nas-tools/apple_support_summary.md

Apple Support Issue Summary

Problem Description

Main Issue: Cannot free disk space to install macOS update due to OS update snapshot preserving all deleted/moved files.

Symptoms

1. System Data is 351GB (should be ~20-30GB)
2. Disk is 99.8% full (only 800MB free out of 494GB)
3. macOS update requires 17.64GB but cannot free space
4. Every file deletion/move makes System Data grow instead of freeing space

Root Cause

OS Update Snapshot is blocking space recovery:

• Snapshot name: com.apple.os.update-C6AB179000F92C4C211177BC5C840A511D1AA2A227C324AA9C14FC599E9873
• Status: NOT purgeable
• Note: "This snapshot limits the minimum size of APFS Container"
• The snapshot preserves ALL deleted/moved files, preventing space recovery

What I've Tried (All Failed)

1. ✅ Moved files to NAS (Synology DS224plus) - Files moved but space not freed
2. ✅ Moved files to external drive - Files moved but space not freed
3. ✅ Cleaned caches (~/Library/Caches, ~/.cache, npm cache) - No effect
4. ✅ Deleted local Time Machine snapshots - Ghost entry, can't delete
5. ✅ Attempted tmutil deletelocalsnapshots - Error: "Stale NFS file handle"
6. ✅ Attempted tmutil thinlocalsnapshots - No effect
7. ✅ Restarted Mac multiple times - No effect
8. ✅ Tried softwareupdate --download --all - Failed: "Not enough free disk space: 17.64 GB required"

Current System Status

• macOS Version: macOS Tahoe (need to update to 26.2)
• Disk: 494.4GB APFS container, 99.8% full
• Free Space: 800MB (need 17.64GB for update)
• System Data: 351GB (should be ~20-30GB)
• Snapshot: OS update snapshot, NOT purgeable, cannot be deleted manually

The Catch-22

• Need: 17.64GB free space to install macOS update
• Problem: Cannot free space because OS update snapshot preserves all deleted/moved files
• Result: Stuck - cannot update, cannot free space

What I Need from Apple Support

1. Tool to force-clear the OS update snapshot (it's blocking space recovery)
2. Alternative method to install macOS update with limited space
3. Recovery options to break out of this catch-22 situation
4. System-level intervention to release the 351GB in System Data

Technical Details

• Snapshot UUID: F63E39F3-D495-4586-88A4-A1406A7EF46A
• Snapshot XID: 6557111
• Container: disk3 (494.4GB)
• Volume: Macintosh HD (disk3s3)
• Snapshot Disk: disk3s3s1

Files Are Safe

• Files have been moved to NAS and external drive
• Data is safe, but space cannot be recovered until snapshot is cleared
• The issue is purely about freeing space, not data loss

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Request: Please provide system-level tools or recovery methods to clear the OS update snapshot so I can free space and install the macOS update.