With OS X Lion due for release later today, many people will be getting ready to upgrade. Whether this will be done by simple upgrade or clean install using a Lion boot disc the steps to prepare should be the same. Click below to see some handy pointers for early upgraders.

...

While Apple goes to great lengths to ensure upgrades go smoothly, the simple fact is that sometimes it can go wrong especially for early adopters.

It is vital to back up your system which for many means Time Machine. I strongly advise before any OS upgrade you do a Time Machine back up. If you're doing a clean install you can easily import your applications, documents, pictures and settings using the Migration Assistant at the end of the installation procedure.

If, like me, you want to ensure you can get your system back to a fully working state in the unlikely event that the upgrade goes pear shaped, then you should clone your hard drive. Cloning means what it says on the tin, create an image that is an exact copy of your boot drive. There are many ways to do this, but one superb package you can use is SuperDuper. A real selling point for SuperDuper is that you can clone your hard drive without forking out any money - it's free. There is an option to pay for  the software to enable features such as scheduling, but for many this isn't necessary.

It may seem overkill to start drive cloning, but this gives you a guaranteed way to revert your system back to the point before you attempted the reformat and install.

Once you are backed up and cloned, you are ready to begin the installation process. Hopefully all will go smoothly and you will be enjoying Apple's latest OS before the end of the day.

Good luck