Operating system taking up half hard drive space ?

[K1221n]

Any way to fix this ?

 

[shaunclarke04]

I’ve had similar things happen on macOS. All I could suggest is manually backup all your stuff and completely wipe it.

Don’t restore from a backup because that would probably include everything filling it up

 

[K1221n]

I’ve had similar things happen on macOS. All I could suggest is manually backup all your stuff and completely wipe it.

Don’t restore from a backup because that would probably include everything filling it up

Yes, think I’ll have to do a complete reset.

 

[ApfelKuchen]

It's not the OS that's taking up the space, it's System Data. System Data consists mostly of data caches. Normally System Data ought to be under 10 GB, and its size fluctuates based on what you're doing with the iPad. For example, it will be very high right after a restore from iCloud. If things are operating normally the System Data will take up far less space once the restoring is done.

Effectively, you could wipe that iPad, restore from backup, and you may still see high System Data afterwards. The time to be concerned about it is when there's no expected iCloud syncing/restoring activity.

 

[K1221n]

It's not the OS that's taking up the space, it's System Data. System Data consists mostly of data caches. Normally System Data ought to be under 10 GB, and its size fluctuates based on what you're doing with the iPad. For example, it will be very high right after a restore from iCloud. If things are operating normally the System Data will take up far less space once the restoring is done.

Effectively, you could wipe that iPad, restore from backup, and you may still see high System Data afterwards. The time to be concerned about it is when there's no expected iCloud syncing/restoring activity.

Thanks for the reply, system data is is only 7.2 gigs, makes me wonder if the hard drive could be failing, I’ll do a complete reset the next iPad os update 15.6

 

[HDFan]

makes me wonder if the hard drive could be failing,

You don't mention which iPad you have. No hard drive in an iPad.

What happens after you do the requested software update?

 

[papbot]

Thanks for the reply, system data is is only 7.2 gigs, makes me wonder if the hard drive could be failing, I’ll do a complete reset the next iPad os update 15.6

You have a software update pending as shown in your screen shot. I’m wondering if you have the software downloaded but not installed so your display is showing more than one system storage level. Your system data is normal so it must be the software. If you install it I’m assuming that level will decrease. There is no hard drive to fail.

 

[K1221n]

You have a software update pending as shown in your screen shot. I’m wondering if you have the software downloaded but not installed so your display is showing more than one system storage level. Your system data is normal so it must be the software. If you install it I’m assuming that level will decrease. There is no hard drive to fail.

It’s an 8th gen iPad,no there isn’t a downloaded update waiting to be installed, I’m backing everything up to iCloud and external drive before I wipe it clean.

You have a software update pending as shown in your screen shot. I’m wondering if you have the software downloaded but not installed so your display is showing more than one system storage level. Your system data is normal so it must be the software. If you install it I’m assuming that level will decrease. There is no hard drive to fail.

updated to 15.5 no difference in the amount that the os is taking up, so I’ll do a complete reset tomorrow.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Do you have iCloud shared documents enabled? I've found duplicates of documents from one system on multiple devices.

 

[K1221n]

It's not the OS that's taking up the space, it's System Data. System Data consists mostly of data caches. Normally System Data ought to be under 10 GB, and its size fluctuates based on what you're doing with the iPad. For example, it will be very high right after a restore from iCloud. If things are operating normally the System Data will take up far less space once the restoring is done.

Effectively, you could wipe that iPad, restore from backup, and you may still see high System Data afterwards. The time to be concerned about it is when there's no expected iCloud syncing/restoring activity.

Did full reset last night, everything back to normal