Help to do Clean install OSX Mavericks

See these 2 user tips…

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6211

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-6161

It would probably help to know what backups you have from Mountain Lion.

The default solution for installing OS X Mavericks is to download it free app store and then perform an upgrade from a previous version of Mac OS X, whether that’s from Mountain Lion or Snow Leopard. Upgrades are fast, efficient, and most important, very easy, and that’s the recommended option for the vast majority of Mac users. Nonetheless, some users may want to start fresh with a blank slate, using what’s known as a “clean install” and that’s what we’re going to cover here. Performing a clean install can be desirable for a variety of reasons, from ditching years of built-up cruft on older Macs from many years of OS X upgrades, to troubleshooting difficult issues, to transferring ownership of a Mac to a new owner.

The process of a clean install is not difficult if you follow these instructions, but because it involves formatting the Macs hard drive, it can result in extra work. Since the Mac will start with a clean slate, all apps must be downloaded and installed again, important documents and personal data must be manually transferred back over from backups, and system settings must be customized again. This typically makes it more appropriate for advanced users or for select situations (like selling a Mac), and thus it should not be considered a standard upgrade path to get to OS X 10.9 Mavericks.

Warning: Performing a format and clean install of OS X will erase the Macs hard drive and all contents on the drive will be removed. All files, applications, documents, photos, customizations, everything on the computer will be lost in this process. Understand this and know what you are doing, and why, to prevent data loss of critical files. We can not reiterate this enough.

How to Format & Clean Install OS X Mavericks on a Mac

You will need a bootable OS X 10.9 installer drive to accomplish a clean Mavericks install using this method. You can learn how to easily create one here if you haven’t done so yet.

• Back up the Mac first with Time Machine or by manually backing up your important data – do not skip this step or else you will not be able to recover files
• Connect the bootable OS X Mavericks installer drive to the Mac and reboot the computer
• Hold down the OPTION key during boot until you see the boot selector menu, then choose “Install OS X Mavericks”
• 
• At the “OS X Utilities” screen, choose “Disk Utility”
• 
• Select the hard drive or partition to format from the left menu, then choose the “Erase” tab
• Select format type “Mac OS Extended (Journaled)”, give it a logical name (like Macintosh HD), and choose “Erase”, confirm to erase at the next screen
• 
• When finished erasing the disk, quit out of Disk Utility to return to the normal boot menu
• From the “OS X Utilities” menu, now choose “Install OS X”, click “Continue” and agree to the terms of service, and select the freshly formatted “Macintosh HD” drive to begin the clean install process

• 

(Excuse the unusual picture quality, some images taken with an iPhone 5 during the boot install process where screen shots are not allowed)

A clean installation of OS X Mavericks takes about 35-45 minutes to complete, depending on the speed of the install drive and the volume OS X is being installed onto. When Mavericks is finished installing, the Mac will reboot itself automatically and go through the initial setup process for OS X Mavericks. Register, create a user login, set the Apple ID and iCloud details, and you’re all done. You’ll boot directly to a very blank OS X installation, similar to the experience of getting a brand new Mac.

A fresh OS X installation is very bare with just about nothing included outside of the core system and basic Mac apps (intentionally so), thus any custom applications or apps you had previously downloaded from the web or App Store will need to be downloaded and installed again. For apps from the Mac App Store, that’s fairly easy, but for third party apps you will need to access them independently through the developers.

If you are keeping the Mac yourself, you will probably want to transfer your old data, documents, photos, and files back onto the Mac. This is a good time to access Time Machine to selectively restore certain files, or access backups made to network drives, DropBox, CrashPlan, external backup drives, USB flash disks, whatever your preferred backup method is and from where ever stored your data.

SRC - http://osxdaily.com/2013/10/26/clean-install-os-x-mavericks/

<Edited By Host>

ankit8083 - perfect post with appropriate details to fix a myriad of problems. I had numerous ghost files occupying hard drive space on my MBP, which I couldn't figure out after spending an entire day in the Apple Discussions boards. I wish I had settled on this solution earlier. I backed up all of my important files to another computer, performed a clean Mavericks install in accordance with your instructions, and m=now my MPB is running like new.

@ankit8083 - Great post. Installing currently on my in-laws imac thats been collecting dust for about a year because it slowed down and he got a chrome book. Great details and extra links!

