Sierra build now fails to install High Sierra

[loosedrag]

Build:
Asus Prime B250-plus
i5 6600K @ 3.5ghz
MSI GeForce GTX970
16 gb Ram
2TB Micron SSD


This was a working build for Sierra for several months, but when I swapped my 250gb SSD for a Micro 2TB SSD I figured it was time to upgrade to High Sierra. Now after finally downloading (what I believe is) a working image of High Sierra, it fails to install.
Here's the sequence:
*Created bootable tdrive w/High Sierra (followed TonyMac Guide)
*Bios setup via TonyMac
*Successfully boots from Thumbdrive into High Sierra Installer
*select language
*use disk utility to reformat drive (tried both extended journaled and HFS)
*install starts the install then stops before install is finished (about 1/3), then restarts

clover flags: dart=0 nv_disable=1 -v

Verbose mode is not helpful because I am able to get to the select language screen and begin the installation. When it fails, I can see for half a second a screen with text possibly describing the issues, but I don't know how to pause it. To the best of my knowledge, everything in clover is appropriate for my build.

I would appreciate any help. I use the machine for photo/video editing and I am getting backed up using my aging mbpro.
If I sound like a geek, I'm not. Retired grandpa trying to follow directions.

 

[P1LGRIM]

Now after finally downloading (what I believe is) a working image of High Sierra, it fails to install.

From where did you download your presumed working image of High Sierra ?

 

[loosedrag]

From where did you download your presumed working image of High Sierra ?

Apple OS download only yielded 19mb file, so I used forum instructions for compiling an image by running 19mb installer, then stopping the install before machine restarted. Then used command prompts to compile full High Sierra image of 5.24gb. Unibeast took the image without a problem.

 

[loosedrag]

From where did you download your presumed working image of High Sierra ?

Since I'm not receiving any other replies, I'll work forward from yours. Do you have any suggestions on another viable way to get a good install? we're trying every troubleshoot we can find, but nothing tried is yielding an install, so maybe my install file is corrupt? I'm out of alternatives.

 

[P1LGRIM]

Since I'm not receiving any other replies, I'll work forward from yours. Do you have any suggestions on another viable way to get a good install? we're trying every troubleshoot we can find, but nothing tried is yielding an install, so maybe my install file is corrupt? I'm out of alternatives.

You will not see much response until you post something meaningful that can be used for diagnosis of the problem.

 

[vulgo]

install starts the install then stops before install is finished (about 1/3), then restarts

At this point you should have an additional startup option in Clover (in addition to Install macOS from Install macOS High Sierra). If you don't you are probably missing a filesystem driver for APFS.

 

[loosedrag]

You will not see much response until you post something meaningful that can be used for diagnosis of the problem.

Aha. Mea culpa. Here's screenshots of the install attempt, consistently. I don't know what else to provide..please ask and I'll do my best.

 

[loosedrag]

At this point you should have an additional startup option in Clover (in addition to Install macOS from Install macOS High Sierra). If you don't you are probably missing a filesystem driver for APFS.

Yes. The add'l option to begin the install booting from the new SSD is there. It fails. Hopefully the screenshots I posted will show someone smarter than me WHY it fails.

 

[loosedrag]

Looks like my network has been blocked from accessing tonymac after posting my screenshots. Is this my reply? Anyone? If I've committed some tonymac sin would someone enlighten me please?

 

[loosedrag]

Aha. Mea culpa. Here's screenshots of the install attempt, consistently. I don't know what else to provide..please ask and I'll do my best.

Now I can't access tonymac from any device connected to my network. If I've committed some sin, please advise. Otherwise, please unblock and reply to the screenshots i posted per your own instructions to provide more information.