Max OS 10 memory and space problems, help

James Hancock
James Hancock used Ask the Experts™
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Hi, my mom's macbook doesnt work, so she asked me to post her question; Her Macbook is messed up...


James
I am in a huge pickle

Please post this for me on EE

I cant as its 'server is not receiving'.
Please email me the answer as I am not getting into EE to see the answers.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx


Please help me. This notice has appeared

Your Mac os x startup disk hAS no more space available for application memory.

1. To avoid problems with your computer, quit any applications you are not using.
2. Closing windows and removing files from your startup disk will also help

I have a Seagate with 1.73 TB available:
Do I have to do something to get the Seagate to back up?
      - I thought it did this automatically when ever I plug it in . . . . ?

The Seagate has three things [one is a file image] in it:
      - Photos, - 4651 items [ has only half the number I have in iphoto at the moment.]
      - iPhoto Library, - with 4656 photos
      - Roslyn, Mar 10 2010 sparse bundle
            

Questions

I. iphoto, network Diagostics preview safari textedit finder openoffice printer calendar
 . . . are all in my dock
So when I quit these applications how does this help?
Surely I am still left with a no-space problem.

2. How do I rectify a no space problem?
      - I am not computer savvy, and will need step-by-step details.

3. I suspect i have several places with the same info, - like my photographs. If this is part of the problem,
how do I . . .
      - a.  find out where I have duplication,
      - b.  set about deleting duplication


Now I have a new problem!

A window says:
Your photo library is missing. Please make sure the disk containing your photo library is mounted and restart iPhoto.
a. What is "mounted"
b. What do I do for this?
      - what disk???

Thanks
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strung

Commented:
Is the trash empty? If your mother never empties the trash, then emptying it will clear up a lot of disk space.
strung

Commented:
Also, try restarting while holding down the shift key. Then move some files off onto an external and delete them from the internal.
James HancockSelf Employed

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Commented:
The reason she jams her HD up so quickly is because she is a pro artist and likes to Download lots of images to study and compare or whatever. If these are big files, it is no surprise. I have suggested she do what I did and get a 2 TB internal where her CD drive is and have an external CD drive  for if she needs it. I almost never need my CD / DVD external.
I need a 2TB for my video projects. Will her regular 200MB HD with applications stored still get filled up? I have FCP on my HD and my media on the 2TB internal.
That way, I feel she'll never ever ask me a disk space question again. Comments? She will take it to the computer repair store tomorrow.
Commented:
Replacing the optical drive with a 2TB drive would probably solve her problem, provided she moves her photos and iPhoto library to the 2TB drive and deletes it from the internal HD.

Be very careful when doing that to make sure the library and photos are actually on the other drive before erasing from the main drive.

How you do that may depend on which version of iPhoto she is using. Here are the instructions for iPhoto 11:

http://support.apple.com/kb/PH2506
strung

Commented:
It would be a good idea to move her downloads folder to the new drive as well. Can be done in her browser preferences.

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