Troubleshooting & messages

Storage Studio checked the copy, found a difference, and stopped before touching your original — nothing was lost. Close apps that might be writing to the folder and try again.

The external drive dropped out partway through. Your original is untouched — reconnect the drive (ideally with a direct cable) and try again; waiting moves resume on their own.

The copy finished and was verified, but the original couldn't be cleared, so it still uses space. Your data is safe — quit apps using the folder and run the move again.

macOS refused because Storage Studio lacks Full Disk Access. Turn it on (or off and on again) in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access, then retry. Your original is untouched.

Storage Studio tried to copy a single file as if it were a folder — a bug on our side. Nothing changed. Update to the latest version, and report it through Contact Support.

The destination drive filled up before the copy finished. Your original is untouched — free space on the drive (or use a bigger one) and run the move again.

Either the drive won't accept writes (e.g. NTFS is read-only on a Mac) or Storage Studio lacks Full Disk Access. Check both, then try again — your original is untouched.

The drive can be read but not written — usually because it's formatted NTFS. Use an APFS or exFAT drive (reformatting erases it), or run First Aid in Disk Utility.

Another app deleted some files mid-copy (common with caches). Nothing was lost — run the move again, or clear busy caches instead of moving them.

An app was writing to the files during the copy, so it couldn't finish cleanly. Your original is untouched — quit the app using the folder and try again.

The Mac lost contact with the drive mid-copy. Your original is safe — reconnect directly with a good cable and retry; if it repeats, run First Aid in Disk Utility.

The copy stopped for an unrecognised reason, so Storage Studio quotes the copier's own message rather than guessing. Your original is safe — retry, and send the quoted text to support if it repeats.

The copy stalled long enough to be stopped — often a sleeping, slow or failing drive. Your original is safe and Storage Studio retries later; check the drive's connection.

The copy couldn't start because of a problem inside Storage Studio, not your files. Restart the app, update it, and reinstall if it continues — your original is safe.

A move stopped early without a more specific cause. Your original is untouched — check Job Insights, the drive connection and Full Disk Access, then try again.

An app has files in that folder open, so moving it now could damage its work. Quit the listed apps, then use Check again or retry the move.

The safety check for apps using the folder didn't finish, and Storage Studio won't move what it can't verify. Quit the folder's app yourself and try again.

Your drive disappeared mid-move, so the move is parked and resumes by itself when the drive is back. Your original is untouched; cancelling is also safe.

The previous move on that item is still wrapping up, so the new request was held. Wait a few seconds and try again; check Job Insights if it persists.

Storage Studio was still confirming its built-in copying tool was ready (just after launch). Nothing changed — wait a moment and try again.

The copying tool built into Storage Studio is missing or damaged, usually after an interrupted update. Reinstall from storagestudio.us — your settings and moves are kept.

The temporary area is scratch space every app needs at all times, so it can't live on a removable drive. Storage Studio offers to clear what's safe there instead.

The folder belongs to an app that can only read its data from its own protected area; a shortcut would make the data look missing. Use the app's own storage setting instead.

Mail rewrites its data constantly while it's open, so moving it then could corrupt your mailbox. Quit Mail completely and try again.

A helper that starts with your Mac uses those files, and your external drive may not be ready that early — so Storage Studio leaves them on the internal disk.

Docker can delete everything else in the folder that holds its disk image, so Storage Studio only uses an empty folder dedicated to Docker. Choose a new empty folder.

If the drive isn't connected when Photos opens, Photos starts a new empty library, so Storage Studio never moves it automatically. Use Apple's own method if you want it external.

Storage Studio checks the original's location is safe to clear before removing it. This one didn't pass, so nothing was deleted — your original is untouched.

The destination needed preparing, but Storage Studio couldn't confirm it was a safe place to change, so nothing changed. Choose a normal folder on a connected, writable drive.

The copy is complete, but some originals couldn't be swapped for shortcuts (often because they were open), so they're in both places. Quit those apps and run Relocate again.

