How to Fix macOS 'Not Enough Space' Errors When Installing Business Updates or Applications

Summary

This guide helps you troubleshoot and resolve: How to Fix macOS 'Not Enough Space' Errors When Installing Business Updates or Applications. Follow the steps below to fix the issue.

Common Causes

If your Mac displays a "Not Enough Space" error when attempting to install business updates or new applications, it means your startup disk does not have sufficient free storage to complete the process. This guide provides steps to clear space and resolve the error so you can keep your software up to date.

Quick Fix Steps

1. Restart your Mac to clear temporary system files.
2. Empty the Bin.
3. Delete large, unnecessary files from your Downloads folder.
4. Restart the installation or update process.

Detailed Instructions

Check Available Storage

1. Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen.
2. Select System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions).
3. Click General in the sidebar, then select Storage.
4. Review the color-coded bar to see how much space is available and which categories (such as Documents or System) are using the most storage.

Remove Large and Unnecessary Files

1. Open a Finder window.
2. Select Go from the top menu bar, then click Downloads.
3. Sort files by size to identify large installers (files ending in .dmg or .pkg) that are no longer needed.
4. Right-click the files and select Move to Bin.
5. Open the Bin from the Dock and click Empty Bin to permanently delete the files.

Clear Time Machine Local Snapshots

1. Open Terminal (located in Applications > Utilities).
2. Type tmutil listlocalsnapshots / and press Return to view local snapshots.
3. To remove a snapshot, type tmutil deletelocalsnapshots [date], replacing [date] with the snapshot date shown in the list.
4. Repeat for any additional local snapshots to reclaim storage space.

Clear System and Application Caches

1. In Finder, click Go in the top menu bar.
2. Hold down the Option key on your keyboard to reveal the hidden Library option.
3. Click Library, then open the Caches folder.
4. Identify cache folders for specific applications you no longer use or that are consuming excessive space.
5. Drag only those specific cache folders to the Bin. Do not delete the Caches folder itself or its entire contents.
6. Empty the Bin to reclaim the space.

Troubleshooting

Error Persists After Deleting Files

If you have freed up space but the error continues, try the following:

• Ensure you are installing the update to the correct startup disk.
• Check for hidden "Other" or "System" data using a third-party disk analyser tool.
• Boot your Mac into Safe Mode and attempt the installation again.

Unable to Empty the Bin

If files in the Bin will not delete:

1. Hold down the Option key while clicking Empty Bin in the Finder window.
2. Restart your Mac and try emptying the Bin again.

If you continue to experience storage errors after following these steps, please Open a Ticket for further assistance from our Brisbane support team.

Still Having Issues?