How to: Do a Clean Install of El Capitan on a Mac

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“Apple has designed OS X so that one can just upgrade to the next version, ‘over the top,’ seamlessly,” John Martellaro writes for The Mac Observer.

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“With this kind of upgrade, all user data, settings and accounts remain as before, and that works for most users most times,” Martellaro writes. “However, there are occasions when a user needs to do what’s called a ‘Clean Install.’ This is like setting up a Mac as if it first came out of the box and then personal data is restored.”

“There are some users who suspect that a Clean Install is a good way to approach a complete new version of OS X. Over time, a lot of cruft, that is, unused extensions, app support files, preferences and other files in your Library folder or System Library folder can become troublesome or even a security issue, like Java. Or just take up too much space,” Martellaro writes. “In addition, sometimes the normal housecleaning process with apps like Spring Cleaning and App Zapper can’t solve a particularly difficult issue, and the only way to get a fresh start is a Clean Install.”

“The Complete Guide to an OS X Clean Install of El Capitan” is here.

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