Clean install of macOS Catalina
Can I clean install macOS Catalina, i.e. reinstall from macOS recovery, without losing any existing applications or files? If so what is the correct procedure?
iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15
You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.
Can I clean install macOS Catalina, i.e. reinstall from macOS recovery, without losing any existing applications or files? If so what is the correct procedure?
iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15
No, by definition a clean install means no apps, data, settings, etc - it will be as though you got a new Mac. The procedure is to:
Check out OSXDaily's walkthrough for more info.
No, by definition a clean install means no apps, data, settings, etc - it will be as though you got a new Mac. The procedure is to:
Check out OSXDaily's walkthrough for more info.
Okay thanks Simon. After upgrading to Catalina I've been experiencing persistent issues, such as endless beachballs and apps including Safari taking a long time to launch, or that quit unexpectedly. So I'm thinking I may have corrupt files within the operating system which have been compounded by updates since the as supplied 2016 Sierra version. The latest Catalina version 10.15.6 on my mac has nearly killed it. At least now I know what I'm in for if I go ahead with a re-install!
Yeah, I'm in the same situation, about to pull the trigger on a clean install myself. I've had this machine for 3+ years, so I'm sure a bunch of junk has built up under the hood. I have a current TimeMachine backup, so hopefully it goes smoothly. We'll see if it helps!
Clean install of macOS Catalina