Can you clean install Yosemite?

My iMac is becoming a bit sluggish so I would like to take the opportunity for a clean install with Yosemite. Can I clean install Yosemite as you could with Mavericks by using ctrl -R, erasing the hard drive, reformatting and then using internet recovery?
Late 2012 iMac
Currently on latest OSX Mavericks - OS X 10.9.5 (13F34)

Rather than an unnecessary clean install answer some questions about the slowness to see if we can determine what is causing the problem. What exactly is slowing down, booting, a application or applications, which ones, etd.?
Download and run Etrecheck. Copy and paste the results into your reply. It's a diagnostic tool that was developed by one of the most respected users here in the ASC to help identify the more obvious culprits.

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How many times can you clean install leopard on the same computer?

How many times can you clean install leopard on the same computer? Will the leopard dvd run out of installations and not let you install anymore?

Hi colman Prez;
Now that the funny comments have been made, I have a serious question and that why are you worry about reinstalling Leopard with an Erase & Install which is what I take that you mean when you say clean install. In actually fact there is no such thing in OS X as a clean install.
I am curious because in all the years I have used OS X, I have yet to do an Erase & Install yet.
I know with Windows that they suggest reformatting and reinstalling at the drop of a hat but that isn't true with OS X.
Allan

Can't clean install Yosemite to 3rd party SSD in 2008 MBP

Hi all.
I'm a longtime lurker, first time poster. I seem to have really stymied myself with trying to upgrade my ol' reliable MBP.
My machine:
Late 2008 15" MacBook Pro
2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo
4GB RAM (3rd party Crucial, 2 matching 2GB sticks - it originally shipped with 2 1GB sticks, I upgraded it around 2 years ago)
120GB SSD (3rd party OCZ Agility III, it originally shipped with a 500GB Hitachi HDD - I've just installed this and am trying to use it)
No optical drive (it broke years ago)
Here is what I've done so far:
Removed the 500GB HDD and inserted the 120GB SSD
Created a bootable USB stick with the Yosemite installer on it
Booted from said USB stick and used Disk Utility to format the SSD with a GUID partition table, with 1 HFS+ (Journaled) formatted partition
Begun the Yosemite installer
The progress bar crawled for about 3 hours until it got about halfway, then it failed out with an error. Unfortunately I stupidly don't have a copy of the error logs
Booted from the USB stick again
Now the SSD does not show up at all in Disk Utility and I am not given the option of it when attempting to install Yosemite - so I can't reformat the drive or attempt another install
I have tried to run the Apple Hardware Test (to see if there are any problems with the RAM that might have triggered the error installing Yosemite), but unfortunately this does not seem possible on my machine. Since it is a late 2008 model with no optical drive, from the research I've done there seems to be no way I can run it. It can't do an Internet Hardware Test, and the 'trick' of holding F2 during bootup won't work because apparently you need to have the original shipping OS installed. From memory this machine shipped with Leopard - the OS on my old 500GB HDD is Snow Leopard however.
Does anyone have any ideas for what I can do next here? My goal is simply to do a clean install of Yosemite onto my SSD. I'm at a bit of a loss, especially since the SSD isn't even showing up in Disk Utility now.
An additional detail: There isn't anything in the slot where the optical drive should be. 2 years ago I opened my machine and removed it, replacing it with a 2.5" 'optibay' drive caddy. Unfortunately it was a pretty cheap caddy and it never functioned properly, so I removed it before beginning the above process. There is just an empty space now inside the machine, since I threw away my old broken optical drive years ago. I don't know if this may also be causing problems.
Many thanks for any and all assistance!

Thanks for responding Leopardus.
I tried holding Cmd+R at startup last night, but unfortunately all I got is a flashing folder with a question mark on it, presumably indicating that it can't find any files.
Internet Recovery is unfortunately not possible on my computer, I believe this feature was only included with Macs that shipped with Lion or later versions of OS X (mine shipped with Leopard).
The problem in the thread that you linked seems a bit different to mine - I think the core issue for me is that the SSD is now not recognised at all by Disk Utility, meaning I cannot even format it to try installing again.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can access this 'invisible' SSD? I am considering buying a USB to SATA cable and connecting it to a friend's Mac.

True you can't clean install Intel iMacs?

Hi,
When I get a new Mac I generally zero out the drive and reinstall the OS and apps from the provided install discs and run a clean system without all the extra languages, etc.
Somewhere on this forum I thought I read that the new Intel iMacs cannot be restored from the install discs after zeroing the HD.
Is this correct? If so, why not?

It doesn't matter if you clean install it or not as
far as bluetooth goes. When you first boot the
computer after a clean install, it will do a search
for a bluetooth mouse or keyboard by default.
glor
I learned something very disturbing earlier today from Applecare Tech Support. I tried to boot from my install DVD (holding "c" down as instructed) but it hung. Tried three times with same result. When I called Applecare, they said you MUST HAVE A WIRED KEYBOARD AND MOUSE to boot from the install DVD because Bluetooth doesn't activate early enough for the wireless input devices to be seen in order to complete the various commands.
Their advice - go buy a USB keyboard and mouse so when I have to boot from the install DVD, I can!
This after I ordered my iMac online and PAID EXTRA for the wireless and, on top of that, was not sent a USB set along with the wireless. I feel a little ripped off...

