Adding new 3750 to stack without provisioning config?

I currently have 3 WS-C3750X-48T-L   in a stack, and would like to add another as a slave. I have read the documentation on Cisco's website, and tutorials on various other websites, and just have a couple of points I would like to clarify before I go ahead.

My main question - is there actually any need, or is it recommended, to use the "switch 4 provision ws-c3750-48p" command before doing the physical connection of the 4th switch to the stack? According to Cisco, this will be done automatically when the new switch is connected anyway?

If I do use that command on the stack before connecting, do I also need to use the command "switch 1 renumber 4" on the new switch before adding it to the stack? Some documentation seems to suggest that it will automatically be assigned to the stack as switch 4, as long as it is the correct type of switch (specified in the provision command on the stack), while other documentation seems to suggest that the number also has to match before it is connected - but maybe I'm reading it wrong!

Another thing I would like to check before going ahead.. at the moment, the switches are connected as follows:

Switch     Port 1     Port 2

1               2               3

2               3               1

3               1               2

To physically add switch 4 to the stack, my plan would be to first disconnect the cable between switch 3 and switch 1. Am I right in thinking that this should not affect the operation of the 3 existing switches/stack, since switch 1 will still be connected to switch 3 via switch 2?

Then, the plan would be to connect the two ports on switch 4 to the now-empty ports on switches 1 and 3 (where the cable that I removed in my previous step used to be), and power it on.

If anyone can clarify this for me, or has any other advice, it would be much appreciated - thanks!

The provision command is useful for PRE-provisioning a switch prior to adding it to a stack. In this way, you can configure all of the switch ports before the switch is ever "really" added. You're right that the switch will automatically do this upon stacking it, however it will be a blank configuration.

To add an additional switch to your stack, please first ensure the stack-ring is in a full-duplex ring. This can be verified via the command: "show switch stack-ring speed". Once you remove one stack cable between switch 1 and 3, the stack will become half-duplex, this is fine for a temporary period of time.

I would take the connection going to switch 3 from switch 1 and put that in your new switch. Then add a new stack cable between  WS-C3750X-48T-S   switch 3 and 4. Then power your new switch on and ensure your stack ring is in a full duplex ring.