So I've got a Macbook and it seems as though today (and maybe yesterday) that the "GB Available" has been fluctuating...? Never did this before. I went through earlier today and deleted a ton of music that I no longer listen to and trashed it and than emptied the trash - yet when I click on the Finder the numbers are still fluctuating much after finishing all this.

My software is up to date - I only go to safe sites that I am on everyday (not porn related, haha) - I don't download or share ANYTHING (music, video, etc etc) and am not currently running anything other than ITunes and Safari (as always). Is this a problem or is it my computer catching up with all the deleted space or something? The GB Available goes up and down (not just one or the other). Also if it is important I literally have 92+ GB of availability so it wouldn't seem to be a case of too much crap on it.

Sorry for the novel - but any help is appreciated guys - thanks!

Go to Disk Utility, select the hard drive in question, and Erase Free Space. Select the single run for now.

What will that do?

usually when this happens to me i end up deleting a bunch of log files and im good

Martins where you at!? I did it and am currently being freaked, haha. I hope you're right or this will not end well!!

Erasing free space works like this:

When you delete a file, the space it was in before doesn't necessarily get cleared out. Erase Free Space writes 0s over everything so you can start anew. I erase free space after every major clean out I do.

Deleting the log files is good too. As well as clearing your cache. Just search cache through spotlight or download Onyx and have it do all the maintenance stuff for you, including the maintenance scripts (which may or may not run depending on if you shut your computer off at night).

OK - I ran the Erase Free Space and it is still having the same fluctuation. I cleared the cache and will have to try deleting log files - I don't shut off my Mac at night but will restart it every once in a while. Where are the log files located if you don't mind helping a computer idiot a little more!?

I don't know if it's the same problem I had but a few months ago my HDD space had shrunk considerably and I couldn't figure out why. I ended up having to reinstall the OS and everything because I had fucked up a disk partitioning with bootcamp with a faulty Windows Vista 64 disk (it was free and legal!). If you have an external hard drive big enough, start up time machine and then reinstall the OS. When you reinstall, just say to start up from an image off time machine and everything will be back to the way it was.

I think, however, that you're problem isn't that extreme yet. Just type .log into spotlight and delete whatever comes up being careful because you never know what you might accidentally delete.

Oh also, back in Disk Utility, verify and repair your permissions.

Hmm. Like I said - I don't download anything at all - so maybe I'll just see if it keeps happening...? Does this sound like anything "dangerous" or is it probably more so something that just drives me nuts? It seems as though it only fluctuating by like ".01" now...

No no no, it's nothing virus related or whatever. If you want to check to be safe, download ClamXav and run it. It's pretty quick and you'll know soon if there's anything that shouldn't be there. Either way, verify and repair your permissions. It's a button in disk utility.

Verify and Repair Permissions are two separate buttons - do I do both? And again - this won't effect anything on my computer correct?

Sorry, repair permissions verifies and repairs it for you. it won't do anything to your system haha. it's a maintenance type thing. Like changing the oil in your car except way more electrical.

You are seriously absolutely the man for helping me this much - even if this doesn't fix it you are a man among boys, haha - thanks man! I might be back for help though!

I'm going to bed now though so if you still need something tomorrow, bump this thread.

Thanks! I think it might've worked too!

YOU HAVE AIDS

I don't get your joke... but my problem is not fixed as I thought.

Martins is you're around I'm still having this same issue!

Download Onyx and run the maintenance scripts, delete that caches, and there's some other handy stuff. Onyx is a sweet maintenance program.

Well there's your problem.

So I downloaded Onyx and don't really know what to necessarily do. Also - I don't have anything to "back up" on - so is this dangerous? I pretty much only have music.

Don't worry about backing up haha. It's just to cover the guy's ass. He doesn't want to be liable for lost information etc. Just run maintenance scripts and delete the cache. Check/repair disk permissions again. If it still happens and it's not a big deal, just leave it be. You might want to reset your PRAM and SMC. Search google for how to do those things.

Thanks man - you've been awesome answering my pain in the ass questions. This problem has been driving me nuts even though it's harmless for some reason!

you might wanna search the apple support forums for problems similar to yours. I'm no expert.

I actually have done that as well and have had zero luck! Some people have similar problems but are losing upwards of 20 GB and shit so who knows. I called last week and they gave me the same suggestions you did (more of an expert than you think, haha) and I will probably end up calling back to see what else to try if this doesn't pan out.

This probably wouldn't even happen if I didn't have a Mac that displayed the "GB Available" and drove my OCD to an insane level!

take it to an apple store...
they have a new store in nashua

Yeah - I just wanted to do all the things I possibly could first so I don't look like a retard/waste their and my time. Didn't want to find out it was an easy fix if I just asked. Mac is absolutely the best company to call and deal with as far as computers I will definitely say that!

Have the guy at the Apple store install a system32 folder so you can delete it; porblem solved.

Hahaha

When you go to the Apple store, make sure you tell them what you've done so far. In my experience, if you look like you're not a total Mac idiot, they will give you some leeway in terms of cash. I had a problem with my logic board a few months ago. I did my research but when I went to the Apple store I didn't say anything about it. They told me it was be 1000 dollars to fix it there or 300 dollars to send it away. I said fuck that I'll come back. I want to another one, told them everything I knew and everything I'd done to try to fix it and they sent it away for free.