Simply question

[RemoteUser]

Hi everyone,
I would like to understand the difference between the following two procedures on a Check Point appliance:

1. Restoring a Factory Default Image:
From the WebUI, go to Maintenance > Factory Defaults

2. Performing a Fresh Install or Clean Install

What exactly is the difference between these two methods?

[emmap · Accepted solution]

Performing a factory default will restore the appliance to the version stored as the factory image. If the appliance has been in-place upgraded, the factory image won't be the same version as is currently running.

A clean install (via CPUSE) will create a fresh install of the selected version, but the internal hard drive is not formatted or re-partitioned.

A clean install via USB will format and repartition the hard drive wiping all data off the internal hard drive. It will also create a new factory defaults image matching the version installed.