Could not create a preboot volume for apfs install. Please Help!

Hi FadyNader1,

if you have another Mac, then you may want to:

1. Download the macOS High Sierra installer from the App Store Upgrade now

2. Create a bootable installer How to create a bootable installer for macOS - Apple Support

then on your Mac you want to give to your sister:

3. start your Mac and hold down the "option/alt" key

4. go to Disk Utility select "Mac OS Extended (Journaled)" and erase "(Macintosh) HD"

5. go back to the macOS Utilities screen and select "Install macOS".

That should do it.

Cheers

First, if yours is a 2017, then it came with Sierra (10.12.x)?

That is important because you must reinstall the original OS version before selling or giving away your Mac. Why? Because the license for anything downloaded from the app store is not transferable and it is tied to your Apple ID. The recipient can easily update/upgrade the computer using their own Apple ID.

So, you need to boot into internet recovery, while there, use Disk Utility to wipe the drive and (without rebooting), immediately choose to reinstall the OS. Here are two articles - one specifically on which key combo to use to get the original OS:

How to reinstall macOS - Apple Support

What to do before you sell or give away your Mac - Apple Support

In order to get out of the mess you're in (hopefully you still have the recovery available), boot into recovery with Shift+Option+Command+R, wait for a spinning globe to appear, let go of keys and wait until connected to Apple's servers. Once there, follow above instructions.

It is probably too late to steer the OP in the right direction; if he follows your advice, the recipient will not only experience problems, but will be running an illegal copy of the OS.

Here is a link to the licensing agreement (see section 3 B):

https://www.apple.com/legal/sla/docs/macOS1013.pdf

Excerpt:

B. If you obtained your license to the Apple Software from the Mac App Store or through an automatic download, it is not transferable. If you sell your Apple-branded hardware to a third party, you must remove the Apple Software from the Apple-branded hardware before doing so, and you may restore your system to the version of the Apple operating system software that originally came with your Apple hardware (the “Original Apple OS”) and permanently transfer the Original Apple OS together with your Apple hardware, provided that: ℹ the transfer must include all of the Original Apple OS, including all its component parts and its license; (ii) you do not retain any copies of the Original Apple OS, full or partial, including copies stored on a computer or other storage device; and (iii) the party receiving the Original Apple OS reads and agrees to accept the terms and conditions of the Original Apple OS license.

Hi babowa,

OP obviously ran into the "not able to create a reboot volume" error. WHILE he was the rightful owner of his Mac, he downloaded a copy of the OS from the App Store to be able to delete and reinstall macOS again before he give the Mac to his sister. At that time he did NOT void any license agreements.

Yo provided the correct link What to do before you sell or give away your Mac - Apple Support. I assume OP's already read and followed the steps in this article.

Cheers

I generally do not participate in arguments, so this will be my last comment here.

You said:

WHILE he was the rightful owner of his Mac, he downloaded a copy of the OS from the App Store to be able to delete and reinstall macOS again before he give the Mac to his sister. At that time he did NOT void any license agreements.

That is irrelevant. Legally, he wasn't even the "rightful owner" - he has the right to use the license, but does not own the software; and, if he is giving it away, then he needs to remove it first as per the SLA. The clue in the OP's post was that he wanted to download and install High Sierra and then give it to his sister (so he was doing this to ready the machine for selling or giving):

I wanted to reformat and do a fresh install of macOS High Sierra as i will be giving the mac to my sister.

Which violates the licensing terms.

I wish I could put bells and whistles on your post. I was pretty dilapidated😕 after trying to figure out how to reinstall and tried all the things people posted. At my last literal speck of energy, I saw this post and followed the Shift+Option+Command+R and hesitantly waited for everything to run through. It worked!!! Thank you so much!!! Please pat yourself on your back, as I cannot reach you!🙂

Hi FadyNader1,

anytime! Please follow babowa's advice What to do before you sell or give away your Mac - Apple Support

Cheers

Unfortunately, that method will result in the recipient needing the OP's Apple ID and password to do any updates or reinstalls and it violates the SLA terms.

Great to hear - did you also follow Apple's instructions on what to do before selling or giving away a Mac?

Glad to hear that worked for you!