Erase Freespace ELIMINATING all available space?

CCleaner for Mac
1

I got ccleaner earlier today and kicked off the "Erase Free Space" process on my Mac with the "Zero Out" option, then went my merry way. I had almost 1TB of free (available) space on my "iMac" volume according to the Finder.

I got home tonight and there's less than 100GB free space left on that volume and it's just going down down down (albeit slowly) with the "Securely erasing file" message sitting in the "Details" window. I did click "Stop" and then shut down the Mac and started it up again hoping that the mystery "large files" mentioned in another post would be gone, but they're not and I'm down to literally ~20GB as I write this.

Starting ccleaner again and the "Erase Free Space" process again is just continuing to slowly drop my available space down, so I'm a bit panicked that it's going to hit some minimum threshold and my computer is just going to barf.

Where are these temporary (I sure hope they're temporary) files that it's creating to then get rid of? At what point do I get back my ~1TB of free space I had BEFORE using this product? So far, NOT a happy camper!!!

2

I don't use Macs, but in Windows I would delete the folder(s) or file(s) resembling this. wipertmp.png

3

I got ccleaner earlier today and kicked off the "Erase Free Space" process on my Mac with the "Zero Out" option, then went my merry way. I had almost 1TB of free (available) space on my "iMac" volume according to the Finder.

I got home tonight and there's less than 100GB free space left on that volume and it's just going down down down (albeit slowly) with the "Securely erasing file" message sitting in the "Details" window. I did click "Stop" and then shut down the Mac and started it up again hoping that the mystery "large files" mentioned in another post would be gone, but they're not and I'm down to literally ~20GB as I write this.

Starting ccleaner again and the "Erase Free Space" process again is just continuing to slowly drop my available space down, so I'm a bit panicked that it's going to hit some minimum threshold and my computer is just going to barf.

Where are these temporary (I sure hope they're temporary) files that it's creating to then get rid of? At what point do I get back my ~1TB of free space I had BEFORE using this product? So far, NOT a happy camper!!!

Same problem.

Last time I tried it, it left me with 25MB when I stopped it. Somehow after restarting I got my free space back. I tried it again two days ago and it ate 15GBs of free space before I stopped it. I've restarted my Mac Mini 2.26GHz 10.6.8, three times and the 15GBs have not come back.

It sure would be nice to hear from someone that develops this product as to why this happens.

Free utilities are highly appreciated as long as they do no harm.

I've installed and used, often, CCleaner on friend's Windows machines when doing maintenance without a problem. So I had hoped for the same with the Mac version.

As a side note, I logged in and clicked the Like This button next to the OPs post and it told me there was an error. I had reached my quota for the day. Really? None? That's the quota? The thumb link in the second post does not work. At least on Opera it doesn't. Maybe that's the reason for the Like This Error too. Not interested in checking to see if it's browser related when Opera is the 2nd oldest browser still in wide use.

4

To imthatguy and kroozer,

I found out the answer to this from a moderator named DennisD. He said it does the same thing on Windows, though, I've never noticed that.

So I downloaded the new stable version today and ran it. Cleaned out some things and got back a few GBs and then I let the Erase Free Space run and finish. Took about 30 minutes. When it finishes the free space comes back.

I did Not get back the free space I lost by stopping the procedure on the earlier run. Don't know where it is.

And I still couldn't give a Like This to DennisD since the button still tells me I have reached my quota for positive votes. I still haven't given any, but that's how it works.

Now the More Reply Options is not working. Connection closed by remote server. Post is not working either. Copy, paste to Bean and try later.

5

And I still couldn't give a Like This to DennisD since the button still tells me I have reached my quota for positive votes. I still haven't given any, but that's how it works.

Like This is disabled.

6

Like This is disabled.

That would be a good reason I couldn't use it.

More Options is working again too. And obviously Post is too.

Thanks kroozer.

7

i'm terrified! got cc running now erasing the free space and i'm loosing all the hd.

it has no clear instructions or documentation. no idea what to expect when its done .

i feel i made the stupidest mistake by running this .

help please

8

To wipe the free space, CCleaner fills it all with a blank file and deletes the blank file. This causes recovery programs to recover the blank file instead of the files that were there previously.

9

I think it's time the devs gave some direct input regarding the problems you guys are having with CCleaners Wipe Free Space feature.

I can only comment on the feature in Windows, but one thing I have just confirmed is that Wipe Free Space does the job in two entirely different ways, depending upon how it's launched, and I don't know if this is the same with your Mac version.

If WFS is launched via "Options\Settings", with either normal or secure file deletion, and the "Wipe MFT Free Space" is unchecked, the wipe is done with the creation of one file, which grows to the size of your free space and is then deleted ...

If "Wipe MFT Free Space" is checked in the above, the following method is used.

If WFS is launched via "Tools\Drive Wiper", then the wipe is done with the creation of a folder carrying a multi-digit number, containing other folders, containing lots of files, and all carrying names with variations of Z's ...

... and in both cases, if the process is stopped before completion, the single file, or single folder and files are automatically deleted. I stopped the process before completion with both methods above, and the file/folders did delete instantly.

So if this isn't happening with your Macs, you need to look for either a single numerically named file, or a similarly named folder containing the stuff shown above. I have no idea as to whether the Mac has dual options like this, and if not, which method it may be using.

As I mentioned in one of the other threads, there are freeware programs out there which enable you to seek out and display every file and folder in every location on your computer, which will help hopefully in finding where your free space has gone.

http://alternativeto...t/?platform=mac

And this copied and pasted from one of the other threads ...

One final thought, and the Mac users on here may be able to enlighten us on this point ... I'm wondering if the Mac has a service running similar to "Volume Shadow Service", (System Restore) which makes shadow copies of any files it considers as being modified, which includes file/folders being moved around by defragging.

