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How to Clean Install macOS Monterey Easily Using the New Erase Mac Option
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Channeling my inner Jeff Goldblum...
Presenting three way steps to a clean Monterey install.
Step one, buy a new Mac.
Step two... there's no step two.
Presenting three way steps to a clean Monterey install.
Step one, buy a new Mac.
Step two... there's no step two.
I have a new MacBook coming. I have a 2019 MacBook. I want to update the OS for this feature on the old unit so I can easily prepare it for sale. But if I update the old unit now, can I still use Migration Assistant with the new unit? I ask because I assume the new unit will actually have an older version of Monterey than the one I can download now. So will I need to update the new MacBook before I use the Migration Assistant? And should I just reload the few programs I have on the old unit, or use the Migration Assistant, or maybe restore from my backup?
Can I still create a bootable installer of Monterey using createInstallMedia? I will be installing Montrey on my 2015 27" iMac that is running 10.12 right now. And I have a 2015 13" MacBook Pro that is currently running 10.15.
Just helped my sis with this issue. If you haven't, try deleting the SysPref shortcut in your dock. Search for the application and launch again and then restore to the dock. I read somewhere that the dock shortcut sometimes links to a broken version of SysPref. No idea how but it worked for me. Good luck!
No, this isn’t what I would call a clean install either. It’s great if you’re just wanting to have clean copies of your own files/data. But in the end you‘re still doing an upgrade install of the OS files and whatever overwrites/deletions/etc are involved, then wiping your data. So while it removes user data, it may not be removing all the extra cruft laying about, and I prefer that gone too.
It's great to see some of these powerful technologies from iOS/iPadOS now available to Mac users.
When I did it in the past I noticed absolutely NO differences in performances nor in issues that sometimes might happen.
If you do not encrypt your Time Machine backups you can click into your previous Time Machine drive and copy items and folders individually. That's what I do after I clean install. Unsure if what I'm suggesting is possible on an Apple Silicon or Apple T2 Mac.
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Are you sure about that? Ars suggests it gives you a pristine macOS install: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/10/macos-12-monterey-the-ars-technica-review/11/#h2
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First, this is not a clean install, this is a cleanup of all your user stuff. A clean install, gets rid of all the stuff that may be lurking in the OS partition. Example, I had a bad dylib that was used for Safari (I am in developer beta program so not really surprising that I would get some clunkers floating around). Had the good one, also had the bad one, but when two were present, the one selected was unspecified. Safari would crash. Another example would be programs that added OS extensions, etc., you definitely want to clean them up.
The only way to do this is the traditional route with an install disk, erase and reformat the entire drive then install. Someone please tell e I'm wrong, but I don't think so.
Despite some centenarians above, a clean install is neither all that time consuming nor difficult. First, I save all the files that I possible can in iCloud or on Google Drive. For other files, I typically store them offline on external disks anyway. Keeps my 512GB SSD lean and mean. so no backup for me, I'm already backed up.
The only quirk to remember is any applications that you downloaded from outside the App Store. I save passwords using keychain, but occasionally there is an application that is not saved (although honestly, I can't remember when that last happened).
Now it is a simple process, load the bootable startup disk, erase the drive and contents, reinstall, the OS. I don't bother redownloading all my applications, I only do when I want to use something, that way you clean up your system from all the worthless crap you downloaded and haven't used in a long time. Like the saying goes, if you haven't used it in six months, you probably don't need it.
Then it is login time, adjust your trackpad and security settings to your preferences, download google drive and log in. done!
The only way to do this is the traditional route with an install disk, erase and reformat the entire drive then install. Someone please tell e I'm wrong, but I don't think so.
Despite some centenarians above, a clean install is neither all that time consuming nor difficult. First, I save all the files that I possible can in iCloud or on Google Drive. For other files, I typically store them offline on external disks anyway. Keeps my 512GB SSD lean and mean. so no backup for me, I'm already backed up.
The only quirk to remember is any applications that you downloaded from outside the App Store. I save passwords using keychain, but occasionally there is an application that is not saved (although honestly, I can't remember when that last happened).
