
Select your USB drive in the left hand menu and n avigate to the ‘Erase’ tab on top.Use spotlight if you can’t locate the app. Plug in the disk and launch Disk Utility.Also make sure that you don’t have any data on it, as we will have to format it in the next step. Drag the installer file ( Install OS X El Capitan.app) from Downloads to Applications folder and let it sit there for a while. Quit the launcher completely (Press Cmnd + Q). So be prepared to wait for some time. As soon as the download finishes, the Mac OS X Installer will launch itself automatically.

Go to the Mac App Store and download the El Capitan file. For example, iTunes media files, Apple Mail folders, iPhotos / Photos data etc. Important: Make sure you back up individual apps data as well. You should manually copy all data into an external hard disk as well and transfer it back after the install. However, depending on Time Machine alone isn’t enough. What’s Time Machine? It’s Apple’s built in software that backs up your data, allowing you to restore it to your system, if something should go wrong. So it’s imperative that you fully back up your entire system to Time Machine. Well, that’s what we’re here for! Follow this simple step-by-step guide to do a clean install of OS X 10.11 El Capitan:Īs we mentioned before, doing a clean install temporarily wipes out your hard disk (don’t worry, your data isn’t lost). Think of it as the long overdue spring cleaning for your Mac. It will help you get the most out of the new OS by using it without any pre-existing bugs or issues. In the latter though, you get a Mac that’s brand new and pristine on the inside.Ī clean install resets your Mac to the its factory settings. Unlike an ‘Upgrade’ (when all your data and preferences is carried over to the new OS), a clean install is when you format your entire hard disk ( clean it) and install the new OS on it. In the former, you have your same old set up, just running under a new OS. What’s this Clean Install? Never heard of it. All this eventually takes a toll and the Mac starts to show signs of lagging.īut, we have a solution for you, it’s called a Clean Install. – that you have been accumulating on your system. Not to mention the extensive number of documents – drafts, copies, backups, etc. Especially if you constantly install and uninstall apps that push your Mac to the limits. And although there is nothing wrong with it, it’s not necessarily the best option. Hit GET > Wait for the download > hit ‘INSTALL’ > OK > OK > OK > I Agree > Restart Now > Done.

That’s like Apple saying ‘Even a five year old can do it.’ Which is probably true, because it’s just like any app install on your phone.

Upgrading your Mac’s operating system through the Appstore is child’s play, quite literally! OS X has a 4+ age rating on the Mac App Store.
