Clean Install: reinstall a Mac with macOS Tahoe

When a new software version comes out for the Mac, such as MacOS Tahoe, there are a lot of Mac users who prefer to reinstall the Mac completely through a Clean Install (clean installation).

This has many benefits. This is how junk from the previous versions is erased and you start with a clean slate. The biggest advantage is that macOS feels faster. Furthermore, it is also advisable to reinstall your Mac when you experience problems. As with previous versions, it is possible to use macOS Sequoia to reinstall your Mac.

If Tahoe has already been installed

This procedure is intended for Mac users who have already installed macOS Tahoe. Do you still use macOS Sequoia or earlier? Then it is also possible to reinstall it and then update it to MacOS Tahoe. In addition, you can also immediately reinstall your Mac with a MacOS installation USB stick.

Clean Install: reinstall macOS Tahoe

It is important That before reinstalling your Mac, you place all your files and documents that you want to keep on an external hard drive or online service such as iCloud Drive, Dropbox or Google Drive.

Steps for Apple Silicon

Macs with an M1 chip or newer

• Turn off your Mac
• Then hold down the on/off button
• Keep pressing the button until the ‘Loading Start -up options’ screen appears
• Click on ‘Options’ and then on ‘Go on’

Steps for Mac computers with Intel

• Then restart your Mac
• Immediately feed the key combination cmd⌘ + R out
• Let go of the keys when you see the Apple logo
• The recovery mode becomes active

While fully erase (formatting)

• Click on the WiFi icon in the menu bar and connect
• Click on Schijf utility ▸ Continue
• Select Macintosh HD – Data in the column
• If necessary, first click on ‘Activate’ at the top first
• Fill the administrator/disk ▸ Unlock
• Then click on the minus button in the button bar to erase the volume
• Choose ‘Remove Volume group’
• Confirm the removal
• Select in the ‘Macintosh HD’ column
• Now click in the button bar on ‘Wis’

It is possible that after the deletion of the data disc and the volume group, Macintosh HD is also erased and removed from the list. The result is that only the SSD is visible. You can delete this again by clicking on the ‘Wis’ button bar and then giving the name ‘Macintosh HD’.

Now you need to choose a structure for your hard disk; It is probably already equipped with APFS. Then you can only choose APFS. Do you not see the option? Then traditional hard drives can opt for ‘Mac OS Extensive (Journaled)’ and, if necessary, in the event of a layout for ‘Guid-partition classification’. Then fill in a name (you can possibly keep the same name) and click on ‘Wear’. Your disk will now complete are deleted; If this is completed, you can close the disk utility window.

Perform clean install in combination with a Fusion Drive

Do you have a Mac with official Fusion Drive? Then it is best to go through the steps below:

• Turn off your Mac
• Switch on the Mac and keep it immediately command⌘ + enter squeezed
• Let go of the keys as soon as you see the Apple logo or a rotating globe
• The recovery mode becomes active
• Log in if necessary and then click in the menu bar on aunt programs ▸ Terminal
• Type diskutil resetFusion In the Terminal window and then press enter
• Type Yes When therefore you are requested and confirmed with enter

When Terminal reports that the operation was successful, close the window to return to the ‘MacOS utility programs’ window. Then choose ‘Install macOS again’ and follow the instructions on the screen to reinstall the MAC control system. When this is ready, the Mac will start again from the Fusion Drive.

More information can be found On the Apple Support website. Are you experiencing problems? Then you have to perform an internet recovery.

MacOS Tahoe (re) install

Once the hard disk is formatted, you can reinstall macOS Tahoe. Select in the utility window ‘Reinstall macOS. ‘ Click on ‘Continue’ and then accurately follow the instructions on the screen. Choose in the window in which you have to select a disk, the current macOS disc (which you have just deleted); In most cases this is the only available disk. Your Mac will now download the last installed version of MacOS.

All data is deleted

Please note, the hard disk is completely deleted and will be supplied with macOS again. This deletes all (personal) data, applications and files. We once again emphasize that it is best to copy all important files to an external hard drive or an exact copy of your current hard disk with an application such as Superuper (how do you read in this article).

It has no sense To place an exact copy or time machine backup on your Mac after a reinstallation. You then reinstall all ‘junk’ again.

Perform clean install from an old software version

In the above article we assume that you have already installed the latest macOS version on your Mac and you have no trouble reinstalling the update after deleting. Do you prefer to install MacOS 26 directly? Then you must use an installation USB stick. You can read how you make it and use it in the highlighted article below. After deleting the hard disk, connect the USB stick to your Mac to install macOS.