I'm using a 2011 iMac running Mavericks. It's not bad and after deleting a bunch of movies today I've gone from 62GB free to 180GB free on a 500GB hard drive. But I'm often tempted to do a total clean install.

I have Time Capsule backups, it runs automatically throughout the day. What I'm concerned about is if I restore from that, it'll put all the crud files back, right? And I'm also concerned about finding and reinstalling all my programs - is there any way to automatically reinstall programs?

Thanks !!

Thank you very much for the useful post. One question though -

I'm doing a clean install before a transfer of ownership. I have donethereforethe most secure erase and am now trying to reinstall OS X Mavericks. When I click on my 'Macintosh HD' disk as the location to instal the OS, I am asked to 'Sign in to download from the App Store'. If I do this, won't I leave my Apple ID footprint / details on the computer - exactly what I'm trying to avoid when transferring ownership to a new and unknown third party? (I note this article on the subject - What to do before selling or giving away your Mac - Apple Support - which suggests that I ought to perform the reinstall, but to stop and shut-down when it's complete, but before selecting personal settings such as country or region.)

Thanks in advance for comments.

You can't install an OS the new owner will not be able to reinstall. You must put the original OS back on the Mac.

If it's Snow Leopard or earlier, use the original gray disks to erase the drive and reinstall. Make sure to include those machine specific disks with the Mac. If it's Lion or later, you boot into Internet Recovery Mode (Command+Option+R) so you can use Disk Utility to completely repartition the drive (that will remove the current hidden Recovery partition). Then install OS X. The version of OS X the Mac came with will be installed.

If the new owner is specifically looking for Mavericks to be on the Mac they're purchasing, then they're out of luck if that's not the OS it shipped with.

Hi Kirt

Thanks for your note. Looks like it's a little more complicated than I originally thought...

I bought the machine in mid/autumn 2010 (Apple MacBook Pro 15.2" Core i5 2.4ghrz 4GB, 320GB hard drive (MC371LL/A), and a google search suggests it was operating on snow leopard. However, I am pretty certain that it came with no disks....

Is there are a way that I can do a new instal from OS X utilities? (The 'Reinstall OS X' option just defaults to reinstalling Mavericks, and the Apple ID log-in, unfortunately...) If it's via the disk utility / repartition option you mention above, would you be able to provide a step-by-step guide please?! 😉

Cheers!

In addition, I can't seem to access this internet recovery mode via CMD + OPT + R. (I'm using the ALT button, between CMD and CTRL for OPT)

Here are the full specs on that model. It came with 10.6.3. That Mac would indeed have come with a set of gray disks, so you'll have to see if you can locate them.

You may, or may not be able to use a retail Snow Leopard disk to reinstall the original OS level. I have a 2010 Mac Mini that is also borderline. Depending on when in 2010 it was made, that model may or may not boot to a retail SL disk. Mine does, so I didn't have to purchase replacement gray disks (I bought it used and the seller didn't include the disks). What you don't get with the retail disk are any of the bundled software titles, such as the iLife suite (GarageBand, iDVD, etc.). Those are only on the gray machine specific disks.

Yes, a Command+R recovery mode startup will always want to install Mavericks, even if you erase the main partition. That's because the hidden Recovery partition is Mavericks, so that's what it wants to reinstall. You'll note that it asks for an App Store ID before it will actually perform the install. That's why you can't leave Mavericks on the drive. If the new owner ever needs to reinstall the OS, they'll have no App Store account to enter that shows Mavericks being purchased under, and won't be able complete the reinstallation.

Call Apple's customer support number, 1-800-275-2273, and let them know you need replacement disks for your Mac. They'll ask for the serial number to make sure you get the correct ones. For both disks, it would be about $35.

When you have them, boot to disk one and run Disk Utility as soon as the option is available. Repartition the drive so it removes the hidden partition. Then reinstall the OS. That will put all original software back on the drive so it's the same as the way it came out of the box. Make sure to include those gray disks with the sale. Also make sure to tell the new owner not to throw them away, and why.

I can't seem to access this internet recovery mode via CMD + OPT + R

That model's firmware doesn't support it.

Sorry - last message. Just to say that the buyer has now advised that they will do their own clean install and so no need to respond. Thanks again

You beat me to it - thanks anyway for your support and advise

buyer has now advised that they will do their own clean install

Ah, good! That makes it easy. 🙂