<- MacOS Classic Clean Install Part 1

This article is not applicable to OSX.

The Clean Install
When all else fails, the Clean Install is the last choice. Fortunately it’s not hard to do. But this statement is based on the premise that the user has some basic Mac knowledge. If you don’t know the basics, find a good Mac book or a good Mac friend. In the Sad Macs book check out “Complete Install/Reinstall of System Software”. In the 3rd edition, it’s on page 710. The description of a clean install in this article is based on my experience.

When installing the MacOS there are two ways to go. A new MacOS can be installed on top of the old one or peform a “Clean Install”. It’s less work to install the MacOS on top of the old System because all of the 3rd party components are retained. But this may or may not resolve the problem. If you’re having serious system problems or upgrading to a new MacOS version number, like going from 8.x to 9.x, I recommend going the Clean Install route. The Clean Install on the Macintosh sets aside the original System Folder (renaming it Previous System Folder) and replaces it with a brand new System Folder. The original System Folder contents, (now labeled Previous System Folder) remain on the hard drive.

Startup from the MacOS CD- To perform a Clean Install, first run Norton Utilities or Tech Tool Pro to make sure there are no disk related problems. Then boot from the MacOS CD by placing the MacOS CD in the CD-ROM drive and hold down the “C” button while starting.

One hitch is there may not be enough space on the hard drive for both copies of the Systems Folders. If space is limited on the hard drive in question and there are multiple drives, the old System Folder can be copied to a different drive to preserve the data. If space is limited on all of hard drives, at a minimum, save the Control Panel Folder, Control Panel Disabled Folder, Extension Folder, Extension Disabled Folder, Preferences Folders, and any 3rd party Folders sitting in System Folder like a Claris or Eudora Folders. If necessary for hard drive space, trash the old System Folder on the target hard drive (after backing up the System Folder or the specific Folders I just mentioned).

Launch the MacOS installer. Somewhere early in the process, an option button or a choice will appear for the Clean Install. Older MacOS installers may not put the “Clean Install” choice out front. Look under any “options” or “customize options” choices that are presented. The installer looks for an existing intact System Folder. If you’ve trashed the original System Folder, a clean install will automatically be performed. If the original System Folder remains on the hard drive, the MacOS installer will install a new System on top of the old System unless you select “Clean Install”. Another option would be to boot off the MacOS CD. Go to the System Folder that needs replacing and rename it “Previous System Folder”. Then pull out its Finder file and System Folder and place those in the trash. Launch the MacOS installer. You’ll get a clean install and the old System Folder contents, except for the items you pulled, will not be touched.

Follow the directions and clean install a new System Folder, and restart your Mac. Don’t hold the “C” button this time. After restarting, you can look into the new System Folder and see what the Mac runs on without any of the 3rd party stuff that will soon clutter up the landscape.

At this point, many programs will run properly without taking any additional steps. But if a program relies on an extension, control panel, or has a folder that normally sits on the top level of the System Folder, some additional steps are required to restore full functionality.

Go to the “Previous System Folder” or the individual Folders I previously mentioned. Look through them and pull out the 3rd party extensions, control panels, and preference files. As a rule, they are clearly marked and easily associated with their parent programs. Because the Extension Manager and Conflict Catcher can disable items, these programs generate the extension-disabled and control panel-disabled Folders. Make sure you check those folders too. Preference files are important because in most cases, restoring an original preference file will avoid having to reenter personal settings or serial numbers. Take a look at the Netscape Preference Folder. There are user settings and bookmarks you might not want to loose.

Then look at the top level of the Previous System Folder and pull out any 3rd party files/Folders. Two prime examples are the Claris and Eudora Folders. These Folders contain vital program components. The Eudora Folder holds all of its email records. These items can be selected and dumped into their respective Folders in the new System.

One important point- After performing a clean install, be aware that the problem could have been the result of a corrupt extension, control panel, or preference file. And that dumping all of them back into the new System Folder may reintroduce the problem back into your Mac. Immediately after a clean install your Mac has a brand new System which should have no problems what so ever. Immediately after a clean install if a problem exists, it could be hardware related.

So assuming no problems, this is how I handle reintroducing extensions, control panels and preference files back into a new System. From the previous System Folder, I separate the 3rd party components that are going into the new System Folder and labeled them with a color (for easy identification). This makes them standout so if later, you need to return to a virgin System Folder they will be easy to ID and remove. Look under the File menu on the desktop for the label option. Then I dump all of these components back into their respective folders. Most of the time, everything works normally, case closed.

But if the problem suddenly returns when all of this old stuff is reintroduced, chances are it’s one of these components causing the problem. At this point, conflict troubleshooting, as mentioned in a previous paragraph, would have to be performed. I would pull out all the 3rd party components and then start adding them slowly, waiting for the problem to reappear. This can be time consuming. Concentrate on the programs you use often. Get them running first.

If after reintroducing an extension and/or control panel and its associated program does not function properly, there could be something that was overlooked. A good example would be Appleworks. If you forget to put the Claris folder back into the System folder, you might discover that your stationary or translators are not available. At this point, if I can't figure out what I missed, I would reinstall the program from scratch. My experience is that this is the exception and not the rule.

It’s a good idea to keep the old System Folder items around for a while, until your confident your programs are functioning normally. What really hurts is when dealing with an old program and for whatever reason, the original installer can’t be found. Then it is imperative that the old extensions and control panels are saved.

That’s about it. That’s enough! Good luck and happy Clean Installing!

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<- MacOS Classic Clean Install Part 1