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macOS USB drive says its full but there's nothing on it

I used my 32GB USB to transfer files from a MacBook Air to an iMac. After the transfer is done, I deleted files on the USB and emptied the Trash. However, there's still only 80MB space available on the USB. How can I reclaim the space?

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iBoysoft author Jenny Zeng

Jenny Zeng

Answered on Monday, April 29, 2024

You can erase the USB in Disk Utility to delete all its content and regain the disk space.

  1. Ensure your USB is connected to the Mac.
  2. Open Disk Utility.
  3. Click View > Show All Devices.
  4. Select the top level of your USB drive and click Erase. (Usually labeled with the brand name or storage capacity.)
  5. Name your USB.
  6. Choose a proper file system.
  7. Choose GUID Partition Map as the scheme.
  8. Click Erase.

After the erase process is complete, your USB should be empty.

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