FIX- Could not create a Preboot Volume for APFS install

Hi all,

I was experiencing this same problem when I tried to upgrade my iMac 27" mid 2011 to High Sierra yesterday. I was resistant to follow the solution that suggests deleting the drive since I didn't have my data backed up. So, the way I ended up fixing the issue and successfully completed the installation was to create a bootable USB with High Sierra installer and boot from this USB to reinstall High Sierra.

Using this method I didn't get "Could not create a preboot volume for APFS install" and installation completed without having to delete any drives therefore keeping all my existing data.

So, I encourage you to first try this method if you don't have your data backed up.

Hope it helps!

I had the same problem and I followed your steps, but in Internet Recovery I still only saw High Sierra, not El Capitan nor Sierra. I also tried to delete and erase the volumes in Recovery mode, but error popped up. The only way I could format the volume to Mac OS Extended was in Internet Recovery. So I pressed Option + Command + R and went to Internet Recovery. Then I erased the volume and reinstalled Mac OS. Everything went fine.

I had this issue as well - only APFS options, and only High Sierra. Never went back to Sierra. I did hack out another work around. You'll need a USB HDD for this, but it has worked for me every time.

Boot to Recovery mode (command+option+R),

Plug in external HDD

IF not apple formatted, reformat using a non-apfs format (those should be available - I just used the recommended)

Start Re-install OSX, but select your external HDD to restore on.

When finished, start up your new install, go to Disk Utilities, and you should be able to reformat your internal drive to something other then APFS.

Now, reboot back to Recovery again (command+option+R), unplug external USB, Reinstall OSX again. This time it should go through even if it is High Sierra it wants to install.

Sorry for the dual installs, but I think the above solution didn't work for me because the drive is somehow locked. Booting to another drive frees it up so it can be reformatted back to something that works. At least a Mac OS reinstall is relatively fast!

Note, the MacBooks with Touch-bar don't seem to experience this issue. I saw it on the model just previous to the Touch Bar one.

Hi Everyone,

I face same issue. Here is my problem.
1. Erase HDD (at macbookpro 13" touch bar, late 2017) to APFS format.
2. Recover MacOS, then pop up "Could not create a Preboot Volume for APFS install"

Here my solutions

1. Restart and press "option + command + R" to enter Internet Recovery Mode
2. At the current recovery mode, go to utilities to Erase HDD again and with the same APFS format.
3. Now start the Recovery MacOS again.

Everything is going well in Internet Recovery Mode with non pop up. FYI I'm recover directly back to macOS High Sierra.

Thanks Ethoic your in put was helpful.

However, my pc deliberately refused to format my drive with the format Mac OS extended. So, I reinstalled Mac OS Sierra on my Mac using an external hard drive. This worked successfully so that I could set up my mac again as if it were new. I then went to the app store and downloaded mac OS sierra and reinstalled it again, this time on my Mac drive. This was successful too and that is how I fixed the problem. I hope this helps someone who may be having a similar problem as I. This frustrated me for 24 hours!

Normally, when you have Sierra, and start the downloaded High-Sierra-Installer (in the applications folder), it will do two things: reformat the boot drive to APFS and install HighSierra. No need to go difficult.

It is not required to go the route you did.

BTW: you can install HighSierra without the conversion (from HFS+) to APFS and do that conversion later, but then you do not use the Installer in the Applications folder, but use a specific Terminal command to start the Installer.

When you go to CMD+Alt+R and "Install OS": it will reinstall the original OS. In your case perhaps Sierra, but for older macs it will be older OS, but that will not work well when the drive is already converted to APFS.

This is exiting! My MacbookAir took the evening one day in May as I was updating High Sierra. There I first saw the term APFS system and of course believed everything was OK, as I am no expert. Since then I have not been able to use my MackbookAir (late 2011). I am very satisfied with my MBA, so I don't want to skip it, although I also have a MBP (2015). After that update in May I have not been able to start ANY program, not even system preferences. The dock was filled with question marks, not program symbols. I have been able to see Finder and eventually also seeing all the files, but have not been able to start any program by clicking on the file names. I have used my holidays to try everything that I have found on the internet, and eventually I have deleted the disk by using disk utility after restarting, holding shift, cmd, R. (My son-in-law which is an alleged computer expert, told me to buy a new machine and use my holidays on positive things, but that only annoyed me.) But always there has been the choice of APFS, and no escape to SATA, until I asked the right question in Google and found your fix, Ethoic. So now I am installing High Sierra on my SATA Mac Os extended formatted SSD 256GB. I did not find the minus button in disk utility but chose erase and was given the alternative of formatting the deleted disk by SATA Mac OS extended. Going out of disk utilities, I chose the install Mac Os, but then it was High Sierra, and not Sierra to chose. As I am writing this, only minutes remain until HS will be installed.

