my 256gb ssd's system data is somehow over 140gb. how do I reduce or get rid of it?

[beerseagulls]

my 256gb ssd's system data is somehow over 140gb. how do I reduce or get rid of it?

I have completely removed every downloaded app and all of my personal files(docs, videos, audio, everything)... but the system data file is still over 140gb.

thanks for your help!

 

[Apple_Robert]

If you didn't reboot your Mac after deleting files, you need to. Otherwise, the correct SSD usage won't properly show.

 

[madrigal77]

You can also download Ccleaner to clean out caches and stuff.

 

[macduke]

Apple shipping computers over $1000 with only 256GB of storage ought to be criminal with how bloated modern operating systems are.

 

[BeatCrazy]

I had this problem too with ~100GB of System Data on a M1 iMac. I expected it to go away eventually but it never did. I finally remembered to use Daisy Disk, and it found 70GB in a OneDrive cache. I dunno how that got into System Data, but it was. I deleted the cache folder, deleted the OneDrive app, then rebooted. Re-downloaded OneDrive and now my System Data is 16GB.

 

[Fishrrman]

The OP hasn't checked back to let us know how he did.

OP:
Download DiskWave from here:

DiskWave Homepage

It's small in size and free.

Open DiskWave and go to the preferences.
Put a checkmark in "show invisible files".
Close preferences.

The DiskWave window shows you all your volumes and drives in plain English (no ridiculous graphical formats).
Click on any item "on the left".
Now, you'll see what's ON the volume, listed in order of "largest to smallest".
You can easily locate what's eating up your space.