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where'd my space go?
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nuggetman
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Jun 7, 2006, 11:47 AM
 
Last night I went to bed, leaving my PowerBook running 10.4.6 with Adium X and Mail open. 15 gigs of free space.

The fans were running heavy when I woke up in the middle of the night, but I didn't check the machine.

I woke up this morning, and had an error that I was out of space on my drive. Deleted a few movies to give myself 5 gigs.

Now where did my other 15 go?

I've run OmniDiskSweeper and there's nothing out of the ordinary. Ran Disk Repair from the install CD, it fixed an illegal name error but still no space. Checked the swap file and it's not overly large.

Where did my space go?
     
chris v
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Jun 7, 2006, 11:51 AM
 
Perhaps a memory leak created a bunch of virtual memory swap files. They're hidden by default, but you can find them by using the Go To Folder... menu item in the Finder. Call up the dialog box, & enter '/var/vm' (without the quotes) & hit return.

If that is indeed what happenned, a simple reboot will clear them out.

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
nuggetman  (op)
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Jun 7, 2006, 11:58 AM
 
I said the swap file is fine, and I already rebooted since I had to boot off the installer CD to run disk utility.
     
nuggetman  (op)
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Jun 7, 2006, 12:20 PM
 
Here's the system.log

Jun 6 22:55:56 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: full! dropping events.
Jun 6 22:55:56 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 6 22:55:56 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 6 22:55:56 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:11:44 Colins-PowerBook KernelEventAgent[39]: tid 00000000 received VQ_LOWDISK event (4)
Jun 7 03:11:44 Colins-PowerBook KernelEventAgent[39]: tid 00000000 type 'hfs', mounted on '/', from '/dev/disk0s3', low disk
Jun 7 03:11:44 Colins-PowerBook KernelEventAgent[39]: tid 00000001 display_lowdisk_warning: generating warning for volume 'Colin's HD'
Jun 7 03:11:44 Colins-PowerBook KernelEventAgent[39]: tid 00000000 found 1 filesystem(s) with problem(s)
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: ts.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:22 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:12:23 Colins-PowerBook kernel[0]: fs_events: add_event: event queue is full! dropping events.
Jun 7 03:15:02 Colins-PowerBook cp: error processing extended attributes: Operation not permitted
     
nuggetman  (op)
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Jun 7, 2006, 12:50 PM
 
problem solved, my windowserver_last.log file had grown to 13 gigs. Found this by running OmniDiskSweeper as root.
     
chris v
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Jun 7, 2006, 01:30 PM
 
Originally Posted by nuggetman
problem solved, my windowserver_last.log file had grown to 13 gigs. Found this by running OmniDiskSweeper as root.
Weird. I wonder what caused that to happen? Sorry I didn't read your post more closely.

When a true genius appears in the world you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. -- Jonathan Swift.
     
sanford
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Jun 10, 2006, 08:13 PM
 
My MacBook hard disk is making some regular little click/clunk noises. Every 30 seconds or so. Nothing scary. I think I remember my PowerBook G4 doing this sometimes, and I think it's Spotlight indexing or some other background task. On the PowerBook, it eventually stopped, no harm done.

But... I got paranoid and backed up all the recent pictures of our kids, iTMS music purchases, etc., and then I looked at my available disk space. Only 7GB when I should have 20GB! Add up the usual, visible folders and I still should have 20GB. I got hold of WhatSize, ran that and discovered that my windowserver_last.log file is 12.2GB! So what gives. OS 10.4.6, on the aforementioned 2.0GHz MacBook with a 60GB drive.

What does this file do? I'm thinking that little click/clunk noise might be the MacBook writing to that windowserver_last.log file right this very minute!
     
TheSpaz
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Jun 10, 2006, 11:27 PM
 
Did you try www.myspace.com to find your space?
     
Eug Wanker
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Jul 31, 2006, 04:38 PM
 
OK, where did my space go?

