.Cleverfiles. What the heck are they again?

TuckerdogAVL

TuckerdogAVL

Registered
Two years ago I posted about these and have run into them again. I'm getting ready to transfer from a 1TB Fusion Mac to a 512 M2. And I ran into hundreds of these files. Can I just delete them? I'd rather get rid of them now than have some footnote or asterisk or drop down show up muddling the process later.
 
Can’t you just use Migration Assistant or TimeMachine restore?

Regarding the .cleverfiles folder!:

Do you use or did you ever use Disk Drill, a disk utility published by CleverFiles. Disk Drill creates the folder .cleverfiles to help recover files or folder.
 
Last edited:
JaapvanderVeen said:
Can’t you just use Migration Assistant or TimeMachine restore?

Regarding the .cleverfiles folder!:

Do you use or did you ever use Disk Drill, a disk utility published by CleverFiles. Disk Drill creates the folder .cleverfiles to help recover files or folder.
Click to expand...
I had an issue a couple years ago when I was upgrading from Big Sur to Monterey and the computer crashed. Had to take it to the computer guys to fix. They may have run it. I understand what creates it. I want to get rid of it. There is 560gb on the system files when I search "storage" on About this computer. I need the steps to remove it.

I'm sure I can use Migration Assistant. I'm not restoring from Time Machine. And, there are lots of asterisks about using TM on a new computer vs keeping it associated with the old one (especially before you know everything has gone perfectly, which is often not the case. And there's usually some question that only someone in IT can answer with the okay or yes. :) I don't want to inherit the old TM that has 800GB of items back-up in attempting to put on a 512GB new computer either. So, in my case, no I can't use TimeMachine restore. I'm going to keep it associated with the old computer until I know for sure all went well. https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/if-your-new-mac-inherits-your-backup-history-mh35732/mac
 
When you transfer to M1-2 computer don't transfer old applications so use your old computer and get a text sheet to put down the code numbering programs to get reduced cost in "upgrading"! Plus make sure you only put Universal of Pure Silicon applications on M1-2! Intel only apps EAT RAM like no tomorrow! Also if your not sure about an application status bookmark the site RoaringApps.com to check if is compatible!
 
Well, you mostly know where the Cleverfiles folder came from -- It's obviously a left-over from the use of Disk Drill for a necessary file recovery. If that old recovery is not a factor now, you should be able to ignore the "Cleverfiles" folder (don't transfer any of that folder to your new Mac) Seems simple enough, at least for the cleverfiles folder. Drag the folder, with all its "cleverfiles" to the trash, then empty the trash, and -- gone!
 
Yes, I've used RoaringApps. All are fine. Don't have any old intel programs running as Monterey took care of that. :)
Don't know what code numbering programs are. Don't know what Universal or Pure Silicon applications are.
All the apps
 
DeltaMac said:
Well, you mostly know where the Cleverfiles folder came from -- It's obviously a left-over from the use of Disk Drill for a necessary file recovery. If that old recovery is not a factor now, you should be able to ignore the "Cleverfiles" folder (don't transfer any of that folder to your new Mac) Seems simple enough, at least for the cleverfiles folder. Drag the folder, with all its "cleverfiles" to the trash, then empty the trash, and -- gone!
Click to expand...
I'm still checking things over ... what concerns me is I have aliases that show up in the .cleverfile folder. When I click on them, the aliases go to the folders on my computer. I'm trying to figure out if I should delete the clever file folder if it's going to take files that are in the aliases with it ... or just the aliases.... so, I'm removing the aliases first. I think. :)
 
I decided to download the Disk Drill app as the tech said to do to remove the cleverfiles. I follow the instructions to delete the app and I get a pop up that says "clear protected data" yes or now? Ah... okay.... is this simply removing the .cleverfiles or everything. Waiting again for the DiskDrill response. Would be realllllly helpful if this would have been shared by them when I started this. And this little drop down isn't mentioned in their "just simply" instructions to uninstall.
 
But, why look back a couple of years now?
If the backup/restore was successful, and Disk Drill did not stay on your Mac, and all that remained was whatever was leftover from the Disk Drill task (recovery, correct?) - but Disk Drill was removed when the tech job was complete....
Well, sure, the cleverfiles folder has some files that belong to you. Would be related to the file recovery, of course.
Hopefully, you did not start putting your current files in that folder after the recovery was complete, (?)
SO, why are you questioning the Cleverfiles folder? Its job is done (the Disk Drill software was removed)... If you think it is important to keep (or you simply don't know), why not just copy the files in that Cleverfiles folder to an external drive, then delete the complete folder on your internal drive.
Then, if you need some random file that, for some reason, moved to that folder, you will still have it.
Hopefully, you know enough about the files that you actually use, so you can tell the difference.
 
DeltaMac said:
But, why look back a couple of years now?
If the backup/restore was successful, and Disk Drill did not stay on your Mac, and all that remained was whatever was leftover from the Disk Drill task (recovery, correct?) - but Disk Drill was removed when the tech job was complete....
Well, sure, the cleverfiles folder has some files that belong to you. Would be related to the file recovery, of course.
Hopefully, you did not start putting your current files in that folder after the recovery was complete, (?)
SO, why are you questioning the Cleverfiles folder? Its job is done (the Disk Drill software was removed)... If you think it is important to keep (or you simply don't know), why not just copy the files in that Cleverfiles folder to an external drive, then delete the complete folder on your internal drive.
Then, if you need some random file that, for some reason, moved to that folder, you will still have it.
Hopefully, you know enough about the files that you actually use, so you can tell the difference.
Click to expand...
I was questioning the .cleverfiles because I had 580GB used of my 1TB in System Data. And I assumed, apparently correctly, that since these files were under "SYSTEM" that they were clogging up my HD.

The process to uninstall the files eventually worked. I think I wasn't waiting long enough, as I uninstalled and reinstalled the program, said "Yes" to "clear protected data" and the tech that's been helping me said I could go in and just delete the folder (that wasn't that easy as it was hidden and when I attempted, I got a "file in use" message. This is where I realized I probably hadn't waited long enough for the uninstall to work). All the .cleverfiles were duplicates of files that had been recovered. They are now either in iCloud, on my computer, or on four external drives. So they weren't needed.
In any event, I now have 38GB in System Data being used and I regained 480gb on the HD. (PS I love articles I recently have read about 38gb being "large" in the system data. Ha! Funny).

That's why. Thanks for all your help. And yes, everything's backed up (in theory) on the TM, as the last one took a few hours after it noted there were 145,000 changes. (No typos here).
 
i downloaded the disk drill app and followed their specific instructions to remove them. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but it worked. I checked the drop down box as well(clear protected data). it took awhile to remove the 580gb.

you can also find them in your systems folder. they are hidden. once you find them, you can drag to trash (that’s what they told me anyway).

google disk drill to get the free progam then uninstall… or google “how to find hidden files on mac.”

If you launch About this Mac and go to storage, click manage and when the large files show up, find one with the .cleverfile path. Click show in finder and you will see exactly where the hidden files are in systems. good luck. when i did this, it freed up lots of space.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top