How To Do A Clean Install Without Usb

macOS 12 Monterey is the proper noun of Apple'due south latest operating organisation, an development of the current Large Sur platform that offers new features and tweaks to some of the Cupertino giant's nigh popular apps and services. Apple tree released macOS 12 Monterey on Mon, October 25.

In this guide, we're going to walk you through the steps required to make clean install macOS Monterey, including bankroll up your existing files and creating a bootable USB stick that will be used to perform the installation.

Why perform a make clean install of macOS Monterey?

When we talk about a "make clean install" of macOS Monterey, we hateful erasing the main deejay of all its files so installing the new operating system on the freshly wiped bulldoze.

Typically, when you're offered an operating system upgrade from the Apple App Store, you're encouraged to simply download the new version and to overwrite your existing setup, without wiping the entire disk and erasing your data.

In that location's absolutely aught incorrect with this "standard" method of installation, just wiping the deejay entirely and performing a true "clean install" volition remove any potential bug, from outdated or third-political party software. It will also remove any transient files and incorrect settings in your Library binder — things that could potentially cause issues days, weeks, and months downwardly the route.

Will you take a chance losing whatsoever of your files?

Does the thought of wiping your current operating arrangement make full yous with dread? Well, with our step-past-footstep guide, y'all needn't worry about losing whatever of your precious files, and nosotros'll help you to create several backup options just in case things don't piece of work out according to programme.

Convinced? Great! Let's swoop right in…

Is your Mac compatible?

macOS Monterey is the first major release from Apple that will contain features that only work with the new Apple M1 fries found in the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini — and a farther tier of features will just work on the more powerful 16 GB versions of those devices.

Y'all can still make clean install macOS Monterey on an older Intel car, only it'due south worth noting that near computers over five-half-dozen years erstwhile probably won't be compatible.

Pace 1: Backup your existing installation

As you lot're going to completely make clean install macOS Monterey, your estimator's drive and all of the files stored on it will be completely wiped and replaced past the new operating system. Equally you tin can imagine, that means that earlier attempting to use your USB installer that you'll want to ensure that:

All of your files and folders tin exist easily added back to your new install.
You have a complete backup of your former installation in case something goes wrong.

Start by making a Fourth dimension Auto fill-in

When you make clean install macOS, ideally, you should always make backup copies of your Mac just in case something goes wrong. In fact, regardless of whether you're upgrading your operating organisation or not, it's still prudent to continue your system backed upwardly at all times. Luckily, Apple's built-in Time Machine app makes this process extremely uncomplicated:

Plug in a USB hard drive with enough infinite for your fill-in.
Head to the settings panel.
Click the Time Motorcar icon.
Click Select Deejay.
Select the disk you'd like to use for backups.

That's all there is to it. Fourth dimension Machine works silently in the background, storing snapshots of your arrangement every hour for 24 hours, then daily backups for 1 calendar month, and, finally, weekly backups for all previous months. Once the disk gets total, Time Auto will gratuitous up space by overwriting the oldest copies first.

Once yous take Time Car up and running, yous can click the Time Machine icon in the top correct of the bill of fare bar, and then click "back up at present" to ensure yous accept a recent backup of your computer.

Use Disk Drill to make an prototype of your entire disk

Deejay Drill is a actually handy (and costless) app that allows y'all to recover lost or deleted data. The app besides has a useful installer tool for making bootable macOS USB sticks, and information technology tin can fifty-fifty back up your entire deejay to a .dmg paradigm file.

Read too: Recover Lost Files Later on a macOS Monterey Update

Should something go wrong with your macOS Monterey install, you'll exist able to rapidly and simply restore your old setup from this .dmg file. Here'southward how to create the fill-in file:

Download, install and open the Disk Drill app.
Click "Byte-to-byte Backup" from the "Extra Tools" menu in the left column.
You'll at present be shown a list of bachelor disks that can be backed up into a .dmg file. Select your principal system deejay and click the "Create fill-in" button.
Once yous've named your file and selected a location to safely store the backup, clicking "relieve" will begin the cosmos process.
Once your file has been created successfully, you'll be ready to clean install macOS Monterey.

Step two: Download the macOS Monterey Installer

You can download the macOS Monterey installer from the App Shop:

Launch the App Store.
Click the search bar, type in "macOS Monterey," and hit Return.
Click macOS Monterey in the search results.
Click the Get button to download the macOS Monterey installer.
Expect for the download to finish.

The macOS Monterey installer is around 12 GB large, so it may have a while for it to finish downloading, depending on the speed of your net connection.

Step 3: Format a USB Flash Bulldoze for macOS Monterey [Optional]

Now that you have a re-create of the macOS Monterey Installer sitting in your Applications folder, it'due south time to brand a bootable USB stick. You'll demand to find one with at to the lowest degree 16 GB of space, as the macOS Monterey Installer tips the scales at around 12-14 GB.

Here's what you'll need to do to fix the USB stick:

Plugin the USB stick.
If you've used the stick before, check for any important files that you might accept forgotten.
Open up the Disk Utility (constitute in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder).
Select your USB stick and click the "Erase" button (from the list of icons at the superlative of the window).
Brand sure "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" is selected.
Name your stick "MontereyUSB" or something else that'due south piece of cake to place.
Click the "Erase" button.

Step 4: Install macOS 12 Monterey onto your USB Bulldoze

Once your USB drive is freshly formatted, it's time to add the macOS Monterey installer that you downloaded earlier. This requires typing a few lines into the Terminal awarding — but don't worry, it's really elementary!

Open the Final (plant in the /Applications/Utilities/ folder).
Paste the post-obit command into the terminal window:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ Monterey.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/YOURUSBDRIVE --nointeraction

Replace YOURUSBDRIVE with the actual proper noun of your USB drive.
Finally, hit the enter central and type your main admin account password.

