A few decades ago, the Mac OS X operating system was practically not known to a wide range of computer users. Basically, this state of affairs was explained by the high cost of equipment working under this program, and, accordingly, the rarity of getting it on our market. Typically, these were computers that manage video editing and graphic files in large enterprises. But recently, the number of gadgets that use this operating system (OS) has increased significantly.
Almost every year there are new versions to update these programs. And it’s not always possible to install such OS by updating. Often, reinstalling Mac OS from scratch is required. Let's take a closer look.
When do I need to reinstall Mac OS?
Although Mac OS is one of the most reliable operating software for computers today, nevertheless, as users notice, it still needs to be reinstalled from time to time. Why is reinstalling Mac OS necessary? There are several reasons for this. Firstly, the operation of the operating system leaves a certain imprint on the internal state of the computer. And this leads to the fact that the OS is littered and slows down its work. Even when installing the next update, this garbage remains in the system and these actions do not give significant improvements.
Secondly, when installing additional user programs, and then after removing them, traces also remain on the computer. And this problem is not even the imperfection of the OS, it is the influence of the human factor on the operation of this program. Much depends on the user. If he has a good preparation, then it will last a long time. And if such preparation is absent, the user can quickly, as the system administrators say, "put the system in".
Where to start reinstalling the system?
Everyone who starts reinstalling Mac OS X should be aware of two important points. The first thing to do is to keep a backup of the previous OS so that if the installation fails, it would be possible to "roll back the system". Apple has provided a good program in the utilities kit that can just solve this problem. This utility is called Time Machine. Using this program, you can make a backup copy of the operating system, and you need to save it not on the system drive, which will be formatted during installation from scratch, but in a different place.
The second, no less important task is to save account information, which may include mail contacts, search engine settings, favorites, photos and media files. Typically, such information can take up a lot of space. And the program that will help fulfill this function is iCloud familiar to everyone. And after this operation, the user can be sure that the most important information is saved, and in the worst case, he will be able to restore the system.
Making a bootable flash drive
The next thing to do is prepare a bootable USB flash drive. How to do it? Reinstalling Mac OS using a bootable USB flash drive will require a specific size for this drive. It should be at least eight gigabytes, more is better. The creators of Mac OS have provided a utility that you will need to create such a drive. This is a disk utility, when you attach a USB flash drive to your computer, it starts automatically and asks what to do next with the two drives it found.
With its help, we format the USB flash drive in Mac OS Extended format and give it the appropriate name. And after that, the USB drive is ready to fill the system onto it.
Filling the system on a USB flash drive
There are several ways to upload the system to a USB drive. The first method is intended for fans to work with the terminal; for its implementation, certain knowledge of the operating system is required. The second method is carried out using the DiskMaker X utility and, as users say, is "easier than a steamed turnip." In the App Store application, DiskMaker X is downloaded and installed, which finds the installation package in the specified directory and installs it onto the USB flash drive on its own.
Final reinstallation of Mac OS from a flash drive on the computer
Prepared USB-drive (this was described above) with a flooded OS, connect to the computer and reboot it. The computer, detecting a bootable USB flash drive, launches a disk utility that waits for the user to decide what to do next. On the computer screen you will see all the drives that are present on the computer, including a bootable USB drive. If the user selects a bootable USB flash drive, then the disk utility launches the installation package, which is interested in which disk the OS should be installed on. After specifying the disk, the installation package will first format it, deleting all previous data from it, and proceed to install the system from scratch.