Mac users who seek to upgrade to High Sierra or Mojave from previous versions of Mac OS sometimes encounter the following error: 'Computer is missing a firmware partition'. This error, if anything, indicates that the upgrade cannot be effected because of some internal problem with your Mac, and in this article, we offer workable solutions on how to go about solving it.
To find the latest updates for each version of macOS, check for software updates, then start up from the other volume and check for software updates again. Learn more If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, or the startup disk is formatted as Mac OS Extended instead of APFS, you can create a new partition instead. You may not install this volume because the computer is missing a firmware partition Not a Mac expert, so take this with a VERY large grain of salt. I believe the installer is simply looking for a small partition (EFI) to put the recovery info for the version of the OS you are trying to install. Older versions of Mac OS did not do this.
What is the cause of the 'Computer missing a firmware partition' error?
Just like many PC problems, this particular error could result from any number of things. Can you watch directv on ipad. Your computer could be low on storage space, for instance, or a malware infection might have interfered with system settings, or perhaps a piece of the Mac's hardware is damaged or not properly configured. To troubleshoot as many problems as possible, it is recommended to first try a Mac repair tool such as before pursuing any other solution. Outbyte MacRepair will scan your entire system to find and fix any performance-limiting issues that may exist. Mydlink services plug in. If the 'Computer is missing a firmware partition' error persists even after cleaning your computer with a Mac repair tool, the following other solutions will be of great help to you on the matter.
Check Compatibility
To upgrade to Mac OS High Sierra or to Mojave from previous versions of OS, such as OS X Mountain Lion, your PC must meet several minimum requirements. Apple, for instance, recommends at least 2GB of memory and 14.3 GB of available storage space. However, to be on the safe side, make sure that your computer exceeds these minimum requirements by at least 20%. The following is a list of devices that are compatible with Mac OS High Sierra and Mojave:
- MacBook released 2009 or later.
- MacBook Air released late 2010 or later.
- MacBook Pro released mid-2010 or later.
- Mac mini released mid-2010 or later.
- IMac released late 2009 or later.
- Mac Pro released mid-2010 or later.
If your device is not on the list above, then trying to install the latest versions of iOS on your device will result in failure no matter what you do. You can check whether your device meets these minimum requirements by choosing About this Mac from the Apple Menu.
Update Your Drivers
Drivers are what allows hardware devices to communicate with the operating system. When drivers are out of date or misconfigured, they can cause all sorts of problems on a computer. To make sure drivers are not responsible for the 'Computer is missing a firmware partition' error, you will have to update them. To update drivers on the Mac, take the following steps:
- Click on the Apple icon and select App Store.
- Click UPDATE for the specific update that you want or choose UPDATE ALL to make all updates at the same time.
NB: It is important that you always keep your system up to date for security and performance reasons.
Bypass Method
The following technique that involves using the Carbon Copy Cloner and VMware Fusion software seems to work in eliminating the error under discussion. Carbon Copy Cloner is a special kind of backup app that can copy the entire operating system and files onto a bootable device, while VMware Fusion is a software hypervisor that allows Intel-based Macs to run other operating systems like Windows and Linux virtually. These software tools can be combined to overcome the 'Computer is missing a firmware partition' error. The following is how it is done:
- Install VMware Fusion on your Mac.
- Download Mojave or High Sierra from App Store. Don't open the app, close it.
- Create a new VMware machine using the OS you have just downloaded.
- Select the installation file and wait for it to be fully installed on your virtual machine.
- Download a copy of Carbon Copy Cloner on the virtual machine.
- Select to copy your virtual machine to a USB drive or an external SSD.
- After it's done cloning, you will be prompted to create a recovery partition on the USB; accept and wait for it to finish.
- After it's done, shut down the virtual machine and boot from your USB or external SSD.
- To now install on your internal drive, open Carbon Copy Cloner and select USB as the source and your device as the destination.
- You will be prompted to create a recovery partition; accept and close.
This process will install Mojave or High Sierra OS on your device and bypass the errors that you are experiencing.
Check Your Disks for Damage
It could be that you are experiencing the 'Computer is missing a firmware partition' error because of a hardware problem. And if this is the case, you can always troubleshoot hardware issues with the help of Apple Diagnostics.
How to Conduct Apple Hardware Test
- Disconnect all external devices except the mouse, keyboard, and Ethernet connection- where applicable- and power connection.
- Put your Mac on a hard, flat, stable and well-ventilated work surface.
- Shut the Mac down.
- Turn your Mac on and immediately press and hold the D key on the keyboard. Keep holding the D key until the Apple Hardware Test icon appears.
- Select your language preference and then click the right arrow. If you are only using a keyboard, you can use the up and down keys to select the language.
- To begin the test, click the Test button, T on the keyboard or the Return key. If you want to perform a more thorough test, select 'Perform extended testing' from the list of options. This will, however, take more time to complete.
- After the test is complete, review the test results that will appear in the lower-right section of the window.
- To quit the Apple Hardware Test, restart your computer or shut it down.
If the results of the test indicate that something is wrong with your hardware, you can choose to replace it, and this will probably do away with the errors that you might be experiencing. If the 'Computer is missing a firmware partition' error persists even after all these solutions, you should probably visit a Mac clinic.
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Computer Is Missing A Firmware Partition Mojave Desert
So, I've recently had this issue when my SSD died in the machine – Apple being apple wanted over £500 to 'fix' this issue – It takes less than 10 mins to replace the drive yourself.
Missing Firmware Partition Mac
As my Macbook Pro was early 2015 model, it was released with OS X Yosemite.
Of course, It's always worth attempting the 'Recovery from Internet' option once I replaced the drive.
However, it seems that Apple were a bit sneaky in the older versions and do not support drives without EFI firmware, so I had to get macOS Mojave, which from my own research was the first OS from Apple that supported this – It wasn't that simple mind.
The Mac was not able to upgrade to OS X El Capitan, MacOS Sierra, MacOS High Sierra, MacOS Mojave, or even MacOS Catalina, as it kept returning the error 'You may not install this volume because the computer is missing a firmware partition'. So, what now?
I overcome this by using my iMac, and plugging in an external HDD to the machine – using this drive to take a 'TimeMachine' backup, but excluding applications, files etc – After-all, I only need the OS!
Once completed, I plugged this into my Macbook Pro, selected internet recovery (Command + R when turning on the machine). I then went to Disk Utility and recovered the machine from the TimeMachine backup Once done, I selected the new SSD drive, and clicked on 'Partition' – I then selected MacOS Journaled, and the scheme as GUID.
After a few seconds, the action was completed. Now, I went to 'Reinstall MacOS' and hurray, the new SSD drive was accessible and able to re-install MacOS.
After a short while, the MacOS Catalina installed onto the new drive – and the Macbook Pro was back!
