Users will encounter this problem only when attempting to completely delete their Macs and reinstall macOS High Sierra, therefore it is not a particularly typical occurrence. If you are trying to reinstall macOS High Sierra and are met with the error message “Could Not Create A Preboot Volume For APFS Install” this article will explain you why this happens and how to fix it.
When your Mac reports that it “Could Not Create A Preboot Volume For APFS Install,” you may be wondering what this means. This problem occurs when attempting to install the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) onto an APFS drive.
Apple’s new file system, APFS (Apple File System), which is being introduced in High Sierra to replace the 20-year-old file system or HFS+, is the primary cause of the preboot installation failure.
While the new APFS system is more secure, quicker, and more SSD-compatible than its predecessor, it is incompatible with OS X and macOS versions prior to High Sierra. Furthermore, the Recovery Mode reinstallation of High Sierra fails when an Apple File System partition is present.
If you’re having trouble reinstalling macOS High Sierra because of the “Could Not Create A Preboot Volume For APFS Install” problem, you have two options: either erase the relevant partitions or volumes on your Mac, or install Sierra from the Internet Recovery Partition. Here, I will explain those procedures in detail.
Method 1: Discard Your Divider (Volume).
Step 1: Toggle the Mac Off button.
Step 2: Enter Recovery Mode by starting your Mac in Safe Mode. Hold down the power button and the command key ( R) until the Apple logo appears.
Step 3: The tools menu will pop up.
Step 4: Go to the Applications menu and pick Disk Utility. Your Mac will display every driver it has.
Step 5: Just pick your internal drive and hit the erase button. The drive will be erased once you press this button.
Step 6: Wrap up Disk Utility.
Step 7: You can go one of two ways now:
Select the internal drive, reopen Disk Utility, and format it as “Mac OS Extended.” Finally, you may reinstall macOS.
Alternatively, you can power down your Mac and restart it. To access Internet Recovery Mode, press and hold Option + Command + R. Choose the Disk Utility option. Locate the drive and rename it “Macintosh HD” after the “Mac OS Extended” file system that you’ll be using to format it. Create a new volume and format it as “Mac OS Extended” if the drive is not visible. Leave Disk Utility, and set your sights on a clean installation of macOS with the Reinstall button.
If you delete this drive, the faulty APFS file system that’s generating the error will be removed, and you’ll be able to reinstall macOS without issue.
Method 2: To access Internet Recovery Mode, press F11.
Step 1: You should restart your Mac.
Step 2: Pressing Command + R + Alt/Option during a reboot will enter Internet Recovery Mode on a Mac.
Step 3: Access the WiFi, then go into Settings.
Step 4: When you select Reinstall OS, your computer will reinstall its factory-installed operating system.