I have a 52 GB partition, and about half is used. However, I only have a few MB (not GB) of space left.

(Click to enlarge)


( Last edited by Eug Wanker; Jul 31, 2006 at 04:46 PM. )
     
Chuckit
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Jul 31, 2006, 04:47 PM
 
Other users' home folders are the most likely culprit. Or maybe your log file has inexplicably grown a couple GB as well.
Chuck
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Eug Wanker
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Jul 31, 2006, 04:50 PM
 
^^^ Well, my Get Info of all the directories (which totalled 25 GB, half of my partition's size) included the Users directory.

Also, a permissions repair and a reboot did not solve the problem.
( Last edited by Eug Wanker; Jul 31, 2006 at 05:00 PM. )
     
Chuckit
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Jul 31, 2006, 04:55 PM
 
But unless you're running as root, Finder can't see files you don't have permissions for, and thus will not include them when adding up the size of a folder. As I said before, I recommend OmniDiskSweeper to find where space is being taken up.
Chuck
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Tomchu
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Jul 31, 2006, 04:59 PM
 
The Finder doesn't list all of the contents of the root of your hard drive. Drop down to a terminal and issue the following command as root/sudo:

du -d1 / | sort -n +0

What you'll get is a sorted listing of your top-level directories and a count of their disk usage in KB. You can ignore /Volumes.
     
Eug Wanker
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Jul 31, 2006, 05:05 PM
 
Thx. Ran OmniDiskSweeper. Got the same problem as nuggetman. 21.5 GB for windowserver_last.log! WTF?
Originally Posted by nuggetman
problem solved, my windowserver_last.log file had grown to 13 gigs. Found this by running OmniDiskSweeper as root.
EDIT:

It's at /private/var/log/windowserver_last.log



Stupid question but... How do I delete it from the terminal?

EDIT Again:

Googled it. Just had to add a "sudo" to the "rm" command since I wasn't logged in as root (which I don't even remember how to do). Sorry I'm a unix n00b.

Now I have my space back. Thanx.
( Last edited by Eug Wanker; Jul 31, 2006 at 05:17 PM. )
     
Chuckit
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Jul 31, 2006, 05:25 PM
 
If anybody else has this problem, it would be really helpful if you could get a sample of the windowserver_last.log before you delete it. I'd like to try and figure out why people's space seems to be suddenly getting massacred. That file on my computer is only 54 KB.
Chuck
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Eug Wanker
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Jul 31, 2006, 05:28 PM
 
Actually, I thought about that, but I wasn't sure how I'd be able to save (and distribute) a 21.5 GB file.

What is this log for anyway?

It seems to be a common problem:

http://forums.macosxhints.com/archiv...p/t-23867.html
http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/.../t-214177.html
http://list.tmug.org/pipermail/tmug-...ly/001763.html

FWIW, this is a MacBook 2.0 with OS X 10.4.7.
     
Chuckit
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Jul 31, 2006, 05:33 PM
 
Just a tail -n 50 windowserver_last.log would probably do. It might take a while, but that sample would probably include the necessary info and be small enough to save.
Chuck
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Eug Wanker
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Jul 31, 2006, 11:13 PM
 
Can NE1 explain what that log is for exactly? Should I be checking its size every few weeks?
     
wadesworld
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Aug 1, 2006, 02:46 AM
 
I'm guessing it's the most recent copy of the window server log. The current on is windowserver.log. I'm guessing at login/logout it copies windowserver.log to windowserver_last.log.

Best guess would be that some program whacked out the windowserver and caused massive error messages. As Chuckit suggested, best thing to do would be to get a sample of the last 50 lines or so if you've seen it grow beyond a meg. Once someone can diagnose what is whacking things out, you don't have to worry about it.
     
Gee4orce
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Aug 1, 2006, 06:03 AM
 
WhatSize is the application I always use and recommend - basically a free version of OmniDiskSweeper.
Edgerunner - the cutting edge
     
   
 
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