Instructions to clean install Yosemite to a fusion drive

Hi everyone this is Chris. I have recently purchased a new i mac 27 inch with a 1tb fusion drive. When i tried clean installing yosemite to the fusion drive i noticed that only the 1tb mechanical hard drive appeared. The 128gb ssd portion was missing and yes i checked in diskutil list but it is non existent. Also i noticed that logical volume partition was missing in disk utility so it looks like the yosemite install didnt also set up the ssd as i thought it would. I am attaching a screen shot of disk utility and diskutil list for reference. Could some one please help me with step by step instructions from booting the usb installer till the final installation. I am a new mac user and as such have little experience with the way the os and systems work. The reason i tried to clean install is because i like having control over everything running on my computer and i like to keep a clean system from the beginning. I am willing to learn just how mac osx functions so please help me learn how all these various software works on the i mac so i can use it as much as i did my old windows pc. Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance.
Disk Utility screenshot 1
Disk Utility screenshot 2
Terminal window

I concur with Kappy, you do not have a Fusion Drive in that Mac.
You said; "The reason i tried to clean install is because i like having control over everything running on my computer and i like to keep a clean system from the beginning."
Personally I disagree with your reasoning for a so called "clean" install. Unlike Windows, if you install OS X just doing an upgrade, it does not have to same habit as the Windows installer which can load a PC with tons of crap.
My suggestion is to find out why your 128 GB SSD is not appearing rather then worrying about any "clean" installs.

How to get iPhoto and iTunes to a clean installed Yosemite from Time Machine

I wiped the Hard Drive and clean installed to OS X Yosemite. For Some reason, some of my Time Machine back ups disappeared or got deleted and it wasn't even full. I had back ups from 2011 and now it only starts from 2013 of June.
Next....when I try to restore my other apps(like iPhoto and my iTunes) I doesn't give that warp space effect in the background. It gives me the window layer effect but I just see the same mountain background on the desktop as the default Yosemite(unless thats how its suppose to look like that?) I can't restore using Time Machine because the little lines at the right are red (see screen shot) and it won't let me restore, and if i go back by using the arrows, if freezes. So,
I don't know how to install the old iTunes and iPhoto on my existing clean installed Yosemite from my Time Machine.
Can someone help me?

@ LarryHN Thank you ver much for you help I understand now that you just can't copy over the old library(got it)
I had the latest version of iPhoto before I cleaned installed.
The link you gave me was most informative and I want to thank you. But still problems arrive.
This came up and I don't know which one to pick

Clean Install Yosemite onto new SSD (Also, what is TRIM?)

Hi,
I've been researching how to replace the Hard Drive on my Late 2011 13inch Macbook Pro (MacBookPro8,1 / 2.4 GHz / Intel Core i5 / SATA III) with a new SSD (maybe a Samsung 840 EVO) and clean install Yosemite onto it. I've found a few ways to do this on the support forums and the macrumors forum, but I want to confirm if I can do it this way:
1. Plug new SSD into the Macbook via a USB cable
2. Download Yosemite onto current Macbook Hard Drive. When I'm prompted to install, chose the new SSD from the list. Complete Installation.
3. Remove old Hard Drive from Macbook and plug new SSD in it's place (and not in the optical bay).
Would this work? I have another external hard drive with all of my documents, pictures and music on which I'm just going to manually remove over, and have no problem doing. I can also download the iLife programs directly from the App Store so I wouldn't be missing out on those either (I do have the iLife '09 discs too). I've also read about creating a bootable USB using DiskMaker X, but I feel the route I outlined would be easier.
Am I missing anything? I do have the EFI Firmware v2.7, so the problems the 2011 MacBooks were having with SATA shouldn't be an issue during this. Also, during my research, I found a references to something called TRIM. Can someone explain TRIM to me?
Thanks,
Steve

Thanks for the response and confirming I can clean install Yosemite onto a new SSD using the process I listed in my initial post.
I have a 13'' MacBook Pro with Yosemite already installed onto it so my graphics card should be set. After almost a month of using it, I haven't noticed any issues on that end.
I guess this TRIM thing is a totally separate subject from this thread. I read Apple is no longer supporting third-party SSD for TRIM support. If you turn it on, but keep a security feature on, you risk your computer not booting correctly. It looks like the only way to have TRIM enabled on a SSD using Yosemite is to have an Apple supplied SSD, or an SSD that can trick Yosemite into thinking it's Apple supplied (like the Angelbird Wrk for Mac SSD).
I've also done a good amount of research that TRIM is only necessary if you're saving a lot of items to the hard drive in one sitting (like photoshop). I primarily use my Mac for Pages (which saves my documents into the cloud now), iTunes and Safari. I guess this would fit me into the "casual user' criteria? I've also read that if you don't use TRIM, your SSD uses "Garbage Collection" (which actually sounds terrible) to keep the SSD informed on what data can be overwritten since it's been deleted by the user. I read that most modern SSD hard drives have a pretty decent Garbage Collection function, so if you leave your computer idle, keep "Put the hard disk(s) to sleep when possible" unchecked, the SSD will run Garbage Collection on it's own and that should be sufficient enough to keep the SSD in good working order.

