Macbook late 2009 clean install

[adunifon]

Hey everyone -- I would like to do a clean install of the operating system on my wife's late 2009 mac book, but I have a few questions, as I'm not the most experienced with mac's.

I have everything backed up through time machine.

What I would like to do is basically a reformat, and do a fresh install of the operating system, and then dump her pictures, and documents back on the computer. Can anyone please walk me through how to do this?

I appreciate any help I can get. Thanks in advance!

--Aaron

 

[honestone]

You can do it, especially given that you have a backup (hooray for you! So many folks come here for help, and they do not have a backup). However, you need to take a couple of preliminary steps first:

1. What Mac OS are you running now?

2. From what I can surmise, the latest Mac OS your machine can accommodate is OS 10.13.x, High Sierra. However, assuming your machine has not been upgraded, the internal hard drive spins at only 5400 rpm, and it only has 4 gig of Ram. While all that is "workable", it will be somewhat slow, and at times feel sluggish. If you want to upgrade the internal drive (especially to an SSD, which will definitely improve performance), and the Ram, this link is good:

Even though that is geared towards Sierra, it would be the same for High Sierra.

3. You'll need to insure that whatever third party (ie, non-Apple) software you are using is compatible with the newer Mac OS you'll "get to" (more on that below). That might require downloading and installing upgrades. This link can help you with that:

https://roaringapps.com/apps

4. The process you would go through is the following:

A. Make one more Time Machine backup, just to insure you are current.

B. Start (or re-start) your machine from the (hidden) Recovery HD partition. This link describes how to do that, and what you can do with the software on that partition:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

C. You would first select the last option on that screen/menu, Disk Utility. Have it Verify and Repair your Internal drive, and Erase and Format that drive. If Disk Utility says there are issues with your internal drive while trying to do the Repair process, you'll most likely need to replace it. I believe you can have Disk Utility just Verify the drive first. If not, I believe it will offer you the option as to whether or not to proceed with the Repair process.

D. Next, assuming all is well with the internal drive, you would select Reinstall macOS. Note that it says "The Reinstall macOS utility installs different versions of macOS depending on the key combination you used while starting up. For details, see How to reinstall macOS.". Here is what comes up when one clicks on that "reinstall macOS link:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

As you can see, you supposedly have a choice of which Mac OS you would obtain.

In any event, that process will take some time, as the downloading of the applicable Mac OS will depend upon 1) the speed of your internet connection, and 2) the availability of Apple's servers.

E. Once that process is complete, you'll be offered the opportunity to "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" from your backup.

Do you already have n "install MacOS "whatever"" file?

Just to let you know, I would do about this differently.

 

[adunifon]

You can do it, especially given that you have a backup (hooray for you! So many folks come here for help, and they do not have a backup). However, you need to take a couple of preliminary steps first:

1. What Mac OS are you running now?

2. From what I can surmise, the latest Mac OS your machine can accommodate is OS 10.13.x, High Sierra. However, assuming your machine has not been upgraded, the internal hard drive spins at only 5400 rpm, and it only has 4 gig of Ram. While all that is "workable", it will be somewhat slow, and at times feel sluggish. If you want to upgrade the internal drive (especially to an SSD, which will definitely improve performance), and the Ram, this link is good:

Even though that is geared towards Sierra, it would be the same for High Sierra.

3. You'll need to insure that whatever third party (ie, non-Apple) software you are using is compatible with the newer Mac OS you'll "get to" (more on that below). That might require downloading and installing upgrades. This link can help you with that:

https://roaringapps.com/apps

4. The process you would go through is the following:

A. Make one more Time Machine backup, just to insure you are current.

B. Start (or re-start) your machine from the (hidden) Recovery HD partition. This link describes how to do that, and what you can do with the software on that partition:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

C. You would first select the last option on that screen/menu, Disk Utility. Have it Verify and Repair your Internal drive, and Erase and Format that drive. If Disk Utility says there are issues with your internal drive while trying to do the Repair process, you'll most likely need to replace it. I believe you can have Disk Utility just Verify the drive first. If not, I believe it will offer you the option as to whether or not to proceed with the Repair process.

D. Next, assuming all is well with the internal drive, you would select Reinstall macOS. Note that it says "The Reinstall macOS utility installs different versions of macOS depending on the key combination you used while starting up. For details, see How to reinstall macOS.". Here is what comes up when one clicks on that "reinstall macOS link:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

As you can see, you supposedly have a choice of which Mac OS you would obtain.