At least one move didn't finish, and each records its own reason. Open the failed item in the move list or Job Insights to read why, then fix it and retry.

Pause stops new moves starting but lets the running one finish, so nothing is left half-done. Use the stop button to cancel it — always safe, as originals stay until a move completes.

Yes. Originals are removed only after a copy finishes and passes its checks, so cancelling at any point leaves them untouched. You can restart moves any time.

Your external drive is unplugged, so moves and transfers that need it are paused. Everything on the drive is safe — plug it back in and paused work resumes automatically.

Moved items really live on the external drive, with a shortcut left behind. While the drive is unplugged those shortcuts can't open anything — reconnect it and everything works again.

Storage Studio can't find its own folder on the drive — renamed, deleted or reformatted. Undo any rename in Finder, or re-run setup from the More menu if the drive was erased.

No external drive is set up yet. Storage Studio still clears caches without one; to move apps and folders, plug in a drive and choose it from the More menu.

The drive didn't respond while Storage Studio prepared it, so setup stopped. Reconnect it directly, check it's writable, retry, and run First Aid if it happens again.

An outdated system setting can stop your drive mounting at startup; removing it is a system change, so macOS asks for your password. Cancelling changes nothing.

Storage Studio checks there's room for the whole item plus a safety margin before it starts. Free space on the drive or choose something smaller.

There isn't enough working room to finish safely, so Storage Studio didn't start. Free space on the side that's short — often your Mac when moving something back — and retry.

Moved apps run from the external drive, so they can't open while it's unplugged. Reconnect the drive, or move an app back first if you need it away from your desk.

Developer tools keep files open on the drive, and macOS can't eject while files are open. So eject pauses automatic actions and asks those apps to quit first — save your work.

Transfer Drive stopped before the new drive's copy was complete, so Storage Studio kept using the old drive untouched. Connect both directly, check space, and run it again.

Pointing moved apps' shortcuts at the new drive needs your administrator password. It was cancelled, so nothing changed — run Transfer Drive again and approve the prompt.

macOS blocked access to protected folders, so those were left out. Turn on Full Disk Access for Storage Studio in System Settings (or toggle it off and on); no restart needed.

Storage Studio couldn't tell whether it has Full Disk Access, so it safely assumes it doesn't. Switch it on (or off and on) in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access.

Some of the folder couldn't be read, so the figure is what could be counted — the real size is at least that. Full Disk Access usually lets Storage Studio count the rest.

Storage Studio measures what it can read; the remainder is macOS itself, protected system areas and space held in automatic backups. It labels that rather than guessing.

Edit the rule in Settings → Rules — raise the age, narrow the folder, or turn it off — and preview again. The preview never moves anything.

The background service didn't start in time. Try Restart now again, then reopen Storage Studio, then restart your Mac; re-running setup from the More menu reinstalls it.

The background service for automatic tasks was never installed, usually because setup was skipped. Re-run setup from the More menu to install it.

Scheduled clean-ups and rules are paused, so Storage Studio only acts when you ask. Your files are untouched — click Resume in the menu bar popover to turn them back on.

The watchdog found something it couldn't repair by itself. Check the rows in Settings → Services marked Stopped or Sleeping — each explains the problem and offers a fix where possible.

Check Settings → Services first — each row says what's wrong and offers a fix — then More → Job Insights for background jobs. Many issues self-repair.

Open More → Job Insights. Each background job has a card with its last outcome, last run time and any problems, explained in plain English.

Queued transfers wait for what they depend on — a signed-in account, internet, or the drive. Open Data Transfers to see each job's reason and resume or retry it.

Click Restart now on the Background service row in Settings → Services; if that fails, reopen Storage Studio, restart your Mac, or re-run setup from the More menu to reinstall it.

A background job hit a problem it couldn't get past. The notification gives the plain-English reason and a direct fix when there is one; repeated failures offer to contact support.

