Re: How much HD space needed for memory swapping

On 2025-01-16 06:48:53 +0000, Dudley Brooks said:
 

(I hope that "memory swapping" is the correct term.)
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Model:    Late 2013 Macbook Pro
OS:    OS X 10.13.6 High Sierra
HD:    1 TB, 954.34 GB used, 44.27 GB available
CPU:    2.6 GHz Intel
Mem:    16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
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As you see, my HD is very full.
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As it fills up, I have seen a big dropoff in function -- programs load much more slowly, can only have a few programs open at the same time, windows don't open at full size, etc.
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I assume this is because of not enough swap space on the HD.
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What is the recommended amount of HD space to keep free for good performance?
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Thanks!

 There is no real exact rule. Many places suggest 5% to 20% should be kept free, depending on what you use your Mac for - processor heavy tasks like video editing / converting, games, 3D graphics, etc. will require more than simple word processing. It also depends on how much real RAM the computer has.
 You can check how much swap space is being used in Activitiy Monitor. Click on the "Memory" tab, and then at the very bottom  will be "swap space".
 Quitting unneeded apps, closing unneeded browser tabs and Finder windows, etc. will all help keep real memory emptier.
 My Mac Mini (late 2014) with 8GB RAM and running High Sierra and almost teh same drive space used / free as your Mac, is curently using just 768KB of swap space with four internet apps with a couple of browser tabs, and a simple game running.