I always do clean installs. I like to have only what I need on my system. It's amazing how many apps I don't carry forward. And it appeases the tech OCD in me 
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When Mavericks is released: Upgrade or fresh install?
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I´m just gonna upgrade. Getting my new iMac next week and even if Mavericks is or is not free I´m gonna get it anyways. But do not see a need to make fresh install even if I was getting it to my old MacBook Pro.
I've always done a clean install.
All my user data is on an external drive, so no need to worry about migrating stuff other than preferences.
All my user data is on an external drive, so no need to worry about migrating stuff other than preferences.
What's the procedure for this if you want to do a fresh install without optical media?
I currently am running 10.6.8, and don't really want to do a clean install of that and then an update.
Basically, how do I download the update and verify that I have a full version?
I currently am running 10.6.8, and don't really want to do a clean install of that and then an update.
Basically, how do I download the update and verify that I have a full version?
Please point to what "crap" is left over from previous OSes after installing in place, and how it affects your system.Fresh. Get rid o' that 10.7/8 crap and start clean
The advantage of a clean install is precisely nil, except wasting your time and satisfying your inner autist. Particularly if you restore your user account from a backup.
OS X is designed, by default, to REPLACE a current installation.
When you buy the OS, it downloads a COMPLETE installer. You can use this either to replace the existing OS, or to wipe your drive and put everything back if you've got nothing better to do.
There is no "Update" software to an existing OS.
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Sigh
First, my referral to "crap" was a light hearted remark on [many] long time OS X users' opinions of 10.7 and 10.8.
As an aside: Why do you and others use the anonymity of the internet to insult and rudely address strangers? Would you speak to a complete stranger in that manner? Would you approach me and use a juvenile, prejudicial term such as "autist" to insinuate I'm autistic? I should hope not. Thanks for attempting to insult me by using a derogatory term for an autistic person. My cousin greatly appreciates that as her 7 year old son Clay is autistic, including the son of a friend of my family's.
back on point...
Second, you are quite mistaken. Since 10.7, OS X "upgrades" are a bit different, especially for developers. Previously, we ("developers") had to perform a clean install with every OS X beta release on a ~bi-weekly basis for 1 ½ to 2 years; this meant downloading the dmg, burning it to an optical disc, wiping your drive, and installing OS X beta's cleanly. This was intended to keep third party apps from accumulating during development to better debug the OS while still allowing developers to test their applications on a clean install.
I "prefer" to perform a clean install for many reasons, insinuating I'm autistic in doing so is astonishing.
Please "try" to insult me again by assuming I'm autistic and that autistic people are shameful. Before you try to back peddle, "autist" is a derogatory slang for "autistic", I'm sure you are well familiar with that fact, others may not be.
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It was not my intention to insult or be rude. I was using "you" in the general sense, "one's inner autist", and yes, I probably would have said it to you in an informal setting. I could have said Aspergers, or OCD, or pedant, or anything else. I had no idea that the word was derogatory. Apologies for any offence you took. I wasn't calling you autistic or making any comment about autistic people either. Certainly not "shameful". You don't know my situation either.
My point still stands that for most instances, outside of DPs, clean installs are unnecessary.
All the best
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It was not my intention to insult or be rude. I was using "you" in the general sense, "one's inner autist", and yes, I probably would have said it to you in an informal setting. I could have said Aspergers, or OCD, or pedant, or anything else. I had no idea that the word was derogatory. Apologies for any offence you took. I wasn't calling you autistic or making any comment about autistic people either. Certainly not "shameful". You don't know my situation either.
My point still stands that for most instances, outside of DPs, clean installs are unnecessary.
All the best
Sorry, you knew what you meant when you wrote that derogatory term, don't back paddle.
I don't care whether you agree with me or not, show people some respect.
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If you do a fresh install, erasing everything and reinstalling, then when you boot up, the Setup Assistant will ask you if you have a TM backup that you want to restore and guide you through it.
Something worth noting is I've had a real crapshoot on all the Time Machine backups syncing. Sometimes it won't remember everything resulting in the need to wipe it all out lest I have 500 GB missing for no real reason.
I haven't done a clean install since I got my first Intel based Mac back in 2006. Even when I get new computers, I just move my old drive to the new computer. Never had any issues at all.