Two confounding factors to take into account when interpreting timestamps on files: what updates the Last opened time, and access via QuickLook.
APFS
First Aid in Disk Utility, or fsck_apfs in Terminal, have given warnings or errors with id numbers. How do you work out which file or folder that refers to?
First Aid in Disk Utility, or running fsck_apfs in Terminal, return warnings or errors on one of your Mac’s volumes. Here’s what to do next.
How APFS is the first Mac native file system to have true inodes and inode numbers. What they are, and how you can use them in volume groups and different types of file link.
When the numbers simply don’t add up. How some extended attributes may be included in quoted file sizes, but others are ignored, and Sequoia hasn’t really changed this since Classic Mac OS of 25 years ago.
What do you do when you discover your Mac’s Data volume has run out of free space? A guide to working with snapshots, iCloud Drive, and other tricks to salvage your Mac. And how to prevent this from happening again.
How can you assure yourself that important files retain their data intact? Here’s a simple strategy for doing that, which works better on a file system that doesn’t check integrity.
Does software encryption (APFS Encrypted) result in significant overhead when using faster SSDs with a faster Apple silicon Mac? What about computing SHA256 digests?
Four little utilities now compatible with macOS Tahoes, covering repair of Finder aliases, creating test sparse files and checking special file types, looking up UTI types, and analysing language.
How your password isn’t used to encrypt the Data volume on your Mac’s internal SSD, but is used to encrypt the key used for that encryption, and the benefits.
The Eclectic Light Company 