User level: Level 1 (4 points)my system data says there is 293.37 GB, but will not allow me to delete on files. what should I do
[Re-Titled by Moderator]
Original Title: files
Posted on Oct 15, 2026 8:33 AM
User level: Level 10 (123,805 points)Oct 16, 2026 5:49 AM in response to cs1derekprince
System Data taking up a large amount of storage is a common question on Mac.
There is no single setting that simply “clears” System Data because this category can include a variety of files, including caches, logs, temporary files, and APFS snapshots.
If you want the most comprehensive solution, back up first, erase the Mac, and reinstall macOS.
For Apple silicon Macs, use Erase All Content and Settings.
This removes your data, settings, and applications while leaving the currently installed version of macOS in place.
Make a current Time Machine backup before erasing anything. Apple: Back up your Mac with Time Machine
Afterward, use Migration Assistant to transfer your user account rather than the entire old system, and reinstall only the applications you actually need.
If you do not want to erase the Mac, first determine what is actually consuming the space. DaisyDisk can provide a clearer view of storage usage, and Apple documents how to view APFS snapshots in Disk Utility.
The following Apple Community discussions document additional approaches. Results can vary depending on what is responsible for the storage usage:
Also consider moving large personal files—particularly Photos, videos, music, and other files you control—to an external SSD.
This is often a more appropriate way to free internal storage than attempting to delete files that macOS manages as System Data.
User level: Level 9 (60,836 points)Oct 15, 2026 8:53 AM in response to cs1derekprince
Ignore System Data. It isn't what you think it is.
Use Disk Utility. Go to the View menu and choose Show all devices. Select the "Container disk3" under "Apple SSD".
This will show you how much Free storage you have. Anything else will be "Available", which is fake.
You want to keep 100 GB of free storage. If you can't do that, then try to have at least 50 GB. Anything less than that will cause problems that will get worse as your free storage gets lower.
If you need to delete files, then look for your own files and delete or archive the ones you don't regularly need. As you delete files, your free storage will go down and your System Data will go up. That's fine. As I said before, ignore System Data. It's meaningless. After a day or two, your deleted files will finally be reclaimed by the system and you'll have more free storage. Don't waste time looking for small files. You want to delete multi-gigabyte files.
If that doesn't fix it, then you may need to use a 3rd party storage management tool.
User level: Level 2 (165 points)Oct 16, 2026 12:09 AM in response to cs1derekprince
did you create or edit videos in iMovie very often? the media files in the library just take a lot of space, you should move them to trash, then empty your trash to get more free space.
User level: Level 9 (60,836 points)Oct 15, 2026 10:55 AM in response to cs1derekprince
cs1derekprince wrote:
Thank you for your reply when I try to delete the files it says The finder can't complete the operation because some data in movie.mp4 can't be read or written (error code-36)
Maybe stop using the computer and wait a couple of days. It sounds like you are completely out of storage. Ironically enough, when your free storage gets too low, you may not be able to delete files. Leave your computer plugged in and running. Don't use it but try to keep it from going to sleep too.
User level: Level 1 (4 points)Oct 15, 2026 9:03 AM in response to etresoft
Thank you for your reply when I try to delete the files it says The finder can't complete the operation because some data in movie.mp4 can't be read or written (error code-36)
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256376700