Some checks couldn't run (e.g. no connection or the drive unreadable), so they're marked unchecked rather than passed. Read those rows, fix what they name, and run Verify Setup again.

Verify Setup found app moves that stopped part-way and resumed them from where they stopped. If you'd rather not continue them, use Discard unfinished moves instead.

Verify Setup couldn't read any rules, so scheduled moves have nothing to work from (and nothing is harmed). Review or add rules in Settings → Rules, then verify again.

Your internal disk is nearly full. Run Free Up Space, move big items with What's Using Space, release space held in local snapshots, then empty the Trash when you're sure.

Your Mac's automatic local backups still hold your deleted files, so deleting more won't free space. It returns on its own, or ask your Mac to release it from Local Snapshots.

Storage Studio asked, but macOS decides what to release and wasn't ready (often because a backup hasn't reached Time Machine). The space usually returns on its own within a day.

That snapshot belongs to macOS itself (for example, from a system update), and removing it could stop your Mac starting. Only Time Machine snapshots can be reclaimed.

Storage Studio can't tell whether this snapshot already reached Time Machine. Deleting it frees space but may lose that state for good — run a Time Machine backup first, or leave it.

A sudden drop is often temporary — an update, a download, or local backups holding deleted files. Storage Studio says when it will come back on its own; check What's Using Space if not.

The change was spread out or happened in areas Storage Studio can't read, so it won't guess a culprit. Watch What's Using Space over a few days if space keeps vanishing.

Folder sizes are measured once a day to keep the app light, so shorter periods can't be split by folder. Choose a longer period or wait for the next daily reading.

Measuring yields to your work, so it stopped before reaching every folder and totals may be low. It tries again when your Mac is quieter, or refresh while the Mac is idle.

It only offers what's safe; your space is used by things it won't touch on your behalf. Connect your fast drive to move big items, or review What's Using Space yourself.

Any item Storage Studio couldn't confirm as safe — real cache, not in use, not recently used — is left alone. An unanswered safety check counts as no; later runs often clear them.

Storage Studio re-checks every item just before clearing it. This one no longer looks like a rebuildable cache, so it refuses — refresh to see what's still safe.

There's nowhere to keep a recoverable copy, so clearing this would be permanent. Connect your fast drive to keep it recoverable, or confirm only if you're sure.

It was a preview that only shows what would happen, so stopping it changed nothing — no files were removed or moved.

It finishes the current item, stops, and reports how many folders were cleared. Starting again picks up where it stopped, and removals stay recoverable in the Recycle Vault.

It looks like an old leftover copy, but Storage Studio can't verify what's inside, so it won't remove it for you. Delete it yourself in Finder if you don't need it.

Storage Studio only pre-selects what it's sure of; it can't tell which app these belong to, so they're left unticked. Look inside in Finder and tick them yourself if you're sure.

macOS doesn't reliably report one snapshot's size because snapshots share data, so Storage Studio won't show a misleading number. The total for all snapshots is shown instead.

macOS has marked this space as reclaimable (purgeable) but hasn't released it; no app can force it. macOS hands it back automatically when space is needed.

System-owned apps need your administrator password to move. Cancelling stops Storage Studio before anything changes — the app stays put and works as before.

Storage Studio couldn't tell how this app updates, so it can't promise updates will work after a move. You can still move it — if an update fails, move it back, update, and move again.

The app has a downloaded update not yet installed, and moving it now could leave it half-updated. Let the app finish updating, then move it.

Force quit ends the app instantly without letting it save, so unsaved work is lost. Use it only if the app has frozen — otherwise choose Ask it to quit.

An app writing to a folder during a move can lose recent changes or see its data as damaged. Quit the listed apps first, or continue only if you're sure they're idle.

The in-use check timed out on a large folder, so Storage Studio can't confirm nothing is writing to it. Quit apps that use it and click Check again.

The folder turned out to hold sign-ins, not just rebuildable cache, so clearing it would sign you out. Storage Studio never touches sign-ins or settings in a clean-up.

