Document: WM-018                                                 P. Webb
Category: Tutorial                                            2017.11.03

                  APFS preboot install issues no more!

Abstract

   Spoiler alert, Time Machine is trash.

Body

   I was minding my business one day (October 27th) and I thought, oh!
   What’s this? A "recommended update"? "Oh sure, I’ll update to macOS
   High Sierra Beta 5, while I wait to pre-order my iPhone X at 3am."
   Updating my OS is something I’ve done countless times before. Apple
   waits until 1~3am to let me know there’s a software update or just
   performs one while I’m asleep. I awake the following morning to find
   my computer more secure than it was the previous day. Guess what
   happened this time? On the day of my friggin’ marriage (at 2am)?

   I glance at my computer and see a software update…stuck. No worries,
   I’ll reboot! Okay, Recovery Mode! Also, Restore from Time
   Machine…wtf? Why the hell did it stop at 39%? opens logs Can’t find
   linker for CoreSomethingOrOther? Good grief, reboot! Ghostbusters
   logo in white, sans ghost. WHAT. THE. FUCK. I open the Apple Support
   app, choose my laptop from my devices list, and chat with a rep.
   After confirming I didn’t want to book a Genius Bar appointment on my
   wedding day, I shut down my computer and went to bed in a huff (I
   prefaced my availability and was still asked…bruh).

   Fast-forward a few days and I’m talking to a nice Genius about my
   computer issue (and Nintendo Switch, he’s trying to justify buying
   one). He performs many of the same things I did to try and get my
   computer to work. Lo and behold, my computer lives! It breathes! It
   scrolls the wrong direction by default (Natural Scrolling is WRONG,
   you heathens)! I eagerly head home to perform a three-hour restore
   from my Time Machine.

   1. I done goofed

      I went through the same recovery process I’ve done days prior.
      What did I see? GHOST. BUSTERS! Managed to get into Recovery Mode
      to try for the last time, restoring via Time Machine, even though
      I knew it would end in error. First though, I should reformat the
      drive with Apple’s File System (APFS)…*Could not create a preboot
      volume for APFS install*. Welp. Time to fire up the iPad to search
      for solutions.

   2. Salvation

      After scouring the Internet for some semblance of a solution, I
      stumbled upon a post[1] on Apple’s own support forums by a user
      named Ethoic. Here is that post in full:


   Right Mac users. If your facing the same problem like me then I
   suggest you listen up. First don’t try to install Mac OS high
   Sierra again or try anything else. You want to first of delete
   your drive until you have no drive. Yes I mean no drive. To do
   this, power off your Mac and then hold Command + R and boot up
   your Mac. This should do the trick. Then delete your drive in
   disk utility by clicking the minus button on the top right and
   then enter internet recovery mode by repeating the process
   though this time adding option and then command + R. Then you
   will enter the same menu which is mac os utilities and then this
   time instead of Mac OS High Sierra you will just see Sierra. Go
   disk utilty  and create a disk this time clicking + and make a
   drive calling it Macintosh HD with the format Mac OS Extended.
   The fix is your removing the APFS system which is what is
   confusing the drive which for some reason apple can’t figure out
   them self. Then just click install Mac OS and you should be good
   to go. Hope your all good and ask anything you need.



      Let’s break that down into steps for ease of reading:

      1. Don’t try to install macOS High Sierra again.
      2. Delete your drive until you have no drive. Seriously.
         - Power off your Mac and then hold the Command + R keys
           while booting.
         - Delete your drive in Disk Utility. You should only see the
           macOS Recovery Drive. Leave this alone.
      3. Reboot Mac and hold down the Option + Command + R keys to
         activate Internet Recovery mode. Oh yeah, you’ll need wifi.
         Make sure you’re connected.
      4. You should see a drive in Disk Utility. If you don’t see a
         drive and are unable to click the little plus button to create
         one, reboot until you do…this was a little weird for me, might
         not happen to you.
         - If you do see a drive, reformat it as "Mac OS Extended" and
           call it "Macintosh HD".
         - There are a couple options for "Mac OS Extended". If you have
           a Time Machine backup you want to keep, know that you should
           choose "Case sensitive" if you setup your OS to be case
           sensitive (as an example).
      5. Initiate Internet Recovery.
      6. Once the recovery is successful, use Migration Assistant to
         restore from a Time Machine backup.

   Restoring from Time Machine from scratch has NEVER worked for me and
   seemingly, 99% of the Internet. Absolute trash IMO. I’m glad I got my
   data back but jeez. So many hours of my life wasted because of this
   issue. And the productivity loss (but Super Mario Odyssey gains)!
   Oh, and I’m not on the macOS beta anymore, haha. Other folks who have
   the same issue didn’t seem to be on a beta OS but you can never be
   too sure.

   If you are currently on a macOS beta and would like to hop off
   that train[2]:

   > On System Preferences → App Store you have an option called "Your

   computer is set to receive pre-releases Software Update seeds", use


   > the button Change and select Do Not Show Pre-release Updates.

   Hope this helps! 🕸