Q: I want to update my Mac to Lion. But I want to start fresh, with a totally clean system. Any tips?
B: We tend to be paranoid, so we recommend making a complete clone of your system drive on an external hard drive. That way, you have a working backup that you can go to if there is any problem with your new install.
Then, launch your Mac from the installer disk, reformat your drive, and do the install.
You’re wiping the system drive completely, so you’ll have to re-install all of your software applications and plug-ins. In many cases, the copy protection used is keyed off of the computer’s CPU or hardware configuration, so the authorizations will be okay. In other cases, you may have to re-authorize the software, so be sure you keep any challenge/response codes handy and that you know how to access the authorization pages on the manufacturer’s websites.
Proceed carefully and methodically, and allow plenty of time to do this process.