An app began using the item between listing and acting, so Storage Studio left it alone. Run the action again after the app finishes or is closed.

Storage Studio must stay on your Mac to manage the drive, even when the drive is unplugged, so it can't move itself. To remove it, use More → Uninstall Storage Studio….

Something new now sits at those items' original places, and rolling back would overwrite it — so they stayed safely on the drive. Move the new item aside and undo again.

Something other than Storage Studio's shortcut now sits in the original place, and moving back would overwrite it — so nothing changed. Remove the unwanted copy, then try again.

The shortcut at the original place was removed, but the files are still safe on the drive. Move the item back, or open it directly from the drive in Finder.

The record that lets Storage Studio undo this move is missing, so it can't roll back automatically. Nothing was deleted — find the files on your drive and copy them back by hand.

Some move records couldn't be read, so Storage Studio won't manage those items rather than guess. The files themselves are intact — contact support and don't delete anything meanwhile.

The copy on the external drive can't be found — usually because the drive isn't connected (or a different one is). Connect the right drive and try again.

The item lives on your external drive, which isn't connected, so nothing changed. Connect the drive and try again — an interrupted put-back resumes safely.

The item couldn't come back cleanly, so Storage Studio left it untouched on your drive — nothing deleted. Check free space and the original place, then retry.

A leftover copy from an earlier unfinished app move is already on the drive. Run Verify Setup, discard unfinished moves on the app moves row, then try again.

It deletes records of app moves that didn't finish and the partial copies they left on your drive. Apps in Applications are untouched; finished moves are skipped.

Replacing removes the existing items for good — not to the Trash or Recycle Vault — so you must type Replace. Choose Merge instead to keep what's already there.

Items are ticked on both sides, so Send here can't tell the direction. Untick one side, then press Send here and choose Copy or Move.

One or both paired places can't be reached — a drive unplugged, a folder renamed, or an account signed out. Reconnect it, or pair the new location.

The earlier copy failed its check, so it wasn't restored and your current file is untouched. Try another version, and check the health of where versions are stored.

The original was moved, renamed or deleted, but the existing copy and all earlier versions are untouched. Point the job at the new location, or restore from a version.

The item disappeared — removed or renamed by you or another app — before Storage Studio acted. Refresh the window for an up-to-date list.

You're removing the last remaining copy, so it's permanent — not sent to the Trash and nothing to restore from. Restore or copy it first if you might need it.

Removed items are held on your Mac up to a limit while your drive is away, and the limit is reached — so nothing new was removed. Connect your drive and held items move there.

Paired sides stay inside their paired folders so moves land in the right place. You're at the top of the pair — unpair first to browse higher, then pair again.

With the fast drive unplugged, that shortcut opens your first cloud account instead. Pick another place from the destination menu, or connect the drive.

The server rejected the sign-in. Check the username (case-sensitive), the current password, whether the server only accepts keys, and whether it restricts which users can sign in.

The server's identity changed since you first connected — normal after a reinstall, but also what interception looks like. Confirm with the server's owner before reconnecting.

The browser sign-in worked but the account couldn't be stored (or no details came back), so nothing was added. Click Try Again; restart Storage Studio if it repeats.

You've reached the number of accounts allowed for that provider, so it's greyed out. Remove one you don't use in Remotes & Accounts, then add the new one.

The Cloud Drive location in Finder stopped responding (often after sleep or a network change). Click Repair to reconnect it — no files in your accounts are touched.

Some providers, such as OneDrive, don't give Storage Studio a web address for individual files, so they can't be opened in the browser from here. Use the provider's own site.

The file is stored only in the cloud, so opening it downloads it and needs a connection. Open it while online, or set it to stay downloaded if you'll need it offline.

Making cloud files online-only stopped early, often because the provider was mid-sync. Your files are safe in the cloud — let syncing finish and run it again.

The download ran short of space and paused, keeping everything downloaded so far. Free space and resume, or move the transfer to a roomier drive without re-downloading.

