Could not create a preboot volume for APFS install.

I should take this opportunity to report that the resulting volume, while it did not lead to a reinstallation of the operating system, did successfully boot. It did, however, leave the /macOS Install Data folder on my install partition, which I'm about to delete, since the converted partition already boots into a working installation.

I have the same error. Scenario is as follows:

Mac Mini running Sierra and Vmware Fusion.

Sierra VM is upgraded to High Sierra.

High Sierra VM boots fine, but the file system was not upgraded, it is still Apple HFS.

I then performed the following in the High Sierra VM:

Rebooted to recovery (Cmd-R)

Reformatted the virtual hard drive as APFS

Re-installed macOS High Sierra

After a short time I got the same error.

I got the same issue. I entered a forum post with details of what I did.

In my case, since I was doing it in the main drive, I had to revert back to my time machine backup

I have a single SATA drive internal, on a Mac Mini (boot volume). I have an external drive connected as a Time Machine volume.

I converted the TimeMachine volume of to APFS as it showed up under the Edit Menu in Disk Utility. I decided that the Boot Volume should also be converted but did not see the Convert to APFS volume under the Edit menu. I know from times past the cmdline DiskUtils has way more options than the GUI. I suspected I could conver to APFS using Terminal+diskutils. I did that conversion to disk0s2 (my HFS+ data volume).

Then I got this error: Could not create preboot volume for APFS install

Spent a lot of time trying to manually bless the drive with subsequent errors. Then I looked up the isse on Google and it brought me to this thread.

Followed that same advice, I did a dirty re-install of High Sierra Beta 7, that fixed enough of the partition entries and blessing to force it to boot the Disk02s. I just had to be very, very patient, and keep my hands off the mouse and keyboard out of fear of interrupting whatever process it was going through to tie the boot files to the APFS converted disk partition.

*Nota Bene: Manually converting a boot volume via commandline in terminal is hazardous/unfriendly. If the full GUI Disk Utility doesn't "offer" to convert your boot volume, don't force it.

It's really not worth the effort of getting it up and running again even if it's just a sacrificial test machine or VM. If it does show Convert to APFS under the Edit menu, give it shot. I converted my TimeMachine volume to APFS, but boot volume wasn't having it. Using Terminal and diskutil cmdline, forced it, but then it wouldn't bless.

The fix was to do as Kode54 described in the response above:
1. dirty install of High Sierra Beta 7 over top the exisitng OS (Beta 7)

2. select internal HD as boot drive and then reboot

I had this same problem happen to me recently. Went to reinstall high sierra (was currently running beta 8), went into recovery mode (Command +R at boot), erased the hard drive in diskutility and reformatted it in APFS encrypted. Went into the reinstall macOS and as it worked through the 8 minutes it would stop at the end with a pop up message saying "Could not create a preboot volume for APFS". This made things interesting so I tried reformatting the drive with the unencrypted APFS and still same error. I eventually made a really stupid move from diskutility and from the disk0 drive itself I right clicked and chose to Erase, somehow thinking what harm could be done at this point, thinking it would erase and reappear. Well that never happened. The internal disk0 drive did not come back. I ended up trying to create a backup from another computer and installing the backup to that. This didn't work either since it couldn't find the internal hard drive.

I created a bootable thumbdrive with high sierra from another computer and used that to boot up, and still the internal drive wasn't an option on diskutility. what eventually worked was somehow the drive appeared when I booted into recovery mode with the install thumbdrive and having another thumbdrive in the internal drive finally appeared. I was able to then format it again as APFS. It then populated when I did the reinstall from the install thumbdrive. After that it worked fine.

In hindsight I know I shouldn't have erased that drive, and I likely could have reformatted disk 1 from terminal and seen if it would repopulated in diskutility then. But either way the lesson here is don't erase the internal hard drive from diskutility. If you get that preboot error I would suggest creating a bootable thumbdrive from another computer and using that to enter recovery mode and doing the install this way.

Summary... Solution for error when you see "Could not create a preboot volume for APFS":

1. Create a bootable thumbdrive on another computer

Except I needed to change the command to this:

sudo /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra\ Beta.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia --volume /Volumes/HighSierra --applicationpath /Applications/Install\ macOS\ High\ Sierra\ Beta.app --nointeraction &&say Boot drive created

2. Once the drive is created plug into the tanked computer- hold down option and choose to boot from the installer

3. Go to reinstall macOS and choose the internal hard drive for installation. There should not be an error with this method.

Hi, I'm currently facing the same "Could not create a preboot volume for APFS" issue after i erased the drive from diskutility. I was on the latest version of High Sierra yesterday. Kindly, give me the lines of code necessary to create the bootable usb (especially with the changes you've mentioned). I'm new to macOS. So please bear with me.

Man, so many thanks, this got me out of a big hole.

My story: Upgraded my MacBook pro, so selling the 'old', 2014 model. Followed this apple documented procedure to clean the SSD of personal information before sale:

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT204904

Essentially, reboot with Command-R option, wipe the SSD using MacoS Utilties, Disk Utility, then use Resinstall MacOS Option, AFPS Unencrypted.

Tried 5 times, either the install 'completed' with error 'Could not create preboot volume for AFPS install', or the installation would hang with 35 mins remaining (sat there for 5 hours).

The solution presented here worked perfectly for me the first time.

I used this utility to create my bootable usb, no command line chops required:

https://macdaddy.io/create-bootable-usb-macos-installer/

Then followed procedure laid out by blitzu as 1, 2, 3.

Tanked computer now untanked!!

Many thanks.

Awesome! Im happy it helped 🙂 I knew I couldn’t be the only one to encounter this problem.

Hi All!

I'm having the same issue on a MAC BOOK AIR 2017. First time it gave the error could not contact sever but after countless efforts I managed to to download via the MAC internet recovery afte the download this error popped up.Is there a solution for this ?

Oh guys, THANK YOU!!!! finally make it work using your steps. Just wondering why the issue remains unfixed even though it is old and well known.

Hi I had the same problem. Did the same thing for about 3 times. Format the drive first to apfs 1.Power down the mac. 2.hold the Option-Command-R and power button. 3.a world logo will show and start loading. 4.reinstall mac os in recovery. 5.no more error "could not create a preboot volume for apsf install" Hope this helps

Thanks all for all the detailed reply. I followed same steps as described by The_Robot_Master and it worked for me.

Also, learnt how to create a bootable USB drive (although i did not have to use it) from here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201372

Thank you everyone. I too followed same steps as described by The_Robot_Master and it worked for me.

1. Power down the mac. 2.hold the Option-Command-R and power button. 3.a world logo will show and start loading.

Thank you blitzu & wordnergatt for your notes I was able to use this method to get my 2009 imac to boot!