macOS Mojave won't install updates past 10.14.1 due to requirement for APFS formatting

Solution 1:

I had the same problem. After multiple searches, the only way I found to get the drive updated to APFS was the following:

1. Full clone of internal drive to external drive using SuperDuper! (Carbon Copy Cloner would also work from what I've read)
2. Reboot from external drive
3. Reformat internal drive as APFS
4. Full clone of external drive to internal drive using SuperDuper!
5. Reboot from internal drive

It feels like there should be an easier way to do this, but I couldn't find it.

Solution 2:

I had to try a different route, since when i cloned back from my external drive (using CCC both directions), the newly updated internal hard-drive (erased and updated to APFS) wasn't bootable.

What i did instead, from being in my Mojave stuck in beta Mac:

1. Create a full Time Machine backup onto external backup drive #1.
2. Using CCC, create a fully bootable copy of my Mac onto external drive #2.
3. Reboot to Recovery mode (Cmd-R), and erase/reformat the internal drive to Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
4. From there, switch over and reinstall the OS. This put me all the way back at Mavericks (10.9.5). Important NOTE: make sure you know your Apple ID and password, and if you have two factor auth setup, make sure you have your second device ready to go.
5. From Mavericks, update the OS to Sierra (this is where the two factor verification came in).
6. From Sierra, update to Mojave, which will update the file system to APFS.
7. From Mojave, run Migration Assistant under Applications > Utilities, and copy over all your apps and files from the Time Machine backup (ext drive #1).

You're good to go!

Technically the second backup drive is not needed, but i am paranoid, and i was glad to be able to boot to that while i figured out all the steps. The above worked well.

Solution 3:

I had Mojave 10.14.1 installed on a solid state drive with Mac OS Extended (Journaled).

• I keep regular Time Machine backups, if you don’t, find a way to make your backup first, you’ll need it.
• I shutdown my Mac Pro and unplugged my Apple Tower (which I choose to connect via LAN, instead of WiFi.
• I booted into recovery mode, opened Disk Utility, and erased my drive using Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
• I closed Disk Utility, choose to install new OS and on my machine it defaulted to Sierra.
• After the install and auto-reboot, I went to the apple site to upgrade and Catalina was offered. I knew I could find High Sierra, but chose adventure instead. I downloaded Catalina and was allowed to choose my drive and install. The process said nothing of APFS.
• After the Catalina install and auto-reboot, I opened Disk Utility to check the drive format. The drive was APFS.

• I then shut down, reconnected my Apple Tower, restarted in recovery mode, went to Terminal and turned sleep off for everything, chose to restore from time machine backup, entered my time machine password, chose the backup to use (which reflected the old OS version), selected my HD, and clicked Erase Disk when prompted.

• After my time capsule recovery was complete, I did have to re-upgrade to Catalina.