Knowing a little about sparse and clone files in APFS is dangerous, as it can lead you to draw the wrong conclusions.
Disk Utility
New version creates and maintains Case-sensitive APFS sparse bundles in addition to its previous range of formats.
Why macOS may refuse to give you a very large sparse bundle, how you can’t change the password of encrypted sparse bundles, and more.
Many of us keep an emergency external drive at the ready by our Mac, in case we need to use it to recover from problems. What’s the equivalent for Apple silicon?
Two problems undermine Disk Utility’s First Aid: it persisting bug in failing to unmount volumes to check and repair, and its default omission of containers. And errors in APFS seem to be on the rise.
How to use First Aid in Disk Utility to check and repair APFS storage, whether it’s part of your boot disk, or general storage.
Should you just try to upgrade in the hope that your Mac’s storage has sufficient free space? What can you do to free up a bit more if needed?
What’s in APFS, and what are its tools? How to interpret the version number, and what do we know has changed with different versions? How compatible are they?
When you’ve worked out which files or folders are causing errors in APFS, what can you do to ensure they don’t recur?
If you’re wondering how to store snippets of private info, sensitive files, or folders full of secrets, here’s how to use the right features in macOS.
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