While you can upgrade to macOS Mojave, many users will want to do a clean install of macOS Mojave to speed up an old Mac, leave annoying problems behind, and start fresh.
This guide will show you how to do a clean install of macOS Mojave on any Mac that can run it. If you’re using an older version of macOS, this is a great way to upgrade and avoid bringing old issues with you.
Apple changed the disk format from macOS Sierra to High Sierra, and that’s exactly what it’s getting into with macOS Mojave. You don’t need to make any changes though, because the installer will upgrade you to the latest version if you’re not already on it.
Even if you’re doing a clean install, you still need to complete these steps before installing macOS Mojave.
Should I Clean Install or Update macOS Mojave?
A clean install of macOS Mojave isn’t a requirement, but is a good idea for some users.
If you’re experiencing macOS High Sierra issues or haven’t done a clean install in years, this is a good way to get rid of them and potentially speed up your Mac.
It can also help you free up space by getting rid of apps and files you don’t use.
When you do a clean install of macOS Mojave, it deletes everything, so you should make sure you have a good backup. When you’re done, you can choose to restore a Time Machine Backup or choose to start completely fresh.
What You Need to Do a Clean Install of macOS Mojave
For the most common method of doing a clean install, you need a flash drive, macOS Mojave installer from the App Store, and potentially an adapter.
- Download the macOS High Sierra installer from the App Store.
- A 16GB Flash Drive that you can erase.
- USB C Adapter if you have a MacBook
- Time Machine Backup
The process will wipe the flash drive, so make sure you don’t need any files on it. There is a clean install option that does not use a thumb drive, which we will share below.
How to Make a Bootable USB macOS Mojave Installer
To do a clean install, make a bootable macOS Mojave installer.
Download the macOS Mojave Installer from the Mac App Store. Do not run it after downloading. This is a large file and will take some time to download. Click the menu bar at the top of your screen to close without installing.
- Connect your USB drive to your Mac. You don’t need to format the drive specifically for this task, the app will take care of it all for you. This will delete the USB drive.
- download Disc Creator 2 and then click on Application.
- Select the USB drive from the drop-down menu.
- Click Select Installer if it’s not already selected and select the macOS Mojave installer.
- Click Create Installer.
- Click Erase disk.
- Wait for a confirmation that this is complete.
That’s all you have to do, and you now have a bootable macOS Mojave installer.
How to Do a Clean Install of macOS Mojave
Select your bootable macOS Mojave Installer.
Now that you have everything you need, you can start your clean install. This is an easy process, but you have to follow the steps exactly.
- Plug in the USB Installer.
- Shut down your Mac.
- Restart your mac while holding down the option key.
- Click Install macOS Mojave.
- Now click on Disk Utility.
- Click on your Mac hard drive, then click Erase. Use the default options here.
- Name your hard drive Macintosh HD and then click delete.
- Wait for the driver to be deleted.
- Click Install macOS.
This will start the macOS Mojave installation on your blank drive and will install in the next 30 to 60 minutes. This skips the other parts that are causing the macOS Mojave installation to take so long, but it’s by no means fast.
Once that’s done, you’ll need to enter your Apple ID and password, and then restore from a Time Machine Backup or start from scratch by downloading the apps and files you need.
