How to Fix when Mac System Data Is Large?

Working on your Mac for a long and now experiencing it to be sluggish and slower than before? Among the many, large Mac system data is one of the common reasons. You can easily go to your System Settings and check the storage. and if you find it too large but are clueless about how this article is a perfect read for you. Here we will help you know the possible reasons for your system data to be large and how to fix when Mac system data is large.

Part 1. What is System Data on Mac?

Let’s start with what is System data on Mac.

As per Apple, the System Data on Mac storage are those files that include all the data that do not fall into other storage categories like apps, iCloud Drive, photos, cache, and other system files. Thus, System Data on Mac includes application leftovers, temporary files and cache, plug-ins and extensions, disk images,  iOS backups, run-time system resources, app support files, VM files, and similar others.

The System Data files are so-called on Mac OS Sonoma, Ventura, and Monterey. On the earlier OS versions, these files were termed as Other.

Part 2. How many GB should system data be on a Mac

You need to know how large should system data be on a Mac or how many GB should system data be on a Mac.

The System Data size on your Mac varies based on the device but on average the storage space occupied by System Data lies between 5GB to 20GB.

Part 3. How to Fix when Mac System Data Is Large?

There can be several reasons why System Data on Mac is huge and some of the key contributors include multiple app installations, not cleaning cache files regularly, mail logging, presence of system files, duplicate files, and more.

So, now that we know the main reasons for large System Data, the best and the most straightforward way to fix the issue is by deleting and discarding some of these files. Though these files can be accessed and removed manually, it would require you to have a thorough knowledge of the System Data, and also the task is tricky and time-consuming. So here, taking the help of a third-party tool works best to clean up the System Data, and 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter is one we recommend here.

4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter is a superb Mac and Windows-supported tool that is capable of deleting duplicate files from any storage on your system. The tool employs smart algorithms that help in boosting your system performance by cleaning up the disk space.

Using the steps below, the duplicate files can be quickly and easily removed using the 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter.

Step 1. On your Mac, download and install the 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter software. Open the software and on the home page, click on the + sign to add the system data folder that needs to be scanned for duplicate files.

Step 2. Customized file searching can be set using the gear button. When all settings are done, tap on the Scan Duplicated button to start the scanning process.

Step 3. Once the process is complete, the software will list all the duplicate files based on your search criteria. You can preview the files and then tap on the Remove button to delete them.

Part 3. Bonus Tip: Folders That You Should Never Touch on Your Mac.

The straightforward interface of the Mac OS allows users to easily and quickly locate their files through folders. The system features deep and nested folders a lot of which are also hidden. At times, you might get keen to explore and dig into these Mac folders, but ideally, a few of them should be left untouched. Messing with these folders will result in several issues like data loss, unstable system, booting issues and even more.

The folders that are recommended to remain untouched on your Mac system include the following

• Hidden/private/db/var folder
• System library folder
• Application and Utilities folder
• Language files and folder
• User library folder
• USR folder

If you still need to check and edit some of the above and similar folders on Mac, the safest way is to use professional and reliable software like 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter. The software will allow checking and analysing the selected folders for the presence of any duplicate files.

Conclusion

Mac systems are known for their high performance, but large System Data can hamper the experience. Thus, it becomes important for you to keep a check on the System Data and delete the duplicate and not needed files from time to time. The best tool that can help you with this is 4DDiG Duplicate File Deleter as its advanced algorithms help you search for duplicate files easily and quickly. Once found, you can preview and delete the files to clean up space on your System Data for better performance. So now you know how to solve Mac OS system data large.