clean install / upgrade question

[conamor]

Good day!

I finally decided to wipe my iMac and reinstall el Capitan after always upgrading from lion.

My steps:
1- Backup!
2- boot while holding command and R and delete the partition
3- for some odd reason I couldn't do the reinstall from there, it was connecting to the app store but was saying that it was not available.
4- reboot holding command, alt and R.
5- it downloaded something, reinstalled the first OS I had when I bought the iMac (Mountain Lion, I believe)
6- download El Capitan from the app store and it reinstalled.

From what I can see is that I am again, doing an upgrade? Is there any way to do a clean install for El Capitan, or maybe you can tell me that this upgrade is doing nothing bad? (like M$...)

Thanks for all your input!

 

[KALLT]

It is fairly 'clean'. But if you want, you can try it again with a bootable thumb drive. You can find instructions here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372. Then you press option while booting and boot into the thumb drive. There you format the drive and install.

 

[conamor]

I also noticed that I never was able to choose the type of format, quick, 1 pass 0's, etc... Is it possible with the USB drive?

 

[KALLT]

I also noticed that I never was able to choose the type of format, quick, 1 pass 0's, etc... Is it possible with the USB drive?

It certainly is possible, you might have just missed it.