Benefit of Clean Install?

[jason2811]

I've seen a lot of posts on how to do a clean install off of a DVD or USB disk. I will be upgrading from Snow Leopard. What is the benefit of doing a clean install using the USB method?

Ideally I want to erase my entire machine with Snow Leopard and install Mountain Lion on it. If I go to the App Store and download ML, will there be an option for me to erase my entire machine and install Snow Leopard? Or does the App Store approach simply install ML on top of Snow Leopard leaving behind Snow Leopard remnants?

So two questions: 1) If I download ML will Apple prompt me with the option of erasing Snow Leopard and starting fresh? 2) If so, is the USB/DVD stick method better than than the option mentioned in question 1?

THANKS!

 

[53kyle]

You have to copy to the flash drive. To do that, just right click the installer, navigate to Contents > SharedSupport and you should see InstallESD.dmg. Copy that to your desktop. Open disk utility and drag InstallESD.dmg to the sidebar. Click on the restore tab. Now insert your flash drive into your Mac and drag the InstallESD.dmg to the source box and drag the flash drive to the destination box. Finally hit restore and when it finished, boot holding the option key and select the flash drive. When you click the arrow under it, your Mac will start booting. Once it is done, click disk utility and then continue. Select your hard drive and click on the erase tab. Name it whatever you want and click erase. You can then quit disk utility and click reinstall os x mountain lion.

EDIT: I didn't read your whole post. Yes the mountain lion will just install over the old os and leave all of your data (apps, pictures, music, videos, documents, downloads, and settings) exactly how you left it

 

[paradyse]

What is the benefit of clean install and then restore from backup comparing to upgrade only?

 

[jason2811]

EDIT: I didn't read your whole post. Yes the mountain lion will just install over the old os and leave all of your data (apps, pictures, music, videos, documents, downloads, and settings) exactly how you left it

Is there an option to have Mountain Lion erase everything and install fresh? Or is the USB/DVD route the only way to do this?

 

[TexasChemE]

What is the benefit of clean install and then restore from backup comparing to upgrade only?

As far as I know, if you do a clean install and then restore all your files and settings and such, it would essentially be doing an upgrade, just with more steps. If you are going to do a clean install, I wouldn't recommend doing a complete restore.

 

[chrisvee]

I usually like to start fresh with every new iteration. With Lion, I used a USB drive and installed it onto there to do the clean install, but now I'm just lazy.. So, I'm just doing the upgrade. I'd say, if nothing else, the satisfaction of starting fresh with a "new" OS is always good. Fresh file system, no "other" applications, and no muck.

It's actually quite easy to create a bootable USB drive. Just follow this guide: www.macworld.com/article/1167857/how_to_make_a_bootable_mountain_lion_install_drive.html

Have fun!

 

[Auzburner]

Is there an option to have Mountain Lion erase everything and install fresh? Or is the USB/DVD route the only way to do this?

There is not.

 

[ahdickter]

What is the benefit of clean install and then restore from backup comparing to upgrade only?

In theory there should be no benefit. However, if you're like me, you like to try out a lot of different apps and overtime these apps like to leave little files everywhere. A clean install is a chance for you to look over your installed apps and decide if you truly want all of them or if some of them are only taking up space. It won't improve performance (too much), but it's always nice to start with a clean slate.

Ultimately, you need to decide whether taking the time to back up your documents and files is worth it. If not, then simply update to Mountain Lion overtop of Lion and you'll be fine

 

[syndalis]

There is not.

yes, there is.

Find instructions on how to make a bootable ML USB.

Oooor, once you have ML upgraded, you can option boot into the 10.8 recovery partition, and do a Disk Utility Wipe of your main disk, and do an install over internet.

 

[paradyse]

Thanks. You guys are so helpful!

 

[Auzburner]

yes, there is.

Find instructions on how to make a bootable ML USB.

Oooor, once you have ML upgraded, you can option boot into the 10.8 recovery partition, and do a Disk Utility Wipe of your main disk, and do an install over internet.

The OP was asking if there was another way besides the bootable USB method. And the OP wouldn't have the ML recovery partition in place until he installs in the first place.

You are correct, though, the OP can follow SR45's outlined process below.

 

[SR45]

Without bootable USB thumb drive method since Apple has not included a way to burn a recovery USB as with Lion as of yet. Perhaps later they will. Too early still...

1...After my UpGrade to Mountain Lion from Lion, I.....

2...Rebooted holding the Command + Options key

3...Clicked on Disk Utilities

4...Highlight HD

5...Erased HD

than I reinstalled Mountain Lion Clean

 

[snowcrash]

As an ex Network Engineer and Administrator using everything just about other then Apple the one thing I love about Apple and OSX is that I don't ever feel the need to do a clean install. Coming from the Windows world I would NEVER upgrade and ALWAYS do a clean install.

But because of the way OSX uses programs, I feel removing programs (I tend to install a TON of stuff) is simple, easy and clean in itself. Easy to clean those leftover files, there are program removal programs which rock the house, etc. I have a laptop and a desktop and over the years I've done a combo of various types of installs, personally I see no difference/advantage to doing a clean install. To me, it's more steps putting back on programs I do want to keep, setting preferences, etc. With just doing the upgrade I install, and less then an hour later I'm back up and running. Have never felt that I'm wasting space, leaving broken files around or slowing down/messing up the filesystem.

I would say it's really more about personal preference. If you are anal and feel that a clean install works better for you then do it, if you feel you really don't need it then don't. The good thing is that either way it's probably the simplest process ever!!

 

[jason2811]

Yeah my current macbook pro with Snow Leopard is pretty slow. A few years ago I used migration assistant to move all my files over from my MacBook (which was running Leopard which I upgraded from Tiger). So I think there are a lot of old remnants and junk lying around so I'd like to do a fresh install.

 

[53kyle]

What is the benefit of clean install and then restore from backup comparing to upgrade only?

If you do a clean install, you might find unneeded files that take space, and it will delete caches that, again, take up space. Either way, it generally speed up your computer (at least for me)

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Is there an option to have Mountain Lion erase everything and install fresh? Or is the USB/DVD route the only way to do this?

There is another way. You simply install mountain lion, start up holding command-r, erase your hd, and reinstall. The last part takes a while because it has to download os x