Quickest way to clean install ML?

[MrMister111]

I'm thinking of upgrading to Mountain Lion, currently have Lion.

I know it's now MAS only so once I've backed up what I want, just iPhoto and iTunes libraries really, what the quickest way to clean install it?

Will I have to install Snow Leopard from disk 1st, then connect to MAS, then install ML?

Also is ML also a "code cleanup" like SL was over Leopard? I'm still unsure wether to upgrade, purely as mines a 2007 iMac

Cheers

 

[robgendreau]

The quickest way to upgrade is to follow Apple's instructions.

A "clean install" involves erasing all your data and reformatting, then installing a new system. Then once that is installed, moving your stuff back from your backup. Speed depends on how much needs to be moved, whether it's on a network backup, etc. Even if you move just a couple things you may still have to reenter passwords, serials, email accounts, etc etc. Only you know how much work all of that is.

 

[uguk]

My experience with a clean install was quite clean and easy: starting from Lion I had created a separate partition for the Users folder so I didn't need to make a special backup for upgrade (I do have TM backups of course). When installing ML all I had to do was wipe the OSX partition and boot the ML SD card. In ML create a user with the exact same username as previously used in Lion. Restore the symlink to the partition and that was it: all my desktops, spaces, passwords, documents, music were ready and waiting. Opening preview displayed all the windows I had open before shutting down Lion! Can't believe how good the process is compared to Windows.

Important point: if you got iPhoto/garageband/imovie free with lion make sure you accept iPhoto/garageband/imovie in iTunes before wiping lion. They are not included in ML as I've found out…

 

[GGJstudios]

Sticky thread: How to Properly Migrate With a Clean Install to OS X Mountain Lion (From Lion/SL)