesn't visualize that data in any way.
While it gives users lots of raw information and control, the app also requires a higher level of technical skill than the others to operate. It relies on you, the user, to make decisions about what can be safely deleted.
More up-to-date disk analyzers can generally recommend files that are safe to delete.
Conclusion
Mac Os Desktop Spaces
Choosing the best storage manager depends on your user skills. Of course, you can always use Finder but you can do infinitely more with dedicated tools. If Omnisweeper is too geeky for you, you can look at CleanMyMac X's Space Lens — it's visually appealing and powerful at the same time.
Space Puncher Mac Os Catalina
Space Puncher Mac Os 7
macOS Big Sur was officially released for all users in November last year, and since then Apple has released updates with bug fixes and overall improvements. However, as reported by Mr. Macintosh, Big Sur still has a serious issue that can result in data loss when users try to upgrade a Mac to the latest version of the operating system without enough space available.
After noticing several reports from users on the web, Mr. Macintosh found out that the macOS Big Sur installer isn't checking whether the Mac's internal storage has enough free space. As the system initiates the update process, the Mac becomes unresponsive, and data can be permanently corrupted.
Apple says upgrading to macOS Big Sur for the first time requires at least 35.5 GB of available storage — and this doesn't include the 13 GB macOS Big Sur installer. Unfortunately, even if your Mac does not have 35.5 GB of storage available, macOS will try to install the Big Sur update, and that's when users may lose all their data.
The update process seems to run perfectly, but users get the following message near the end of the installation:
An error occurred preparing the software update.
From that point on, the Mac will no longer boot. Mr. Macintosh was able to confirm that this bug affects macOS Big Sur 11.2 installer and even macOS Big Sur 11.3 beta installer. At the same time, this doesn't affect OTA updates from one Big Sur installation to another (such as updating from macOS 11.1 to macOS 11.2).
If you have a backup of your data, you can simply erase the entire disk and reinstall macOS. However, recovering data without a backup can be very difficult.
With FileVault enabled, you have to connect your Mac to another Mac via Target Disk Mode in order to recover your files. If FileVault wasn't enabled on your Mac, you can try to delete some files using the Terminal app in macOS Recovery, which will allow macOS to complete the update process successfully.
Apple hasn't commented on this bug so far, but hopefully it will be fixed with the final release of macOS Big Sur 11.3. You can read more details about this problem on the Mr. Macintosh blog.
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