Can I un-install Yosemite from my iMac and re-install Mountain Lion?

Can I un-install Yosemite from my iMac and re-install Mountain Lion?

Sorry to barge in like this but is it because you found it to have it's own way of doing stuff without your control? As i was thinking of doing the same thing because i found Mountain Lion much more user friendly.I know you came for an answer just was searching and came accross your question.
Hope you find the answer. good luck.

Issues While Attempting to Clean Install Yosemite onto 2010 iMac 27"

Having a number of issues trying to clean install Yosemite onto a 2010 iMac 27.
The original 1TB HDD was about to die so I upgraded the hard drive to a Crucial SSD, via an Apple Authorized shop
Memory was also upgraded to 16GB (from the original 4GB)
The install process won't finish, as I get a disk error message from the computer
Since there's no fan control cable attached to the HDD anymore, the fan is on constantly (but I know this is a known / common issue so I will be fixing it via an app like HDD Fan Control)
The installation process keeps starting over
What is causing this installation issue? How can I fix and move forward?
Thanks in advance for help anyone can provide.

I've also tried an alternate method of installing - installing Yosemite onto an external hard drive then cloning this drive onto the SSD installed on the iMac. The computer keeps rebooting. This is the message that pops up. Growing increasingly frustrated. Is this a hardware issue related to the new SSD?

Clean install yosemite, couldn´t install aperture afterwards

clean install yosemite, couldn´t install aperture afterwards

Hi, 2teddy3.
Thank you for visiting Apple Support Communities.
I would need more information regarding any errors received and clarification on exactly what is happening to provide a better answer. However, here is a troubleshooting article that may help. .
Troubleshooting the Mac App Store
http://support.apple.com/kb/TS3624
Cheers,
Jason H

How to clean install Yosemite

How to clean install Yosemite on imac 10.9.5

Why?
Doing an erase and install of OS X is usually just a waste of time.
I recommend that you just upgrade and test it first.

HT201475 clean install yosemite

Hello, I am looking for instructions on how to clean install Yosemite as the reviews on the apple store all say there are problems simply downloading the upgrade. I have 10.8.5 and need to know how to reformat disk and do a clean install. I have a time machine.
Thanks,

I had no problems with the Upgrade. People who have problems with just upgrading usually have system modifications installed that don't work with Yosemite.
If you install anything with an installer, you need to check for updates prior to upgrading your OS. If there aren't any updates available, you need to be prepared to uninstall that system mod if you run into problems.
Depending on how much junk you install on your Mac, erasing and installing might just be the best solution over updating the system mods.
To erase and install, you will need to boot into Recovery and erase the hard drive using Disk Utility. Then, Quit DU and reinstall the OS.
That will install Mavericks (10.8.5).
Note that things like iPhoto, iMovie, etc. are not part of the OS. You will need to either re-download them from the App Store or install from the DVDs that came with your Mac.
When the Setup Assistant runs during first boot, choose to Migrate from your Time Machine backup. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204350

OS X and Windows on MacBook Pro. Can I clean install only the OS X?

I have both OS X and Windows on my MacBook Pro. The OS X has been ridiculously slow and freezes up most of the time, especially when I use Office. The Windows partition has been working perfectly. Can I clean install just the OS X part of my computer? How would I go about doing that? I want to leave the Windows partition alone.
Thanks!!

Hopefully this will work:
Install or Reinstall Lion from Scratch
If possible backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive.
Boot to the Recovery HD:
Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
Erase the hard drive:
Select Disk Utility from the main menu and click on the Continue button.
After DU loads select your startup volume (usually Macintosh HD) from the left side list. Click on the Erase tab in the DU main window.
Set the format type to Mac OS Extended (Journaled.) Click on the Erase button and wait until the process has completed.
Quit DU and return to the main menu.
Reinstall Lion: Select Reinstall Lion and click on the Install button.

How do you clean install CS6 on a new PC Win7 64bit system?

How do you clean install CS6 on a new PC Win7 64bit system?
I think I've upgraded all th way from Version 7.

There is no problem. If no previous, activated software is detected on the system, the upgrade installer will simply revert to its secondary mode and request to input the old serial in a second step for verification. Unless you do some exotic crossgrade/ sidegrade stuff, this should work with no problems whatsoever.
Mylenium

Clean install Yosemite stuck at terms and conditions on MacBook Pro

Hello,
I'm clean installing Yosemite on my MacBook Pro, which I downloaded from the app store and booted from the recovery partition
The install has gone fine, but it is now stuck at the 'Terms and Conditions' window - it looks like it's trying to load the terms and conditions, but all I have is the spinning disk and 'agree' and 'back' are greyed out
It's been that way for over twenty minutes
Anyone got any ideas? Is it safe to hard-reset and see if it clears it next time?
Thanks,
Wes

Try the enter key.

Can you clean install Yosemite?

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