How can i tell if Lion was clean installed?

[Sirolway]

I'm embarrassed to ask this but I can't remember if I clean installed Lion on my mid-2009 13" MBP - is there any easy way to tell?

It's getting a little glitchy (freezing for a while on wake) so I'm inclined to wipe it & start with a clean install ... perhaps put an SSD in as well

 

[maflynn]

When you installed Lion did you reformat (or repartition) the drive or did you just boot up into Snow Leopard, and start the Lion install?

The default install is upgrade, so unless you do anything markedly different you don't have a clean install

 

[Mr. Retrofire]

How can i tell if Lion was clean installed?

Ask him (the Lion)!

 

[Sirolway]

When you installed Lion did you reformat (or repartition) the drive or did you just boot up into Snow Leopard, and start the Lion install?

The default install is upgrade, so unless you do anything markedly different you don't have a clean install

Well that's exactly the point - I can't remember ...

I was wondering if (for example) the upgrade process left any trace on the system - e.g. a "broken apps" folder or something ....

 

[HandySam]

Look into your wallpapers. If you still have default Snow Leopard wallpapers next to the Lion ones then it was an upgrade.

 

[Bear]

I'm embarrassed to ask this but I can't remember if I clean installed Lion on my mid-2009 13" MBP - is there any easy way to tell?

It's getting a little glitchy (freezing for a while on wake) so I'm inclined to wipe it & start with a clean install ... perhaps put an SSD in as well

Have you tried installing the 10.7.3 Combo update? This can fix issues that the point updates cause because they missed stuff.

As for whether it was a clean install or not... go to System Preferences -> Software Update and check to see if it lists any updates before Lion was installed under "Installed Software"? I don't know if Lion resets that list when you do an upgrade, I do know previous versions of OS X didn't reset the list when upgrading.

 

[Sirolway]

Look into your wallpapers. If you still have default Snow Leopard wallpapers next to the Lion ones then it was an upgrade.

Hm good idea - can anyone name some Snow Leopard (non Lion) wallpapers so I can see if I have them on my system?...

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Have you tried installing the 10.7.3 Combo update? This can fix issues that the point updates cause because they missed stuff.

As for whether it was a clean install or not... go to System Preferences -> Software Update and check to see if it lists any updates before Lion was installed under "Installed Software"? I don't know if Lion resets that list when you do an upgrade, I do know previous versions of OS X didn't reset the list when upgrading.

I think it *does* reset the installed software list as our iMac only has 10.7.1 onwards listed as well, & I'm pretty sure that was an upgrade ...

So good die, but I suspect that's not telling me what I need to know.
Installing the combo update could be a good ida, although I'm inclined to get an SSD & do a clean install instead

 

[heisenberg123]

Hm good idea - can anyone name some Snow Leopard (non Lion) wallpapers so I can see if I have them on my system?...

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I think it *does* reset the installed software list as our iMac only has 10.7.1 onwards listed as well, & I'm pretty sure that was an upgrade ...

So good die, but I suspect that's not telling me what I need to know.
Installing the combo update could be a good ida, although I'm inclined to get an SSD & do a clean install instead

I never had snow leopard but did it have a snow leopard wallpaper like lion has a lion wallpaper? That might help

 

[Sirolway]

I never had snow leopard but did it have a snow leopard wallpaper like lion has a lion wallpaper? That might help

Well System Prefs > Desktop & Screen Saver > Apple / Desktop Pictures does have a Lion wallpaper.

And System Prefs > Desktop & Screen Saver > Apple / Nature does have a Snow Leopard wallpaper, which is making me think I upgraded, but it would be good to have something definitive.

Surely there's a text file tucked away somewhere I can get at via the Terminal that will tell me the OS history ...?

 

[HandySam]

Do you have this wallpaper? If yes, then it was an upgrade.

 

[Sirolway]

Do you have this wallpaper? If yes, then it was an upgrade.

Yes! Yes I do!
That's it then - I upgraded.

Thought I probably had, but wanted to be absolutely sure if I'm going to go through the hassle of a clean install. Yes, Apple makes it (oh so) easy to backup & restore via Time Machine, but I'm a bit more paranoid than that, requiring multiple backups etc

Thanks all - usual patience, knowledge & detail that makes this the best forum by far, for anything