How many times have you format your mac?

[thebart]

Hello friends,
So I've been using windows for almost 20years and in windows you format almost every year the pc. With mac computers is the same?

What? I formatted my PC twice in twelve years when i switched from a HDD to SSD, then when i went from Windows 7 to 10 and decided on a clean install instead of upgrade

 

[Yebubbleman]

Hello friends,
So I've been using windows for almost 20years and in windows you format almost every year the pc. With mac computers is the same?

You don't have to format your Windows PC every year anymore. You only have to do that if you have made tons and tons of changes and built up enough cruft to make doing so worthwhile. This is no different on the Mac.

That said. As someone who uses both platforms, I generally reformat my PCs every few Windows feature updates (e.g. Windows 10 20H2 to Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 21H2 to Windows 11 23H2, etc.), but even that's only really necessary if things change funny in that process or if I do something to gunk up the computer myself. I do full wipes of my Macs every new OS release. I trust that Apple's upgrade process has gotten better, but I'm generally prefer not to use it on my personal Macs. I have no problem doing it in an IT environment. Certainly doing it on my personal Macs has the added benefit of feeling like I'm getting a new Mac without getting a new Mac.

 

[MacGizmo]

I used to do it with every major OS update, but that was years and years ago. I don't think I've reformatted and clean installed an OS since around 10.8 or 10.9.

I also don't install every piece of junk utility and app I come across anymore, so I suspect that has removed my desire/need to "clean things up."

 

[solq]

What? No, I don't format my Windows machine (ever) and I don't format my Macs (ever). Who lied to you that Windows needs reformatting once a year? One of my machines has Windows since 2008 (Vista, upgraded to 7 => 8 => 10) and it runs just fine. I still use a little 2011 Macbook Air which likewise, has never been formatted.

I don't put garbage on them, I keep the OS up to date, I am careful with the disk management, they run fine.