Fixed: macOS Sequoia Filling Up With System Data

Solutions

 Many users face this issue if their macOS Sequoia is filling up with System Data.
where storage is consumed by various system files that don't fall into typical categories. This can be worrying, especially when disk space runs low. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to troubleshoot and free up space.

1. Clear System Caches and Logs

You can manually clear some system caches and logs to reclaim space. However, be cautious and avoid deleting files that are essential for system operation.

• Open Finder and click on the Go menu in the top bar.
• Hold down the Option key and select Library.
• Navigate to Caches and Logs folders and remove unnecessary files (only if you’re confident they can be safely deleted).

Alternatively, you can use third-party apps like CleanMyMac to safely clean up system caches and logs without manually digging into system folders.

2. Manage Time Machine Backups

Time Machine backups can consume significant space if not configured properly.

• Open System Preferences > Time Machine.
•  Click on Options and review the list of excluded items.
• If needed, exclude large files or volumes from being backed up.
• You can also consider manually deleting old Time Machine backups or use the tmutil command in Terminal to manage these backups.

3. Delete Old macOS Installation Files

Sometimes, macOS updates leave large files behind. These can be deleted if they’re not needed.

• Go to Finder > Go > Go to Folder.
• Type /Library/Updates and press Enter.
• Delete any leftover update files that you don’t need.

4. Free Up Virtual Memory (Swap Files)

If you suspect swap files are consuming too much space:

• Open Activity Monitor from Applications > Utilities.
•  Click on the Memory tab and check for apps using excessive memory.
• Quit any memory-intensive applications to allow the system to clear swap files.

5. Rebuild macOS Storage Index

In some cases, macOS might misreport system storage usage. Rebuilding the storage index can help resolve discrepancies.

• Open Disk Utility (Applications > Utilities).
• Select your main hard drive and click on First Aid.
• Let the process complete, and then restart your Mac.

macOS Sequoia's 'System Data' can quickly fill up storage due to accumulated caches, logs, and backups. Regular maintenance, like clearing caches and managing backups, can help manage this and free up space for better performance.