Upgraded but worth doing a fresh install?

[MrMister111]

I know Macs are better at defrag, unused files etc (coming from Windows), but do you think its worth a complete reinstall sometimes?

I've upgraded my late 2012 iMac, getting old now, but seems to be running ok. I'm just wondering if its worth doing a fresh install of MacOS 10.13?

I have iTunes, iCloud photo library, so not much to back up really. iTunes could do with a clean after the removal of apps so it should be too much to backup? I suppose I could even drag my music out of iTunes (as its all tagged properly), and read it to iTunes piecemeal to completely start afresh with iTunes?

Any real benefit in this anyone think?
thanks

 

[Apple_Robert]

If your Mac is running well, leave it be. Unlike Windows, Mac OS is very efficient. A clean install is only necessary if the computer is having problems with software performance, had been running betas, or has been several years since a fresh install.

 

[MrMister111]

It's been a few MacOS since I last did a fresh install, can't reneged which one now tbh.

Never had betas, still have the annoying bug of my Apple BT keyboard wake problem of random typing, not connecting, but tried a different user and then a fresh install, brand new keyboard to fix it and still no good so just have to live with that.

 

[Apple_Robert]

It's been a few MacOS since I last did a fresh install, can't reneged which one now tbh.

Never had betas, still have the annoying bug of my Apple BT keyboard wake problem of random typing, not connecting, but tried a different user and then a fresh install, brand new keyboard to fix it and still no good so just have to live with that.

A fresh install won't hurt anything (provided you have backups and the install process doesn't go awry). If you don't mind going through the process of installing everything again...

I am of the belief, that if it is running well, leave well enough alone. If something happens down the road, a fresh install might be warranted. As it stands, you are probably giving yourself unnecessary work with a clean install.

 

[mikecalderone]

I have a 2017 iMac i5 with 2tb drive running 10.12 latest. When I tried to instal High Sierra, it told me I must do a fresh install???, Why, this is stupid. I will not do this!

 

[Apple_Robert]

I have a 2017 iMac i5 with 2tb drive running 10.12 latest. When I tried to instal High Sierra, it told me I must do a fresh install???, Why, this is stupid. I will not do this!

That may be because of the Fusion Drive. I have the SSD model and was able to upgrade from Sierra.

 

[mikecalderone]

This is strange, the only option was a fresh install for my iMac. The difference is you had a 1TB SSD drive, I ave a fusion drive 128SSD and 2 TB HD.

 

[Apple_Robert]

This is strange, the only option was a fresh install for my iMac. Do you have a fusion drive? or a standard HD?

I have a 2017 5k iMac i5 3.8 GHz 1TB SSD. At this time, Fusion drives cannot be converted to APFS. You may check some of the other threads on High Sierra and Fusion Drives, as I haven't really payed close attention. To my knowledge, you would stay with HFS+.

 

[SoYoung]

I have a fusion drive and I was able to upgrade. I dont think his problem is related to this.

 

[MrMister111]

My upgrade seemed to go fine tbh, I have a fusion drive as well, just no matter what OS it is think s fresh install sometimes better?

With the MAS most of my apps are in there so easy to get back, MS office have the download, and a couple of external progs have the email serial.

Everything else is iCloud, on my time capsule so it shouldnt....be too bad don't think?

 

[Apple_Robert]

My upgrade seemed to go fine tbh, I have a fusion drive as well, just no matter what OS it is think s fresh install sometimes better?

With the MAS most of my apps are in there so easy to get back, MS office have the download, and a couple of external progs have the email serial.

Everything else is iCloud, on my time capsule so it shouldnt....be too bad don't think?

It shouldn't be. Just know that things can go wrong during an install, as many here can attest to with High Sierra.

 

[MrMister111]

It shouldn't be. Just know that things can go wrong during an install, as many here can attest to with High Sierra.

You mean a fresh install things go wrong? More so on high Sierra than before for some reason?

 

[Apple_Robert]

You mean a fresh install things go wrong? More so on high Sierra than before for some reason?

Things can go wrong with any fresh install of an OS. And there have been reports of such with High Sierra. You may have no problems at all with a fresh install. Just because you upgraded without problems doesn't necessarily mean the same will occur during a fresh install. Granted, the odds are low that you will encounter a problem whereby the install doesn't complete. I just wanted you to be aware that the possibility is there, even if it is a small one.

It seems you have your mind made up, even though you have not given any real indication it is needed (re: system running bad). Give it a go. If you have problems, the forum will be here to provide help.

 

[DeltaMac]

I have a 2017 iMac i5 with 2tb drive running 10.12 latest. When I tried to instal High Sierra, it told me I must do a fresh install???, Why, this is stupid. I will not do this!

Is that what the installer said "You must do a fresh install" (in those words?)
I expect that you see that choice to "Reinstall macOS", which is how that is worded in the menu window.

 

[MrMister111]

Things can go wrong with any fresh install of an OS. And there have been reports of such with High Sierra. You may have no problems at all with a fresh install. Just because you upgraded without problems doesn't necessarily mean the same will occur during a fresh install. Granted, the odds are low that you will encounter a problem whereby the install doesn't complete. I just wanted you to be aware that the possibility is there, even if it is a small one.

It seems you have your mind made up, even though you have not given any real indication it is needed (re: system running bad). Give it a go. If you have problems, the forum will be here to provide help.

