After updating to Sequoia my HDD Space has gone haywire

Since installing this update, my storage has gone crazy. I had about 65GB with System Data taking up the bulk of quota at 77GB but now my Applications has gone from 44GB to 213GB (after I deleted Spotify). And now I have zero space. How can I fix this, please help?


[Edited by Moderator]

MacBook Air, macOS 15.6

Posted on Aug 21, 2025 09:57 PM

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5 replies

Aug 22, 2025 01:41 AM in response to stillfallingdown

If you do a Search of these forums, you will see this is often and frequent occurrence


Search - Apple Community


and here Search - Apple Community


The more  popular and effective ways to address this issue is to Start Over from Scratch 


For Apple Silicon computer >> Use Disk Utility to erase a Mac with Apple silicon.


For Apple Intel computers >>   Use Disk Utility to erase an Intel-based Mac followed by How to reinstall macOS


Always make a Time Machine Backup  before  proceeding 


It is also suggest to  Only Migrating the User Account and nothing more.


Emphasis on User Account Only


Reinstall the Needed and not the Wanted applications from the Apple Apps Store or Directly from the Developers 


From what I have seen on these Forums 


77.77 GB in System/Volume/Data  seems to be about normal.


Doing the math 77,77 GB by 256GB calculate to 30.3 % of the Total Drive Capacity is used by


Generally when this issue is discovered by the User ( your in this case )


It is because the Internal Drive Capacity of this computer maybe on the small size


Meaning, the computer has a 256 GB Capacity Drive


A 256 GB Capacity Drive in 2025 is akin to when Apple Sold the tiny of tiniest 128 GB drive back in the day.


Unfortunately, the users' needs for Storage may have grown since the time it was originally purchased 


The implications ?


Spend the Extra Money Up Front on a larger Drive Capacity Drive and add more Unified RAM


This may just Future Proof the computer for your growing needs 

Aug 22, 2025 01:54 PM in response to stillfallingdown

Portable Macs really need lots of storage internally, because you can't walk around with a hard drive dangling from your MacAir. On the other hand, if you're stuck, you have to do something. I have a 2TB MacBook, but I carry around a small, fast, light weight, low power 2 TB SSD like this:

This is from Amazon, and it was about $120. It weighs an ounce and it's about the size of a flash drive, 50x60mm. There are others, but I would get a well-known brand. I've been bitten by off-brands that cost a silly 10% less.


If you don't have enough room to put your stuff, you'll be spending way too much of your time shifting stuff around in a futile attempt to get more space. Moving the furniture doesn't really make the room bigger.

After updating to Sequoia my HDD Space has gone haywire

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