Versions are encrypted with the passphrase, so a new one can't open them — changing it deletes them and starts fresh. To reconnect, enter the original passphrase instead.

The stored passphrase isn't the one the backup was encrypted with (common on a new Mac). Enter the original passphrase and Storage Studio reconnects to your versions — nothing is deleted.

That place already holds a backup encrypted with a different passphrase, so a new one can't start there. Use Change destination, or enter the original passphrase to reconnect.

Each destination keeps its own history, so switching starts a fresh backup at the new place. Old versions stay where they were — remove them yourself once the new backup is complete.

The backup stopped part-way, but nothing is lost — the next run continues from where it stopped. Use Back up now, or let the schedule carry on.

The cloud account holding the backup needs signing in again — it's only a connection problem, and the passphrase is fine. Reconnect the account, then run the backup.

None of the set's folders could be read — moved, on a disconnected drive, or blocked by macOS. Check the folders exist, connect the drive, grant Full Disk Access, then retry.

Deleting a cloud backup can't be undone and may be your only copy, so reset and uninstall leave them in place. Remove them yourself in the provider's own app if you want.

Each restore point has a space limit, so items too large for it are skipped and listed. Protect large folders with a regular Data Backup instead.

The 24 words didn't unlock a vault. For your protection it won't say why — check each word and its numbered order against your kit, and that it's the kit for this vault.

Recovery kits only use words from a fixed list, and that word isn't on it — almost certainly a typo or autocorrect. Retype it from your kit.

Repeated wrong kits pause entry for a while to stop guessing, and the vault's email is notified. Your vault is untouched — wait the time shown and retry with your kit.

Your kit was right, but the vault is in a protective pause for new Macs. Nothing is lost — the email we sent says when it unlocks; try again then.

A Mac connects to one Delta Trust vault at a time, and this one already has a vault. Enter another vault's kit to reconnect, or remove the current one first.

Delta Trust is designed so nothing on your Mac — Storage Studio included — can delete your vault. To remove it, close the vault from your account.

Each saved version is locked for the days shown, so no one — you, Storage Studio, or malware — can delete or overwrite it in that time.

Delta Trust saw something unusual and paused new backups as a precaution. Existing history is safe and restorable — check your email and the vault card, or contact support.

A payment problem paused new backups. Everything stored is safe and restorable — choose Fix Payment to pay what's owed, and backups resume once it goes through.

The vault exists but has no plan yet, so it can't hold backups — choose one from the vault card. An interrupted setup charges nothing, and retrying continues the same vault.

Capacity for new vaults is temporarily full and the team has been alerted. Nothing was created or charged — try again later.

This Mac can no longer open Delta Drive's access details (for example on a new or restored Mac). Your files are safe — enter your recovery kit to reconnect.

This Mac's Delta Drive access lapsed before it could renew, often after sleep or time offline. Press Refresh to reconnect — nothing in your drive changes.

Delta Drive didn't answer in time — a passing slowdown. Nothing changed; try again shortly, or use Recreate anything missing… if it keeps failing.

It recreates whatever your drive is missing and reconnects this Mac, only ever adding — nothing existing is changed and no backup is deleted. Use it when Delta Drive can't be read.

The rebuild worked but this Mac hasn't reconnected yet — usually a moment's wait. Press Refresh shortly; rerun Recreate anything missing… if folders are still missing.

Delta Drive's Finder location is switched off — which never deletes anything. Turn it back on in Data Transfers and it returns to Finder's sidebar.

Delta Drive hasn't been set up on this Mac (or setup didn't finish), so it can't be used yet. Set it up from Data Backup; retrying an interrupted setup is safe.

The code doesn't match the latest one sent, or it has expired. Use the newest email's code (requesting again cancels older ones), or ask for a fresh code.

Each code belongs to the Mac that requested it, and this one was requested elsewhere. Request a new code from this Mac and use it.

You've hit the limit on code requests or tries, which protects your account. Wait a while; if it says failed attempts, use Resend code for a fresh one.

