Need tips on "Clean" OS-X install and migrating apps on new iMac

[carves]

Hey all. I have a late 08 MBP that's getting long in the tooth. I just ordered a 27" late 2012 iMac- 8GB RAM, 2.93 Ghz i5 processor. I have two questions...

1) It comes with Mt. Lion preinstalled. I think one reason my old machine is so slow is all the OS upgrades it has endured since Tiger. I'd like to start with a "Clean" install of Mavericks. Can I do this, or do I just go to the app store and do an upgrade as my first step

2) I've accumulated a lot of software over the years that I no longer have hard-copies for...such as software I got when I was a student, and software i got from a company I used to work for. Is there anyway to get some of this software over to the new machine without making it a clone of my old laptop and all of its baggage?

Thanks

 

[Weaselboy]

1) Just open the App Store app and purchase Mavs then download it and stop the installer. Then use an 8GB USB key and this utility to make a Mavericks installer key. Then option key boot to the USB key and erase the entire disk and install Mavs. That will give you a clean install with nothing but the OS on there.

2) If it is software that used an installer and has support files outside the main application, then you will not be able to just move these over. They will need to be resintalled and have the reg. info entered. MS Office and Adobe apps for example use installers.

 

[carves]

Damn- office and adobe are a couple of the things I had in mind. If I just do a time machine restore to the new computer will it work?

Also, if I do a clean install of Mavericks instead of an upgrade, I suppose that means I also delete any free software the machine comes with, like iLife, right?

 

[Weaselboy]

Damn- office and adobe are a couple of the things I had in mind. If I just do a time machine restore to the new computer will it work?

Not in my experience. Those apps normally will notice they have been moved to a new machine and put the smack down on you to reregister.

Also, if I do a clean install of Mavericks instead of an upgrade, I suppose that means I also delete any free software the machine comes with, like iLife, right?

Yes... it will all be gone. If you are buying a new machine you can go to the App Store and "claim" you free iLife and iWorks apps and then reinstall from the App Store after the clean install. But if you are buying this used (?) that won't apply.

 

[Bruno09]

Also, if I do a clean install of Mavericks instead of an upgrade, I suppose that means I also delete any free software the machine comes with, like iLife, right?

To get the new iLife apps for free, after you have clean installed Mavericks, put a copy of (iLife11) "old" apps in your Applications folder, then go to the App Store : the new applications will be available for free (Updates tab).

This will work even if the "old" apps you have were installed from an iLife11 DVD, or a machine specific Install DVD, and even if the apps were never associated to your Apple ID.

This also works with iWork apps.

NB : will not work with iLife09 apps, iLife11 is required.

Example : https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1696247/

 

[carves]

To get the new iLife apps for free, after you have clean installed Mavericks, put a copy of (iLife11) "old" apps in your Applications folder, then go to the App Store : the new applications will be available for free (Updates tab).

This will work even if the "old" apps you have were installed from an iLife11 DVD, or a machine specific Install DVD, and even if the apps were never associated to your Apple ID.

This also works with iWork apps.

NB : will not work with iLife09 apps, iLife11 is required.

Example : https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1696247/

This is a brand-new unopened late 2012 iMac i got on clearance from MacMall. It should be waiting for me when I get home. I'm not sure where I'll get a copy of those apps? From a restore partition? I doubt there's a disc in the box since this computer doesn't have a disc drive.

 

[Weaselboy]

This is a brand-new unopened late 2012 iMac i got on clearance from MacMall. It should be waiting for me when I get home. I'm not sure where I'll get a copy of those apps? From a restore partition? I doubt there's a disc in the box since this computer doesn't have a disc drive.

They will already be installed, but to make sure you can reinstall them make sure first thing you do is login to the App Store with your AppleID and "accept" the iLife and iWorks apps. That way you can redownload them later if you do a clean install.

Give this a read. Only thing I'm not sure of is how this is going to work for you with that older 2012 model since this free business started in 2013.

 

[saturnotaku]

1) Just open the App Store app and purchase Mavs then download it and stop the installer. Then use an 8GB USB key and this utility to make a Mavericks installer key. Then option key boot to the USB key and erase the entire disk and install Mavs. That will give you a clean install with nothing but the OS on there.

I will advise caution with LionDiskMaker/DiskMaker X as I've tried on multiple occasions to create Mavericks images (going back to the original 10.9 release) only to have something go wrong along the way to where the program says the installer cannot be verified, halting progress all together. There is nothing wrong with the flash drives I'm using, as I can successfully created Mavericks installers using the "old" command line method that was first outlined when the OS was released.

 

[satcomer]

Plus ALL Mac users (especially to Mac OS X user that just upgrade to new OS X operating system) then they should use the free application EtreCheck to discover then manually find/delete old data bits still hanging around in your "Upgrade".