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General discussion

Please explain what a clean-install is?

Oct 14, 2005 3:06PM PDT

Doing a clean-install on my Mac G4 and installing Tiger OS10.4.
What are the steps necessary?
I do have an external hard drive to copy everthing over to before a clean install. Plus back-ups on several CDs.
What is involved and the steps?

Discussion is locked

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Clean Install
Oct 14, 2005 10:06PM PDT

There are two schools of thought as to what a Clean Install actually is:
Under OS 9 and below, a clean install did not involve anything more drastic than choosing the Clean Install option in the OS installer, which would place a brand new System Folder on the hard drive after it renamed the existing System Folder to Previous System Folder. Once rebooted, all the extra extensions and control panels had to be moved from the old folders to the new. This, and other things that had to be done, could take the rest of the day to get finished.
With OS X, comes the confusion.
I maintain that a clean install under OS X is basically the same as one under OS 9. The option, on the OS X installer, is now called "Archive and Install" and is the default when installing on a HD that already has some flavor of OS X installed.
This process moves all your data and settings to a temporary location and instals a new copy of the system onto the HD. It renames the existing System folder to Previous System. On completion of the Install, the system moves all your stuff back into the correct folders, puts all your network settings back to what they were, sets up the printers you were using and hands the system back to you, already configure and set to go.
In the PC world, apparently, the term Clean Install refers to formatting the HD and installing the OS onto a clean platter.
This option is available in the OS X installer as "Format and Install"
Format and Install will destroy ALL the data on the drive and unless you backed up everything, it is gone. How confident are you that you actually found the Address Book data base or the Email one?

The move from 10.3 to 10.4 can be accomplished using the "Archive and Install" method. This is how I did mine. It is by far the easiest method.

Hope this helps

P

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In simpile terms:
Oct 15, 2005 6:11AM PDT

Clean: Wipes the HD clean and puts the factury defaults and original programs back on. Be carefull, all of your data will be erased. You must back up your stuff

Regular: Replaces the system folder and the "system's" stuff. Your stuff is untouched.

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When did that change?
Oct 15, 2005 8:22AM PDT

Archive and Install:
Quote
This type of installation moves existing System files to a folder name Previous System, then installs a new copy of Mac OS X. You cannot start up your computer using the Previous System folder.
UnQuote:
Does this sound like a Clean Install in OS 9?
Quote:
Mac OS X 10.2 introduces a new way to install: Archive and Install. This kind of installation automatically moves existing system files to a folder named Previous System, then installs Mac OS X again. (See tip 3.) You cannot start up your computer using the Previous System folder, nor can you "re-bless" the Previous System folder.
Unquote
Does this sound like a Clean Install in OS 9?
Quote:
I see an "Archive and Install" choice. What's that all about?

In a nutshell, it's an optional way to "clean install" Panther.
UnQuote:
Oh my goodness, It IS a clean install, just like we used to do in OS 9

All the above quotes were taken from the Apple site

P

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Clean Install
Oct 24, 2005 4:09PM PDT

I will not attempt this clean install by myself. Let the experts do it for me.
Format and Install, Archive and Install. Same thing.
I will rely on my IT person. Way over my head to do this on my own.

Thanks for the information Peter,

-Kevin

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NOT THE SAME THING
Oct 24, 2005 9:46PM PDT

Do NOT think that Archive and Install is the same as FORMAT and Install.

Under FORMAT and Install you will LOOSE ALL YOU DATA.

C'mon Taboma, read the posts.

This is NOT way above your head. Insert CD, double click Icon, accept the defaults (Archive and Install), click Upgrade. Drink coffee, reboot.
Get back to work.
Don't tell me you can't manage that.

Beware the new IT guy if you, or he, believes that the two installs are the same.
The only one making this look difficult, is you

You can do it

P

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Not the same thing?
Oct 26, 2005 3:21PM PDT

Pete, Those were my words. Not from my new Mac IT guy.
And also thanks for your confidence in my abilities.
Graphics and daylilies, yes.
Hardware and software??Not so confident.
I really screwed up with the Panther install. I will let the new IT guy do it now and re-partition the hard drive also. That one I would not even think about. Halloween is too near!

-Kevin