I have a 2016 Macbook Pro running Catalina that has a 250gb SSD. My SSD has 245gb used currently shown on its disc utility. My computer has almost ground to a halt and seems unable to download anything or process anything. What can I do to get my Macbook Pro computing capability back? I realize that I should have had a backup routine that would have never allowed my getting to this point and that will now happen, but how do I move forward from where I am now at?
I am now engaged in photo editing as a business and my Macbook Pro is so sluggish in performing any editing functions it wastes a lot of my time in doing what I need to do. I need my computer to be back to the wonderful level of functioning and performance that I enjoyed when I first bought this device.
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Joe
You need to clear off some space on the hard drive. Roll up your sleeves and do it. Id' start by looking at apps and seeing which apps you don't need. Uninstall them. Keep in mind that any app you installed from the Mac App Store you can easily uninstall and reinstall. So uninstall some things you don't need at the moment knowing you can reinstall them later.
Then go through your files and archive some old project files and things you don't need anymore. Put them on an external drive. https://macmost.com/how-to-archive-files-on-a-mac.html
Not sure if you have downloaded videos or other things in the TV app. You an always go to the Apple Menu, About This Mac, then click on Storage, and then Manage for some suggestions too.
And for your next Mac, note that having a small hard drive didn't work for you. This is a very common problem. Most people underestimate the size of the drive they will need. Go for something much larger next time.