I think (even though been years!), still have in mind mind about the amount of times I did with Windows ha ha.

Think I may try, as I have most things in cloud backed up, I "should" be ok I think. I have iCloud photo library, time capsule, and subscribe to an online cloud service for this Mac as well. I'm also going to back up some manual stuff on an external HDD as well.

When I go to Users, the other users on the computer folder like pics and downloads are locked. Can I still copy them to an external HDD and copy them back or will they stay permanently locked? if so what should I do? manually log onto to every user, copy to the external HDD that way?

So can I just reboot with Command-r and as I already have High Sierra it will just wipe and start again?

thanks

 

[mikecalderone]

Is that what the installer said "You must do a fresh install" (in those words?)
I expect that you see that choice to "Reinstall macOS", which is how that is worded in the menu window.

It said the the install could not continue and gave a link to go to, for instruction on making a bootable USB drive to boot up then reformat the Mac drive and do a fresh install. I tried again, this time it proceeded and crashed my MacintoshHD. It did complain that it could not update the the iMac firmware, before it crashed.
I had to do a restore from the web and reinstall Sierra OSX 10.12. I am back to running again, and will not try this again!

This 2017 iMac is stock, brand new. Apple needs to fix this!

 

[MrMister111]

I also have a Win 10 partition on, if I erase my iMac and use CMD-R will this also delete the Win 10 partition?

I've done a TM backup, I've copied files off to an external HDD, my iCloud photo library I dont need to do I as when I log in it will redownload all the photos back to my Mac?

 

[DeltaMac]

Boot to your recovery partition (Cmd-r), then open Disk Utility.
Choose your macOS system hard drive, and click the Erase button.
That will erase your macOS partition.

The Windows 10 partition should not be affected at all. The boot camp partition does not affect the fusion drive anyway, existing only on the spinning hard drive.

Reinstall macOS, choosing your erased partition as the destination.
When asked, you can use the TM backup to restore your apps and files.
Assuming all your photos are, in fact, stored on iCloud, all you need to do is log in to iCloud, and get your photos when you need to do that.

 

[MrMister111]

Thanks appreciate it. Never actually done a restore from TM, I don't want to introduce 1/2 a restore what did the TM bit you describe do and whats there process please?

Thanks

 

[DeltaMac]

When you do a fresh install of macOS, your Mac will restart. You will then start the new user setup, which will ask first if you want to restore from another backup drive, and also asks if you want to restore your files, apps and settings from a Time Machine backup. Connect to your TM backup drive, and click continue. (That's your process )

Wait until it is ...

Done.

 

[macpeach55]

It's been a few MacOS since I last did a fresh install, can't reneged which one now tbh.

Never had betas, still have the annoying bug of my Apple BT keyboard wake problem of random typing, not connecting, but tried a different user and then a fresh install, brand new keyboard to fix it and still no good so just have to live with that.

iMac 2013 & exactly the same problem. Solved it by buying the wired Apple Keyboard & using that to wake & sign in (I have a pullout on my Desk below the Desktop which I don't use, so putting the extra Keyboard there was a no-brainer, plus I got the Numeric pad of course).

Started after I moved up from El Capitan, so sounds like a Bug in Sierra

 

[MrMister111]

iMac 2013 & exactly the same problem. Solved it by buying the wired Apple Keyboard & using that to wake & sign in (I have a pullout on my Desk below the Desktop which I don't use, so putting the extra Keyboard there was a no-brainer, plus I got the Numeric pad of course).

Started after I moved up from El Capitan, so sounds like a Bug in Sierra

It's such an annoying bug isn't it.... Been on a while after interment updates and then a major as well.

I got a new wireless Apple and same, then got a wired and wired and was ok, just prefer wireless but v v annoying.

Way I get around it is acrew off battery cap pit back in and press the button and works all the time.

 

[macpeach55]

It's such an annoying bug isn't it.... Been on a while after interment updates and then a major as well.

I got a new wireless Apple and same, then got a wired and wired and was ok, just prefer wireless but v v annoying.

Way I get around it is acrew off battery cap pit back in and press the button and works all the time.

Lol! I do exactly the same! I'm sorry you have this problem, but I feel less alone now . I was getting paranoid that it was just me & maybe I had a faulty Blu Tooth unit in my iMac. The thought of handing the iMac over to a Service Centre for a few weeks did NOT give me a warm & Fuzzy feeling!

 

[MrMister111]

Lol! I do exactly the same! I'm sorry you have this problem, but I feel less alone now . I was getting paranoid that it was just me & maybe I had a faulty Blu Tooth unit in my iMac. The thought of handing the iMac over to a Service Centre for a few weeks did NOT give me a warm & Fuzzy feeling!

Ha ha ditto! Thought was me going daft! It's a really frustrating but isn't it. We'll exchange numbers and talk it over so we don't boil over!?!?

I've sort of proved it's a bug so not sure what a service centre would do. I've bought a brand new Apple BT keyboard and a wired one. Wired worked, wireless eventually same issue.

Made a new log on user, same issues, very random though.

Then reinstall Sierra back when out, nothing on but the OS and same ..So I'm sick just have to live with it....

 

[yellowscreen]

Way I get around it is acrew off battery cap pit back in and press the button and works all the time.

i just hold the power button until it turns off then press it to switch it on again. highly annoying, tried clean installing - didnt help. hope they fix it someday.