[Fixed] Could Not Create a Preboot Volume for APFS Install?

When you are attempting to reinstall the macOS High Sierra, you are likely to receive an error message that says: Could not create a preboot volume for APFS install. This error that happens at the end of the installation process is not a common one. Once this error occurs, it means that the Preboot Execution Volume (PXE) cannot be installed on the APFS volume.

Below we summarize some possible methods for fixing the “Mac could not create a preboot volume for APFS install” issue. If you are one of those who run into this annoying issue, just keep reading and find a workable solution from the following content.

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Method 1: Delete the Current Volume or Partition on Your Mac

When it comes to solving the “could not create a preboot volume for APFS install Mac” issue, the most effective solution is to delete your volume or partition on Mac. To do this, here is a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Turn off your Mac. Then press and hold the Power + Command + R buttons on your keyboard until the Apple logo shows up on your screen

Step 2: Wait a while and you will see the macOS Utilities window appear on your screen. Double-click Disk Utility to continue.

Step 3: In the next window, select the internal drive and click Erase to delete it from your Mac. Then click Erase again to confirm the operation.

Step 4: After that, open Disk Utility again, select the internal drive named Container 0, format it as Mac OS Extended, and then you are able to reinstall macOS. Alternatively, you can choose to follow the steps below.

1. Reboot your Mac and then press Option + Command + R at once. Hold these keys until you see a spinning globe on your screen.
2. After getting into the Mac Recovery mode, highlight Disk Utility and click Continue.
3. Select the Macintosh HD partition and then reformat this partition as Mac OS Extended.
4. Go back to the macOS Utilities window and select Reinstall macOS.

Further reading: 

Are you owning a Wiindows PC too? Do you wanna perform a partition deleting operation on your PC? If so, we highly recommend you use MiniTool Partition Wizard. The Delete Partition feature of it enables you to delete your partitions with ease.

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Method 2: Upgrade to APFS on macOS High Sierra

This way may also help you solve the “Mac could not create a preboot volume for APFS install” issue. To execute this operation, you can try the following steps.

Step 1: Restart your Mac and keep pressing Command and R keys at the same time so that you can enter Mac Recovery mode.

Step 2: In the macOS Utilities window in the recovery mode, select Disk Utility.

Step 3: Select the startup partition from the left sidebar. Then click Edit and select the Convert to APFS option from the drop-down menu.

Step 4: Click Convert in the prompted window to start the process.

Step 5: Once the operation is completed, click Done.

Method 3: Install macOS via Internet Recovery

After you fail to reinstall the macOS due to the “could not create a preboot volume for APFS install Mac” issue, you can then try entering Internet Recovery and reinstalling the macOS.

Step 1: Reboot your Mac and immediately press Command + R + Option. Release these keys until the spinning globe appears.

Step 2: Choose a network you want to use on your computer.

Step 3: After a while, you will see the macOS recovery screen. Click Reinstall macOS and then follow the on-screen instructions to perform a macOS installation.

When facing the “Mac could not create a preboot volume for APFS install” issue, you can try the above methods to solve this issue. If you have any other great solutions to this issue, please share them with us in the comment part below. We will appreciate you very much.