Could not create a Preboot Volume for APFS install

Jaykribz wrote:

This is a fix for the 2009 MacBook when you get the error message that says "Could not create a Preboot Volume for APFS install".

1. MacOS Utilities should be on the screen.
2. Click Disk Utility.
3. Click Macintosh HD.
4. Click Erase (At the Top) and Delete your Macintosh HD.
5. Partition out a new Memory and Name it Macintosh HD. Click the drop down of ARPS and Change it to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
6. Click Apply.
7. Once the partition is loaded, exit out of disk utilities
8. Then restart the MacBook or power off and on.

Step 0: Boot Recovery Mode first (hold down Command-R while you turn on or restart your Mac)

Step 8 will immediately fail since you just erased your startup disk, and deleted macOS and all of your data. You'll have to reinstall macOS again, which should automatically come with the latest update (and presumably fix the preboot issue). Also, your procedure destroys the entire startup disk without warning the reader about imminent data loss.

An easier way to fix this issue may be to simply reinstall macOS without erasing the startup disk:

1. Boot Recovery Mode.

2. Choose Reinstall macOS. (You won't lose any data)

3. Wait for the installer to finish its work and end up on the login screen or the desktop screen.

4. Verify that the Preboot volume exists by opening Terminal and executing diskutil list.

It's perfectly fine for you to not care about the data on your MacBook. It is, after all, your MacBook anyways. However, for those who have similar issues and use your procedure to fix the issue, it is generally best practice to warn them that they will lose all of their data and that they should make a backup prior to proceeding.

You would have to be booted from outside the system, to erase it. Then, if you have, how are you supposed to start it again.

This is dangerous rubbish.