Negative System Storage Value

With my 3-month old Macbook Air M3 running MacOS 15.4.1, Under System Settings, General, Storage - the value it shows for used space is negative even though the drive is only about 10% full (approximately 60 GB out of 512 GB). I contacted Apple Support and they had me delete all my Caches and Containers which temporarily solved the problem, but then it showed up again as a negative value after about one day. Also, the System Data at the bottom, keeps spinning and spinning saying it is calculating. How can I fix this? A screenshot is attached.




[Edited by Moderator]


MacBook Air 13″, macOS 15.4

Posted on Apr 30, 2025 2:41 PM

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4 replies

Apr 30, 2025 3:28 PM in response to lakeview22

Give this a try: boot into Safe Mode according to How to use safe mode on your Mac and test to see if the problem persists. Reboot normally and test again.


NOTE 1: Safe Mode boot can take up to 3 - 5 minutes as it's doing the following; 

Verifies your startup disk and attempts to repair directory issues, if needed

• Loads only required kernel extensions (prevents 3rd party kernel/extensions from loading)

• Prevents Startup Items and Login Items from opening automatically

• Disables user-installed fonts 

Deletes font caches, kernel cache, and other system cache files


NOTE 2: if you have a wireless keyboard with rechargeable batteries connect it with its charging cable before booting into Safe Mode. This makes it act as a wired keyboard as will insure a successful boot into Safe Mode.


What does the Get Info pane indicate for your boot drive?

May 1, 2025 11:49 AM in response to lakeview22

What do you remove with Onyx?


Create and log into a new, basic, admin user account, Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac and see if the problem persists. This tells us if the problem is limited to your user account or is system wide.


Note:  do not launch any 3rd party apps in the account so as to not install any of the supporting files that most create.


If the problem isn't present then your original account has software installed that is causing the problem.  





May 1, 2025 11:34 AM in response to Old Toad

I was able to boot into safe mode with no problem. The negative value for storage are still present. Booting normally still shows the negative value. If this helps, I have installed Onyx cleaner on my Macbook (for a while now) and if I use that app and then reboot, the Storage value is correct. However, after using the Macbook for a day or less, then the Storage value reverts to negative. Anything else to try? Thanks for your suggestion.

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Negative System Storage Value

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