anthony40 - Yes, backing up data, installing an OS, restoring data, and then reinstalling apps will take longer, but you will have a system that runs cleaner and faster than a direct update.

leosmith - I recently learned what a clean install of a Mac is simply means installing the OS onto a freshly formatted or cleaned-up disk. It is very important to back up your data because, as we mentioned earlier, a clean install is like a fresh and new Mac. I was helped by the article https://onmac.net/how-to-clean-install-macos-12-monterey/, which my classmate advised. I'm sure you will find it useful.