That's information technology! You'll exist asked if you want to proceed with the installation, and if y'all agree, you'll see a per centum indicator in the Terminal window indicating the progress of the copy.

After that'due south completed, you'll exist the proud owner of a bootable macOS Monterey USB stick!

Alternative method: Disk Drill

If yous're a little reluctant to fire upward the Terminal, in that location is another method that you can use to install macOS Monterey in a few elementary clicks: Deejay Drill.

Launch Disk Drill and select "macOS Installer" from the left pane.
Select "Install macOS Monterey" from the listing of bachelor options.
If you tin can't see the correct file, there'south an pick to manually add it at the bottom of the window.
Adjacent upward, select the USB stick you'd like to use.
Click the "Create macOS Installer" push button at the bottom right of the window, simply remember that ALL data on the selected USB stick will be erased.

As you can see, the Disk Drill app makes the entire procedure extremely fast and unproblematic, and information technology'due south peculiarly handy to take around every bit we arroyo the next stage of the install process.

Step 5: Clean install macOS Monterey

To brainstorm to clean install macOS Monterey, you'll need to shut down your car, then boot again from the USB stick that you created, rather than the primary drive.

Historically, this procedure was equally simple equally starting your automobile whilst holding down the Option primal and selecting the right disk. Today, modern Macs crave an extra security setting to be changed to permit the machine to boot using other media.

This procedure is really uncomplicated, merely it does vary slightly depending on the historic period of your motorcar.

one. Enter recovery style

To modify your security settings, you'll first need to kick your machine in recovery fashion:

If you have a new M1-powered motorcar, you tin enter recovery mode by turning on your motorcar in the usual way, but keeping the power button held downward until y'all see the Startup Options screen.

For all other compatible Macs, yous can enter recovery mode by holding down Command-R earlier the Apple logo appears and the startup chime sounds.

ii. Update your startup security settings

Once your Mac is in recovery fashion, you can update your security settings to allow the car to boot from a USB stick. This procedure is also slightly dissimilar depending on the age of your motorcar:

If yous have an M1 Mac, click on the gear icon (Options), then click Continue. In one case you see the main recovery screen, click on Utilities in the top menu bar. Side by side, go to Utilities > Startup Security Utility. Select your main bulldoze and so click the Security Policy button. In the next window, select Reduced Security. You're now ready to close down your Mac.
For Intel Macs with the T2 scrap, you need to navigate to the same Utilities > Startup Security Utility screen once in recovery mode. Printing the button Enter macOS password, and enter your password once more when the StartUp Security Utility window appears. Under Secure boot, select Medium security. Select Permit booting external media under the Immune boot media. Then, close the window by clicking the red X icon. merely after beingness prompted for a countersign, you lot'll need to select Medium Security, followed by "Allow booting external media". In one case the window is closed, the settings will be applied and stored. You tin can now close down your Mac.
For older Intel Macs without the T2 chip, click Utilities and select Startup Security Utility located at the height bar menu. Check if the option "Firmware Password Protection" is in the off land. If it is on, turn off password protection.

3. Install macOS Monterey

After all the hard work, you're now finally ready to begin the actual clean installation of macOS Monterey. Once more, you demand to follow slightly different instructions depending on if yous have a Mac with Apple Silicone or Intel.

Mac with Apple Silicone (M1, M1 Pro, M1 Max)

Brand sure the USB drive with macOS Monterey is connected to your Mac.
Turn off your Mac. Press and hold the power push until you run across the Startup Options window.
Select Install macOS Monterey and click Continue.
Yous will be presented with the macOS installer window. Shut information technology by pressing Install macOS Monterey > Quit Install macOS.
Click Quit to ostend. We need to do this to enter Disk Utility to erase your principal organisation drive.
Select Disk Utility from the list of available options.
Click the View button, select Show all devices, and and so select your internal bulldoze.
Click Erase and choose APFS. Confirm.

Your Mac will automatically restart and bring you to the activation screen. You need to have an net connection to cease this process.
Click Get out to Recovery Utilities.
Shut downward your Mac and printing and hold the ability button until you see the Startup Options window once again,
Select Install macOS Monterey and click Keep.
Install macOS Monterey past following the installation wizard.

Macs with Intel processors (both with and without the T2 bit)

Make sure the USB bulldoze with macOS Monterey is connected to your Mac.
Turn off your Mac. Start your Mac while property down the Selection key.
Choose the Install macOS Monterey boot option.
Then, enter your account password to access the macOS recovery bill of fare.
Choose Disk Utility.
Click the view push button, and select Show All Devices.
Select your internal drive.
Click Erase. Make sure to keep the format as APFS. Confirm.

Your current macOS is now deleted. Close Disk Utility to go back to the Recovery window.
Click Install macOS Monterey and continue by following the installation wizard.

The installation will brainstorm. Don't be surprised if your Mac restarts a couple of times during the installation process. Later about 30 minutes, the make clean installation of macOS Monterey should be finished, and you can bask your pristine operating organization.

David Morelo

David Morelo is a professional content writer in the technology niche, covering everything from consumer products to emerging technologies and their cross-industry application. His interest in technology started at an ...

Read total bio

David Morelo is a professional person content writer in the technology niche, roofing everything from consumer products to emerging technologies and their cross-industry application. His interest in engineering started at an ...

Read full bio

Approved by

Brett Johnson

This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Bachelor's Degree in Reckoner Systems and Network, 12 years of feel.

This article has been approved by Brett Johnson, Data Recovery Engineer at ACE Data Recovery. Brett has a Available's Caste in Reckoner Systems and Network, 12 years of experience.