• DaisyDisk Icon
  • DaisyDisk
  • Tech Specs
  • Pricing
  • Support
  • Buy
  • User Guide

    Troubleshooting

    So it doesn’t work…

    Or, at least, DaisyDisk doesn’t work as expected.

    Below you can find a few hints that may help you fix your issues.

    General hints

    DaisyDisk is not a general purpose Mac maintenance utility, but it never hurts to ensure your system works properly.

    Use Disk Utility to verify your disk’s integrity and fix permissions. Using a Mac with damaged file system is merely a good idea anyway.

    Restart your Mac. Sounds stupid, but it may help.

    For general purpose maintenance we recommend Onyx, a free and useful tool. Just don’t blame us if you misuse it :)

    Timed Out Error

    If you keep getting Timed Out error messages, try the following:

    Check local disks with the Disk Utility. Timeouts on your Mac HD often indicate problems with permissions or file system integrity.

    Reduce the number of files on your SMB shares. Accessing an SMB folder with a large number of files requires a lot of time for any application (not just DaisyDisk). Reducing the number of files in the folder by archiving them may solve the problem.

    Try accessing the resource via a different protocol or scan them locally. Some network resources decline access after receiving a significant number of requests necessary for scanning.

    DaisyDisk and Remote Desktop

    It looks like headless Mac servers do not load graphic drivers that are necessary for applications, powered by Core Animation (all of them, not just DaisyDisk). As a result, portions of the UI appear black or do not refresh.

    Plugging in an external display solves the problem. You can also try hacks that “emulate” displays, but do it on your risk.

    Hidden space

    Scanning disk as administrator may be helpful once you have problems with large amounts of disk space inaccessible to normal users.

    Some backup tools are known to leave garbage in /Volumes folder. Check it with Terminal app.

    Nothing above helps? Contact support and we’ll take a closer look at your case.

    Table of Content

    Getting started

    • Overview of disks, scanning
    • Understanding the disk map
    • Locating space wasters
    • Previewing file content and details
    • Deleting files

    Advanced usage

    • Scanning as administrator
    • Parallel scanning
    • FileVault support
    • Local snapshots, versions and Time Machine
    • Hidden disk space
    • Oddities with disk space calculations
    • A brief history of sunburst visualization
    • DaisyDisk versions
    • Tips and tricks
    • Keyboard shortcuts and multi-touch gestures
    • Troubleshooting

    Registration

    • Why register/upgrade?
    • Registering your license

    See also

    • Version 4, English
    • Version 3, English
    • Version 2
      • English
      • Русский
    • Version 1, English
    HomeUser GuideVersion 2EnglishTroubleshooting

    Links

    • Our store
    • Mac App Store
    • Terms of use
    • Privacy
    • Cloud Privacy

    Support

    • User guide
    • FAQ
    • Find license
    • Get in touch
    • Release log

    Company

    • About
    • Blog
    • Media reviews
    • Affiliate program
    • Versions archive

    Social Networks

    • X
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    • Student discount
    © 2008-2025 Software Ambience Corp. All rights reserved. Apple® and Mac® are trademarks of Apple Inc. The media logos are intellectual property of their corresponding copyright and/or trademark holders. DaisyDisk® is a registered trademark of Software Ambience Corp.