In any event, that process will take some time, as the downloading of the applicable Mac OS will depend upon 1) the speed of your internet connection, and 2) the availability of Apple's servers.

E. Once that process is complete, you'll be offered the opportunity to "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" from your backup.

Do you already have n "install MacOS "whatever"" file?

Just to let you know, I would do about this differently.

Thanks for the reply -- to answer some of the questions:

1. Running El Capitan version 10.11.6
2. I have upgraded to a SSD and have 8GB of ram in the machine

One question I have -- you said "Do you already have n "install MacOS "whatever"" file?" -- I do not -- what exactly is that?

When I get some time this weekend I will start the process and post any issues I encounter, or (hopefully) successes.

Thanks again!

 

[adunifon]

and also, you mentioned you would go about this differently -- what would you recommend?

thanks!

 

[honestone]

Thanks for the reply -- to answer some of the questions:

1. Running El Capitan version 10.11.6
2. I have upgraded to a SSD and have 8GB of ram in the machine

One question I have -- you said "Do you already have n "install MacOS "whatever"" file?" -- I do not -- what exactly is that?

When I get some time this weekend I will start the process and post any issues I encounter, or (hopefully) successes.

Thanks again!

Cool with the upgrades! Now, whenever you download the Mac OS from the App Store, a file entitled "Install MacOS "OS Name"" will reside in your Applications folder. For example, when I recently downloaded the full installation files for the latest version of High Sierra, OS 10.13.4, a file by the name of "Install macOS High Sierra" appeared in my Applications folder. (I always then make a copy of that file in another location). Having such a file can be beneficial with the other way I would go about this (answered in response to your other post below). So, you should be able to go to the "Purchased" tab in the App Store and El Capitan (OS 10.11.6) should appear there as one of your "purchased" items. You can then download that full installation file for OS 10.11.6. The reason I say "should" is that ever since Apple released Sierra, they have become somewhat "anal" with some ridiculous policies. But hopefully you'd be able to "see" that El Capitan file.

 

[honestone]

and also, you mentioned you would go about this differently -- what would you recommend?

thanks!

OK, first, I do my backups differently, as I use SuperDuper! to make a bootable backup/clone. It would be good for you to read this thread I posted back in November about backups:

https://www.mac-help.com/threads/backups-backups-backups.223959/

Besides my comments. there are many other useful ones from others. Also, that link explains the usefulness of the "Install macOs "Whatever"" file mentioned above.

One other task that is so, so important is to perform disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, from a software perspective, on a frequent basis. One can actually perform a good amount of disk cleanup on their own. Also, there are some excellent programs available (both free and commercial) that can help with those tasks. If you want some recommendations, just let me know.

Whether I was in your predicament or I was doing a fresh, clean installation of the new Mac OS (or a new version of it, just like I did when OS 10.13.4) was released, here are the steps I would take:

1. Download the "applicable" "Install macOS "Whatever"" file from the app store. After that download completes, immediately make a copy of it in another location.

2. For you, assuming you stay at OS 10.11.6, this next step might not be necessary. But insure that all your third party applications are compatible with the OS you are "moving" to. Again, this link:

https://roaringapps.com/apps

can help with that.

3. Do disk cleanup/maintenance/repairs, using applicable software. Myself, besides doing some kind of daily disk cleanup, when I do my weekly disk chores (cleaning and backup), I use the excellent freeware program Onyx, and the equally excellent commercial program Tech Tool Pro.

4. Do a SuperDuper! backup to my external device (actually I dod this twice, for each of my Macs).

5. Restart my Mac from that (just completed) SuperDuper! backup. Use Disk Utility there to Verify, and Erase and Format my internal SSD.

6. Migrate to the file "Install macOS "Whatever"" file, launch it, and perform a clean, fresh, "virgin" installation of the Mac OS within that file.

7. When this is completed, one is offered the opportunity, via Migration Assistant, to "migrate"/copy needed "stuff" from the backup. I of course do that.

8. Restart my Mac from its internal SSD.

Note that all those steps do not depend on getting the "applicable" Mac OS from Apple's servers, and then having the installation performed. It is all done locally, and as is pointed out in that backup thread I provided above, I have WAY more control over each step.