Solution 1: Change Format to macOS Extended (Journaled) Therefore, you are recommended to back up your drive before any action. Please be reminded that erasing your Mac hard drive will result in data loss. There are two ways to fix the issue: changing the format to macOS Extended (Journaled) or creating an empty APFS container to store the macOS installer. How to Fix the 'could not create a preboot volume for APFS install' Error It is a new system partition created before installation to build communication between APFS and the macOS version such as High Sierra, Catalina, Big Sur, Monterey etc. Technically speaking, this issue arises when Preboot Execution Volume (PXE) can't be installed on APFS. The 'could not create a preboot volume for APFS install' error occurs when macOS fails to change the boot disk format from HFS+ (Mac OS Extended) to APFS, the new file system that Apple released as part of macOS 10.13 High Sierra. What Does 'could not create a preboot volume for APFS install' Mean? This post will explain the cause of the error and the solutions people use to resolve the problem successfully. It typically appears when the installation process is about to finish after hours of waiting. The 'could not create a preboot volume for APFS install' error happens when you reinstall macOS 10.13 High Sierra.
