Formatting a hard drive along with the install of a new OS is the best option. The vast majority of operating system installations provide a "format" option as part of the installation process.

(Note: This guide is adapted from one I found buried in Google's cache, so I thought Ars might appreciate a more accessible, updated version.)<br><br><b>Introduction</b><br><br>We all know that OS X ...

Like Lion (OS X 10.7) before it, Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8) doesn’t ship on a disc—it’s available only as an installer app downloadable from the Mac App Store ...

You can install macOS on a regular PC to create a custom computer called a Hackintosh. To set up a Hackintosh, you need a Mac, a USB drive, and specific tools like ...

A bootable Mac OS X thumb drive comes in handy when you need to troubleshoot OS issues for yourself, your family, or your friends. It’s also extremely useful for keeping your basic setup consistent ...

I recently switched my OS drive to a new, larger SSD so that I would stop running out of space every time a Windows 11 update came around. I had to weigh up the benefits of doing a fresh install or ...

If you receive an error message indicating that your Mac's firmware is out-of-date, and hence cannot accept installation of Mac OS X from a CD/DVD -- specifically ...

[Editor’s note: This article is part of our series of articles on installing and upgrading to Lion (OS X 10.7). We also have a complete guide to installing and upgrading to Mountain Lion (OS X 10.8).] ...