Now it is a simple process, load the bootable startup disk, erase the drive and contents, reinstall, the OS. I don't bother redownloading all my applications, I only do when I want to use something, that way you clean up your system from all the worthless crap you downloaded and haven't used in a long time. Like the saying goes, if you haven't used it in six months, you probably don't need it.
Then it is login time, adjust your trackpad and security settings to your preferences, download google drive and log in. done!
I thought you could install the OS via the internet by booting into the recovery partition.
I think the silicon Macs can only get the latest OS installed on machine before the recovery. Could probably upgrade in the settings then do internet recovery.
Agreed, but it's not that big a deal if you still have the installation media for your apps.
Create user accounts, drag/drop restore your documents from a backup and reinstall apps.
Apps you purchased from the App Store can easily be located and reinstalled.
Other apps (MS Office, FileMaker, etc.) will require you to have the installers. I always keep mine nearby (a DVD wallet for those that have physical media, or an "Installer" folder in my home directory for stuff I've downloaded).
It takes a bit of time to reinstall everything and your preferences get reset to their defaults, but it's not really difficult.
And if this is too much work, you can choose to use Migration Assistant to migrate your apps, but not users. Then you can create users, restore home directories (but not the Library) and get back up and running pretty quickly (but with app preferences/profiles all reverted to their defaults).
If this feature is available the ‘main files’ can not be corrupted. It’s too complicated to go into here but the system files are fine as long as you can boot the device.
Yeah, it's handy that Apple made it possible to delve in there with the Finder… but that's not how Time Machine was primarily designed to be used, and it's clearly not what the OP meant when they wrote, '… then migrate your apps, documents, and data, either manually, or by migrating from a Time Machine backup.'
As for me, I won't even think of doing a clean install before I have at least two Time Machine backups and a good old fashioned manual (drag and drop) backup on separate media!
Gosh darn it now, where did I put my installation media… Ah, found it! Right alongside my penny-farthing and VHS cassette collection! ?
Similarly, I have a 'Setup > Software' folder on my Mac. Within that, I have 'Configuration' and 'Installers'. Historically I kept a backup of all my installers, but there's less need for that these days.
The hardest part isn't installing the apps, but restoring them to the same state, and it can be a lot more work than tweaking a few preferences. Consider an app like Little Snitch. It's a network monitor and it's configuration is everything. Other apps may have similarly complex configurations, or various plugins installed and configured. Will you remember how you customised and tweaked Visual Studio Code? Other apps, typically those which store user data in an internal database, may store your data somewhere within your ~/Library folder. Imagine your surprise when you open your journal app to find 10 years worth of journaling gone! The best way to manage this depends on the app. If it offers a backup and restore feature, I'll tend to use that. Otherwise, you can be left trying to unravel the deep mysteries of its storage system.
In my experience, the hardest app of all to restore is Apple's own Mail app. If you exclusively use third-party mail services or other IMAP accounts, you won't know the pain of restoring multiple POP accounts and thousands of archived messages!
I guess it all depends on how you use your Mac, the type and quantity of apps you use, the degree to which you tweak and configure things, etc. As for me, it was far too much to store in my head, so I started by doing an audit of the software I use, and creating a Numbers spreadsheet with a list of around 90 apps (although I was able to cull that down to about 50). The spreadsheet included the download location, serial codes, data file locations, configuration file locations, backup file locations and miscellaneous notes to myself—all useful things to reduce the head scratching and fist pounding during a long and sometimes tricky restoration process.
Sounds right to me. Think of it like the lock code on a phone. You don't want to let someone wipe your phone if they don't have the unlock code. Similarly, you don't want to let someone wipe your Mac if they don't know the firmware password.
Otherwise, a thief could easily wipe the Mac, making it impossible to locate (e.g. via Find My) and allowing the person who buys it from him to have a fully functioning computer. By requiring prior removal of the firmware password, a thief will have stolen a brick. He (or his buyer) won't be able to use it without hacking around the firmware password.
Of course, if you have enabled Find My Mac, you can still perform a remote-wipe (which will activate the next time it connects to a network). But that still requires authenticating as the owner (via iCloud).
I have an Macbook air m1 , downloaded and installed the os and it doesn't have erase all contents in the drop down menu.
Make sure you are looking in the System Preferences drop down menu.