Upgrade or fresh install

[q3anon]

Hi,
From one version of macOS to another I always did a fresh install. However, on the iPhone is always made upgrades and everything always works fine. The question I ask is when migrating from macOS Sonoma to macOS Sequoia whether it is worth doing a fresh install or booting using the Option+Command+R keys and performing an upgrade (I'm still on Intel). What do you suggest?

 

[gilby101]

I last did a "clean" install in November 2019. I used to do an annual clean install, but I no longer think that is needed. But I do clean up after any application uninstalls and make sure there is little junk and wasted space on my system disk. So, if you practice clean hygiene just do an upgrade. No need to run the upgrade from recovery - just let the running macOS do it.

 

[Feek]

Upgrade from the OS.

 

[frou]

I do a clean install when I feel I need to cleanse my chakras

 

[nylon]

I usually do an upgrade and then a clean install after a few point releases.

 

[BigBlur]

You know you can always do a clean install at any time... Upgrade and see how it works out. If you're happy with it and have no issues, great! You just saved yourself from hours/days/weeks of getting everything back to the way you like it. If you're not happy with the upgrade, or something isn't working, then by all means do a clean install. (You actually don't need to do a clean install at this point with the way macOS does things now. Just go to 'Erase All Content and Settings' to start fresh.)

 

[Nermal]

Bear in mind that if you're on a T2-based machine then you can always do a "reset all content and settings" after upgrading, for the equivalent of a clean install. I suggest that you do the upgrade first and see how it goes.

 

[Mike Boreham]

Bear in mind that if you're on a T2-based machine then you can always do a "reset all content and settings" after upgrading, for the equivalent of a clean install. I suggest that you do the upgrade first and see how it goes.

Same is true of Silicon Macs.

 

[q3anon]

I last did a "clean" install in November 2019. I used to do an annual clean install, but I no longer think that is needed. But I do clean up after any application uninstalls and make sure there is little junk and wasted space on my system disk. So, if you practice clean hygiene just do an upgrade. No need to run the upgrade from recovery - just let the running macOS do it.

Thank you. I always practice a clean hygiene.

 

[q3anon]

You know you can always do a clean install at any time... Upgrade and see how it works out. If you're happy with it and have no issues, great! You just saved yourself from hours/days/weeks of getting everything back to the way you like it. If you're not happy with the upgrade, or something isn't working, then by all means do a clean install. (You actually don't need to do a clean install at this point with the way macOS does things now. Just go to 'Erase All Content and Settings' to start fresh.)

So after installing macOS Sequoia should I do “Erase All Content and Settings” or should I do that before on macOS Sonoma? I think is after right?

 

[Mike Boreham]

So after installing macOS Sequoia should I do “Erase All Content and Settings” or should I do that before on macOS Sonoma? I think is after right?

Yes after. Erase all content and settings removes the -Data volume leaving the immutable Signed Sealed System volume in place and restarting in factory condition.

If you did it before you would be leaving the Sonoma SSV in place.

 

[JohnC1959]

I've always just did an upgrade and all was well. I suppose there could be times when so much crap builds up from wherever that a clean install is good. That happened more with Windows. If I don't notice problems or performance issues then I just keep rolling along.

 

[jeremz1ne]

I last did a "clean" install in November 2019. I used to do an annual clean install, but I no longer think that is needed. But I do clean up after any application uninstalls and make sure there is little junk and wasted space on my system disk. So, if you practice clean hygiene just do an upgrade. No need to run the upgrade from recovery - just let the running macOS do it.

What app do you use to clean up the uninstalled apps junk that was left behide?

 

[jeroenvip]

Also if you do a clean install don’t forget to clean the macbook physically. The wonderful apple cleaning cloth will do the job perfectly

 

[gilby101]

What app do you use to clean up the uninstalled apps junk that was left behide?

