“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.” “With this kind of upgrade, all user data, settings and accounts remain as before, and that works for most users most times,” Martellaro writes.
“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. “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.” Or just take up too much space,” Martellaro writes. MacDailyNews Take: There’s nothing like a clean install – except for a new Mac! “The Complete Guide to an OS X Clean Install of El Capitan” is here. I do not understand your statement regarding secure empty trash. Granted, regular empty trash simply makes that area of your HDD/SSD available for new stuff by clearing the info in the disk file directory. Secure empty trash writes over that area seven times to make the old data unrecoverable (thus “secure”). This is not the primary issue that is addressed by a clean install. A clean install ensures that only current and necessary system files are present on your computer for the new OS and your existing set of apps (because you have to reinstall them).Īny decent disk maintenance tool can clear data from “deleted” areas on a HDD/SSD. Over the years, you install and delete apps and upgrade your OS, both of which tend to leave orphaned files on your computer.
#HOW TO CLEAN INSTALL MAC OS X 10.6.8 UPGRADE# A clean install will start you out fresh at the expense of some time. Secure empty trash does not address this issue because these files are not in the trash. Two more thoughts about secure empty trash. It was forced on me at work, and I started scheduling a periodic empty trash at night because it took too long and slowed down HDD access during the work day. Second, it is probably a bad idea for SSDs.
Most of them, as I understand it, have a limited number of write cycles per cell. SSDs actually use fancy software to minimize cell rewrites and extend drive life, as well as a certain amount of excess capacity to substitute when others reach end of life.