Trinity-issued MacBook Airs have 250 GB of internal storage. It's not uncommon for this storage to become nearly or completely filled. Here are some tips on how to free up hard drive space.

How Much Free Space Do I Have?

Click on the Apple logo on the top left of the screen, then choose "About This Mac", then go to the Storage tab. This will show you how much free space you have left on your computer, as well as how much space is taken up by each type of file (apps, documents, system, etc.)

Tips on Freeing Storage Space

1. Look Through Your Documents and Downloads

Open Finder, then click on your Documents and Downloads folders. View your files in a list by clicking the second option of the four viewing options on the top of the Finder window (the leftmost set of options, not counting the forward/backward arrows). Then, click on Size to sort your files by size. This way, you can easily see your largest files and put them in the trash.

2. Empty Your Trash

The trash can does not get emptied automatically. When you send a file to the trash, it stays on your hard drive until you choose to empty the trash, or restore the file. To empty the trash and permanently delete any files in the trash, simply hold the control key and click on the trash can icon on the dock, then select "Empty Trash".

3. Back Up Files on Google Drive or a Flash Drive

If you have files on your computer that you want to keep, but aren't going to use in the near future, you can copy them to Google Drive or a flash drive, and then delete them from your computer. Your Trinity Google Drive account has unlimited storage.

4. Manage Your Free Space Using the Storage Tab

Click on the Apple logo on the top left of the screen, then choose "About This Mac", then go to the Storage tab, then click "Manage". This will give you the option to store files in the cloud using iCloud, automatically empty the trash, and review files for deletion.

What About the "Other" Space?

When you look at your free space on the Storage tab, you'll notice a section labeled "Other". It's normal to have some of your storage taken up by "other" files. If more than 100 GB on your computer is taken up by "other" files, stop by the tech office or email support@trinityes.org for assistance in finding out what those files are and deleting them.