The trick is to use the uninstaller app to do the uninstall. To easily clean up from a deleted app, I would reinstall the app and then use an uninstaller to uninstall it! I use either https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ (free) or https://nektony.com/mac-app-cleaner (not free, but has a few extra features). When uninstalling this way, always check that you agree with the uninstaller's choices of what to delete - in practice they seem (I have not kept stats) about 95% accurate.

 

[Adora]

I remember reading people here who never did a clean install since 10.0 Beta. 😁

The trick is to use the uninstaller app to do the uninstall. To easily clean up from a deleted app, I would reinstall the app and then use an uninstaller to uninstall it! I use either https://freemacsoft.net/appcleaner/ (free) or https://nektony.com/mac-app-cleaner (not free, but has a few extra features). When uninstalling this way, always check that you agree with the uninstaller's choices of what to delete - in practice they seem (I have not kept stats) about 95% accurate.

Do you maybe know if this Nektony Cleaner is better than CleanMyMac? I only tested it for a short while. Maybe a trial version and only have CleanMyMac in Setapp now, what I don't think I'll continue to use when the subscription is ending.

 

[gilby101]

Do you maybe know if this Nektony Cleaner is better than CleanMyMac?

Not really. I have always had the feeling that CleanMyMac tries to do too many things and, maybe, doesn't do all of them very well. I also prefer Nektony's more techie oriented interface. I have never tested CleanMyMac if only because I knew I wasn't going to pay its price for a subscription to just use a bit of its functionality.

 

[Adora]

Not really. I have always had the feeling that CleanMyMac tries to do too many things and, maybe, doesn't do all of them very well. I also prefer Nektony's more techie oriented interface. I have never tested CleanMyMac if only because I knew I wasn't going to pay its price for a subscription to just use a bit of its functionality.

It seems uninstalling was better in the earlier days of CleanMyMac. There is always anything left in some Library when I uninstall an App.

It has a non-subscription version too. But very expensive compared to earlier versions and to Nektony. But since version X (what is still 4.x) there wasn't a major update for many years. I have licenses for 1, 2 and 3 which didn't last very long each but also were much cheaper, maybe a quarter of the price now. So I can't tell if it's really more expensive.

I'll look if I get a second trial for Nektony.

 

[q3anon]

For the first time in my life I upgraded macOS instead of a fresh install. So far so good. 👍

 

[q3anon]

Well, my Keychain Access broke. Not even Reset Keychain solve it. Now making a fresh install!

 

[kagharaht]

Bear in mind that if you're on a T2-based machine then you can always do a "reset all content and settings" after upgrading, for the equivalent of a clean install. I suggest that you do the upgrade first and see how it goes.

This is how I resolved several issues with Sonoma when my iMac M3 updated to it.

 

[thebart]

Yes after. Erase all content and settings removes the -Data volume leaving the immutable Signed Sealed System volume in place and restarting in factory condition.

If you did it before you would be leaving the Sonoma SSV in place.

Hmmm. So the update modifies the SSV. What if I have a power outage during the update. Am I going to end up with a chapter corrupted SSV

 

[gilby101]

So the update modifies the SSV. What if I have a power outage during the update. Am I going to end up with a chapter corrupted SSV

I believe, the any update creates a new SSV which would only become the active one when completed. The chances of corruption are small. But, I wouldn't do the update during a thunderstorm!

 

[Mike Boreham]

Hmmm. So the update modifies the SSV. What if I have a power outage during the update. Am I going to end up with a chapter corrupted SSV

Consistent with what @gilby101 replied, I think it would come up as a failed update and you would have to repeat.
Worst case would be that the corrupted new SSV would fail the rigorous start up tests carried out every boot, and you would get a “need to reinstall” message.

 

[Sptzz]

For the people doing a clean install how are you doing it? I don't have a USB drive at hand, so I factory reset and formatted drive and as soon as I logged into Sonoma on first boot, immediately updated to Sequoia. Which took ages as well but that's the closest one could get without a USB drive I guess