There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this “standard” method of installation, but wiping the disk entirely and performing a true “clean install” will remove any potential problems, from outdated or third-party software. 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.

When we talk about a “clean install” of macOS Monterey, we mean erasing the main disk of all its files and then installing the new operating system on the freshly wiped drive. Why perform a clean install of macOS Monterey? In this guide, we’re going to walk you through the steps required to clean install macOS Monterey, including backing up your existing files and creating a bootable USB stick that will be used to perform the installation. Apple released macOS 12 Monterey on Monday, October 25. MacOS 12 Monterey is the name of Apple’s latest operating system, an evolution of the current Big Sur platform that offers new features and tweaks to some of the Cupertino giant’s most popular apps and services.

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