This in the recent past has unknowingly (to the folk who weren't aware of this), eaten up drive space of comps running Vista and Win7.

In the meantime, I will point the devs to this thread as it does appear that WFS is not working as it should.

Hope that may help.

10

Some info from the devs for you guys to peruse, copied and pasted from the reply I received.

Not being a Mac user, I couldn't have put it any better. :)

For erasing free space CCMac uses Mac OS tool named diskutil. It is invoked with user specified parameters and its output is displayed in “Details” text field.

E.g invoking in terminal diskutil secureErase freespace 0 “/Volumes/Macintosh HD” gives exactly the same result as selecting Macintosh HD volume, Zero Out method and clicking Erase Free Space button in CCMac

See manual: http://developer.app...man8/diskutil.8

Hope that helps.

11

I don't use Macs, but in Windows I would delete the folder(s) or file(s) resembling this. wipertmp.png

Has anyone on a mac got any idea how to locate the junk folders/files that need to be erased? I stopped the process of deleting free space as I suddenly looked and thought that it was literally erasing all my memory on my hardrive... I only have about 8MB of free space left

12

Does this help at all shotgun99?

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=695590

13

I had this issue and found the "rouge" temporary file in the trash. What a POS app that would eat up all available hard drive space and not clean up after itself. Will never use this product again. I had tried the Erase Free Space feature (bug?) on a Macbook Pro, and it would not start up completely since there wasn't enough free space left. At least I had the option of using Firewire Target Disk Mode on that machine and was able to remove some files to free up enough space for the laptop to finally boot up. (shutdown, attach appropriate cable, power up, hold down "T" till Firewire logo appears on screen). I hope this will help and spare anyone else the frustration of trying to solve this issue in the future. The easiest way in my opinion is to remove this application from your machine and not waste anymore time discussing or thinking about it. ZERO out of 5 Stars!

14

The POS app as you describe it is the Macs own "Erase Free Space" feature which CCleaner simply runs.

It's the Macs own utility which deposits the file into the trash area, which I find amazing as free space is lost until that file is deleted from the Trash.

So there will be (and are) many many Mac users experiencing this same problem having never had CCleaner on their system. If left running to completion, then maybe this Mac "Erase Free Space" feature cleans up after itself and removes the "rogue" file from the trash. I don't have a Mac so can't try it.

Or maybe Apple should have a look at it's "Erase Free Space" feature as it doesn't appear to clean up after itself if interrupted.

Reading hazels link above would have helped maybe.

15

I had this issue and found the "rouge" temporary file in the trash. What a POS app that would eat up all available hard drive space and not clean up after itself. Will never use this product again. I had tried the Erase Free Space feature (bug?) on a Macbook Pro, and it would not start up completely since there wasn't enough free space left. At least I had the option of using Firewire Target Disk Mode on that machine and was able to remove some files to free up enough space for the laptop to finally boot up. (shutdown, attach appropriate cable, power up, hold down "T" till Firewire logo appears on screen). I hope this will help and spare anyone else the frustration of trying to solve this issue in the future. The easiest way in my opinion is to remove this application from your machine and not waste anymore time discussing or thinking about it. ZERO out of 5 Stars!

I REALLY wish I had seen your post earlier.. I'm in the same boat now except I can't boot my mac up at all.. any advice??

Here's my help post!

k so I used CCleaner and deleted all the files as per instructions and also choose to erase empty disk space. I started a 7 pass erase and I noticed it was rapidly using up the 50GB memory on my HD (to create a temp file) so I freaked out thinking my poor old mac would be forced into early alzheimers and force quit CC. What I didn't realise was that CC kept creating the "temp file" in the background and pilfering my memory so..

I tried to look for the CC 'Temp file' to delete that to recover my memory but to no avail so I read someone else with the same problem had just restarted their mac and it fixed it.. not for me. : ( when I restarted I got a worryingly loud tone followed by a grey screen with apple logo.. spinning wheel.. then into a blank blue screen with spinning wheel.. then just plain blue screen (no sound of HD ticking over or working) Please help! My macbook pro is late 2006, I know it's old but I've looked after it really well and gutted if I have to get a new HD and reinstall and start ALL over again!! I run snow leopard.. I know I know.. but I'm old too!

Is it a case that the temp file is still being created and if I wait long enough it will boot up? OR has it just used up all my memory and now my mac has no memory to reboot?? I have 120GB of which 50GB was available until CC ate it all! Last time I looked there was 11GB available.

I have tried rebooting in safe mode, from disk, reset PRAM, single user, c, v.

So.. ANY help would be most graciously accepted!

16

K so I eventually managed to get into single user then used disk utility to verify and repair disk.. restarted and still have blue screen freeze. Off to mac store as I've wasted enough time already.

My advise to any mac users... DO NOT USE CC.

17

Dear ImThatGuy,

I am also an Imac user and as i am writing this my current space on my hdd is around 9.15 out of the 75 i had left. I worried at first but i then remembered the process ccleaner is doing. CCleaner right now is filling up the free space with 0's which is empty bytes it does this to clear any files and then deletes it. This is as the Storage works like layers of sand coloured sand being files and the yellow sand being empty or zeros. What it does is cover your free space with yellow sand, only to put another layer (delete it) of empty space this is so that the computer cant recover the layer of files you have covered up.

I am not an expert but i hope this has helped you

18

After three years plus, I doubt it. In any event you don't seem to have taken any notice of post 14.

19

i know this is old but if no one has figured this out yet. mac users if you have that large file and cant get read of it. then boot in to the recovery mode or the osx install drive. and do a first aid on the drive and volum and the problem will be solved. it will restore you free space.