Code requests for one email are limited to stop inbox flooding. Use the most recent code if it arrived (check junk), or wait 30 minutes and request again.

The address is from a throwaway email service, and Storage Studio needs one that keeps working for your licence and support replies. Use an email you'll keep.

Offers can be claimed once per email and once per Mac, and one of those was already used. If you think that's wrong, email support@storagestudio.us.

Offers aren't open right now, so a claim can't be completed — nothing is wrong with your Mac. You can still use the trial or choose a plan.

Email-verified trial extensions are switched off at the moment, so none can be added. Your current trial is unaffected; choose a plan in Settings → License when it ends.

There's no trial registered on this Mac to extend — it was never started here, or a licence is already active. Start the trial first, or activate your licence.

This Mac is already activated with a licence, so there's no trial to extend — you already have full access. Check Settings → License.

Starting the trial registers it and emails a code, so it needs a connection. Check your network (and VPN or firewall) and try again in a moment; afterwards it works offline.

Activation uses the 16-character License Code from your activation email, not a receipt's transaction ID. Find that email, request it again, or contact support.

Your subscription lapsed and a short grace period counts down before the app stops opening fully. Renew in Settings → License; your files and moves are untouched.

The downloaded update didn't pass Apple's genuineness check (usually incomplete or damaged), so it wasn't installed. Retry, or use Open download in browser for a fresh copy.

The update didn't match what was expected, so it was discarded and will be downloaded again. If it keeps failing, your network may be altering downloads — try another network.

An update install was refused; the notification names why (e.g. the app isn't in Applications, or the download failed checks). Your current version keeps working — fix the cause and retry.

The update's disk image didn't contain the new app — it was ejected, damaged or not a Storage Studio update. Download the update again from storagestudio.us.

The daily update check couldn't reach the update service (offline, firewall, or a brief outage). Nothing is wrong — it retries automatically, or check again when online.

This version is too old to keep running safely, so Storage Studio updates first — it downloads, checks and relaunches automatically. Settings and moved items carry over.

Storage Studio is for Apple silicon Macs only. An Intel Mac is never offered an update it can't run, and there's no Intel download; what you moved to your drives stays where it is.

Your Mac is trying to reach the paired device, which isn't answering — it may be asleep, offline, or have its app closed. Wake it and open the app; the link reconnects itself.

The file didn't finish arriving — usually the other device slept, went offline, or lacked space. Check both are awake with room, then send again.

Only one copy runs at a time, so a second launch hands over to the one already running. Use the menu bar icon to reach it.

Part of the app is missing or damaged, usually after an interrupted update. Download it again from storagestudio.us and replace the copy in Applications — your settings are kept.

Reset only removes its drive folder once it has fully checked that nothing of yours is still stored there. Connect the drive, close other apps, and run Reset again.

Part of that item (such as the Recycle Vault) lives on your external drive, which is unplugged. Reset holds it back so nothing is left half-removed — connect the drive and run it again.

It's the code that identifies your Mac when asking us to erase our records about it. If the app couldn't send the request, email the code to support and it's handled the same way.

An erasure request for this Mac was already sent and is queued, so there's nothing more to do. Email support with the code if you need to follow up.

No folders are still relocated, so the revert step has nothing to do and is switched off. Go ahead with the uninstall — files on your drive are untouched.

A few relocations have no kept copy to restore from, so they stay on the external drive. Nothing is lost — copy them back from the drive in Finder whenever you like.

Opening at sign-in is switched off. Turn it on in More → Setup & maintenance, and check Login Items in System Settings. The background service runs at login regardless.

Use Contact Support in the app (it can attach diagnostics), or email support@storagestudio.us with your app and macOS versions, what you did, the exact message, and what you tried.

Your message didn't reach the team (usually a dropped connection), and nothing was posted. Check you're online and press send again — your text is still there.

The quick human check for re-sending your licence key expired before you sent it. Complete it again and send straight away, or email support for your key.