Troubleshooting

The total looks too small

Three things make Strata's total smaller than the space macOS says is used:

• No Full Disk Access. macOS hides Mail, Messages, Safari and other apps' data. When this is the cause, Strata shows an orange unreadable count at the top of the window. Switch the access on, then reopen Strata.
• You scanned a folder, not the disk. The Space Map's disk bar shows the rest as Rest of Disk. Choose the startup disk in the menu at the top right.
• Space no folder accounts for. Local Time Machine snapshots and other system space belong to no folder. In a whole-disk scan Strata shows it under System.

Folders kept only in iCloud Drive, Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox count as empty, because their files are not on the Mac. That makes a total smaller than you might expect, but it is correct for this disk.

The total is larger than the disk

On APFS, a clone is two files that share the same blocks until one changes, and each reports its full size. Files duplicated in Finder share blocks this way, as do virtual machine disks and container images from tools that clone, so the overlap can be large. When the overlap is more than 1% of the space in use, Strata shows how much is really on disk beside the total. Point at it for the explanation. Nothing is wrong.

A copy froze when it opened

Versions 1.0.5 to 1.0.11 could freeze as they opened during the free trial. 1.0.12 fixed it, but a frozen copy cannot update itself. Press Option Command Esc, choose Strata and Force Quit, then download the latest version from the download page and drag it into Applications in place of the old one. Your trial and settings stay as they were.

A drive is missing from the menu

Strata reads the list of drives when it starts. A drive you connected afterwards appears the next time you open Strata. Until then, choose Choose Folder… in the same menu and pick the drive.

"Skipped a folder that did not respond"

A folder that stops answering for 30 seconds, usually on a network share, a disconnected drive or a drive that went to sleep, is skipped so the scan can finish. It counts as empty. Make sure the drive is awake and connected, then press Scan Again in the notice.

Something will not move to the Trash

• It is protected. The confirmation sheet lists it under Skipped with the reason. What Strata will not touch lists them all.
• It needs an administrator. Use Show in Finder, then Command Delete in Finder, which asks for your password.
• The drive has no Trash. Some network shares cannot keep a Trash, so the move fails and Strata says so. It never deletes instead. Remove the item in Finder if you are sure.
• It is open. An app's files can be busy while it runs. Quit the app and try again.

An app's settings came back after uninstalling

The app was still running. An open app writes its preferences again as it quits. Quit it first, then uninstall it; the Uninstaller warns you when an app you chose is running.

The licence key is not accepted

• "That does not look like a licence key." Part of it is missing. Copy the whole key from your receipt email, including the dot in the middle.
• "This key could not be verified." It was changed or cut short while pasting, or it is for another app. Paste it again from the receipt.
• "This key is from a newer version." Update Strata, then enter it again.

No email? It may be in spam. You can look up your key, or write to support@stratamaccleaner.com.

The menu bar icon is missing

Check Show Strata in the menu bar in Settings. If it is on, macOS may be hiding the icon because the menu bar is full: quit an app that puts an icon there, or make room some other way, and it comes back.

Strata will not update

Choose Check for Updates… in the Strata menu. If it cannot reach the site, check your connection; if it still fails, download the latest version from the download page and drag it over the old one. An update that has downloaded installs at once when you quit Strata. Copies older than 1.0.17 install one by themselves only after their window is closed and the Mac has been left for ten minutes, and copies older than 1.0.13 only when they quit.

Common questions