MobileMe filling up my startup disk

[mike2lane]

Hello,

New to MobileMe here. I set up MobileMe today including the sync with iDisk, iCal, Mail etc... I walked away from my computer for a few hours, at which time I had 15GB of free space on my main hard drive. When I just returned, I had a warning of "Your Startup Disk is Almost Full" and there is only 150MB of space left on my main hard drive.

What could be causing this? I have set MM to sync with my mail accounts, but I cannot see how this would cause 15GB of data to be randomly stored on my hard drive.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance,
Michael
Miami, FL

 

[BroadcastDoc]

Go into Control Panel, then MobileMe, then iDisk.

Make sure iDisk syncing is turned off. When you turn it off, you'll see a disk image on the desktop that has the contents of your online iDisk.

Delete it.

That should take care of it. Keep in mind that you will be unable to access your iDisk when you're offline though.

 

[diasse]

Or it may be a file called system.log that is growing.

Or it could be the "system.log" file that is growing every time you sync. This is the case for me. I don´t know why and I don´t know how to stop it yet.

You find the file here (note that the file "private" under root is invisible):
root/private/var/log/system.log

One way to get to the file is to use DiscInventory X. That is the way I foud out about the file. Short story: I checked the file while syncing and lo! It was growing like a spot on the nose of a forteen year old on his way to a school dance.

I posted some screen shots here. Note the size of the thing. Also; When the thing is growing a process called "syslogd" is running wild.


Ok. I have read some of the logg and it seems that iCal is involved somehow. I have added a pic to the others...

Reg
/Andreas
Vegby/Sweden

 

[diasse]

Ok!
I got this from a journalist at MacWorld Sweden.
In iSync, choose prefs and reset sync history. Wait and see.

 

[diasse]

Ok!
I got this from a journalist at MacWorld Sweden.
In iSync, choose prefs and reset sync history. Wait and see.

Don´t. Well, one can do it, but it won´t fix the problem...

 

[diasse]

Ok!

This may solve the problem.

For me there was two parts:
1: While synchronizing with mobileme two processes went rampant. Mingler and Syslogd.
2: The logfile "system.log" grew between 1 and 2 Gb every time I synchronized (at the time of discovery it was 30 Gb).

Cause:
Probably a poorly programmed external iCal calendar (for me swedish holidays) that I earlier had thrown away.
This calendar was only visible in my iPhone as part of my mobileme calendars. But it was NOT visible when logged in to mobileme or in my computers iCal.

My solution was to replace all calendars on everything with the ones at my main computer.

1: In your iPhone: Turn of iCal synchronization with mobileme. When asked - erase all.

2: Clean out iCal in your computer (prefs etc, leave the program). The way I did it was by using AppDelete. The program does not erase everything so i actually got to keep all my appointments). Throw in trash - restart - empty trash.

3: Overwrite all iCal data at mobileme with the data on your computer's iCal.

4: For extra safety I also did a synchronization with the phone via iTunes where I overwrite all calendars on the phone. Note! When connecting the phone to the computer emedeatly stop all synchronization.

5. Pick up the phone and turn on synchronization with iCal again. When asked merge all data.


Now! If you still have the extra large system.log file you can get rid of it using Disc inventory X. thus the file in question is invisible. You find it here: /private/var/log/system.log

Move the file to trash - restart - empty trash.


This was my solution to stop Mingler and get my hard drive back. I take no responsibility what so ever for anything. If your Mac explodes after this don't come to me and complain.