My reflection is that Apple has failed to be honest and fair to myself and all you others experiencing this problem. Shame on Apple not giving advice and not making a fix for this problem.

I have three other MacMinis and an iMac (all 2015/fusion/SSD) and the mentioned MBP (SSD) that I have not noticed any problems with at all. So how come this happens to my MBA?

Now the installation is finished and the Apple sign is on the screen of my MBA. Will it go through? 9 minutes remains. Will I get the message "Could not create a Preboot Volume for APFS install" at the end, once more?

Now I have passed through all challenges, and High Sierra is installed on my MBA. Unbelievable!!!

First test is that System Preferences works, and I may access it.

OK, and now my tedious work starts to make my MBA look like the old one did in May this year.

Shame on Apple causing all this work for me, and a lot of thanks to Ethoic for his/her fix. Always grateful. I can't say I love you as I don't know you, but I love your fix. Bowing on my knees. Thank you! Have a nice summer!

This worked for me. For those having issues still, follow along closely:

1. Shut down the computer. Once computer is off, press and hold Shift + Command + R while turning computer back on.

2. Once computer is on, go into Disk Utility and 'Erase' the drive Macintosh HD. (Make sure you do not delete the OSX Base Layer Drive) I was also unable to delete any of my drives with the '-'

3. Once HD has been erased, shut down your computer again.

4. Once computer is off, press and hold Command + R while turning computer back on.

5. Once computer is back up, select Reinstall OSX. If High Sierra is still there, it did not work and move on to the next step. If an older OS is there, you may first need to Mount the drive, and make sure you format it as Mac OS Extended not APFS.

6. If you are still being prompted to install High Sierra. Try shutting down the computer again, turning it back on, but this time press and hold Option + Command + R. Once the computer boots back up, see if you are prompted to install Sierra, El Captian, etc.

If these steps don't work for you, I would try it several more times in variations of deleting/readding drives, as well as messing with the +/- for adding and deleting drives as well.

Hey, Ceyrah.

You have to follow the fix from Ethoic strictly.

You shall only press Command + R (not option as well)

When you get into Disk utility, you will find the SATA option for the disk format. Then choose this.

Read also what I did.

Good luck!

Okay great. If you created a new disk, erase that one, and if you can try and erase both of the ones at the top (Not the OSX Base Layer) Once you erase the drive, shut down the computer, and try it again. (Option + Command + R)

I honestly had to do this several times and in variations of Option + Command + R as well as Command + R, and Shift + Command + R. Each time I just did the same thing until finally my computer prompted to reinstall OSX Yosemite rather than High Sierra.

https://youtu.be/SzlekFSLKzM

This is a great link to reset MacBook to factory settings works with os high Sierra on MacBook air (had all the problems as some of the pictures) But it should work and reset. It's okay if it reboots 3x under the apple logo there will be a moment when it should say "installing in...(so much minutes).

Also watch the previous video if needing to downgrade to osX or Sierra.

I succesfully reinstalled High Sierra after 6 hours of trial and error. Here’s my method:

1. Launch internet recovery mode (cmd-opt-r on startup)

2. On disk utilities, delete the Macbook HD drive with the minus button (not erase). Don’t delete the ones that has an eject icon

3. Restart and launch internet recovery mode again

4. Go to disk utilities. The drive will have a different name,preboot or whatever. reformat (erase) the drive to MacOs Extended (journaled).

5. Restart and launch again internet recovery mode

6. Go to disk util and reformat the drive again, this time to APFS

7. I restarted again after this just to be sure, but i guess you could just go to the recovery options directly after this and choose install MacOS. High Sierra will install without any problems.

Basically i reverted the hard drive back to the old file system or whatever Macos extended means, then reformatted it back to APFS. Formatting the drive back to the old format then back again to the new Apple file system format seams to solve the volume problems.

Hi all, need help.

So I removed the only one drive that I could, restarted into internet recovery, entered my WiFi password and it shows connected, but it is just sitting there and not going past the WiFi selection screen, any ideas?

why the f this answer is listed here at the top, it completely made things way worse. I got the container disk1 after I deleted Macintosh HD, and there's no way I can create HDF harddrive now or get to anywhere else.

after trying got stuck with unable to unount the disk1s3 because recovery is running, i just created a new drive, near disk0, did nothing, named it to Macintosh HD, and at least got my hard-drive back.