The curious case of
the missing space.
“Good heavens. Your Mac looks perfectly respectable. So where, precisely, has all the room gone?”
“I’m Mr. Crumbs. I have a suspicion, a magnifying glass, and excellent references. Would you care to investigate with me?”
Never eats anything without permission.
It started with a perfectly innocent question.
“Where did all my storage go?” A perfectly reasonable inquiry. Yet behind the tidy desktop, old applications may have left possessions behind, and useful temporary files may have developed permanent ambitions. I propose a tour of the premises. Do click my portraits along the way; I have several remarks that are best made in confidence.
The guests departed.
The luggage remained.
“Well, well. Our first clue. This application left ages ago, yet its wardrobe is still occupying the guest room.”
Some uninstalled Mac apps leave support files, preferences, logs, or caches behind. I look for possible leftovers and explain the evidence. A familiar name is not a conviction: some files may still matter to another app or contain your own work.
“We shall make a list. No accusations, and certainly no swallowing, until we know what belongs to whom.”
A silver tray of
questionable residents.
“I have assembled the usual suspects. The ZIP files have arrived in a group. Again.”
Here are the candidates, laid out properly: what each item is, where it lives, how much room it uses, and why it deserves a closer look. An old installer may be unnecessary; a personal document may be priceless. The tray is a menu, not a verdict.
“Now, before we decide their fate, there is a noise coming from the development wing. A rather substantial noise.”
“It is extraordinary how much we keep simply because we have forgotten it is there.”
Mr. Crumbs pauses. Somewhere in the house, a hard drive creaks ominously.Good gracious.
A second estate.
“I expected a few misplaced files. Instead, Xcode appears to have built itself a country house. With annexes.”
Builds, indexes, and DerivedData can accumulate by the thousands. Much of this generated material can be recreated, though rebuilding takes time. I will distinguish these from source projects and release archives—which are not casual afternoon snacks.
“There may be more. A house this full of surprises almost certainly has a forgotten cupboard.”
Behind the door marked
“Someday.”
“Ah. Here we are. The ‘I shall deal with it later’ collection. Later has evidently taken up residence.”
Old DMGs, screenshots, downloads, and one-off files can quietly pile up. I bring them into the light for inspection, not destruction. Age alone never makes something rubbish, and a mysterious folder deserves more questions—not fewer.
“The case is assembled. Which leaves one matter of considerable importance: who decides what happens next?”
Every file has a past.
Not every file needs a future.
“But that is not my decision to make.”
Hear Mr. Crumbs’ promise ↓The final decision
belongs to you.
“I have found the suspects. I have examined the evidence. But I would never dream of passing sentence upon your belongings.”
Some items can be rebuilt, others cannot. Some are clutter, others are memories. Clutter Eater is designed to explain the difference, show the choices, and proceed only with your express approval. No surprise cleanups. No secret midnight snacks.
“No one shall mistake enthusiasm for authorization.”A place for everything.
And room to live.
“There we are. The house feels lighter already—and we have not discarded a single cherished thing without asking. My kit is ready. Might I be of service on your Mac?”
Open the downloaded DMG, then drag Clutter Eater into your Applications folder.
Free forever from Tom Glander Digital. No subscription, no accounts, no nonsense.