Unable to install to HFS+ partition and EFI partition destroyed

[robo731]

While trying to install Mojave, I formatted an empty FAT32 partition as HFS+, but when trying to install to it, it does not appear as a selectable location and I am unable to mount it. I exited the installer, but after doing so, I am now unable to boot my existing Windows 10 or Linux distros. They do not appear in Clover and I cannot reach grub. In addition nothing appears in my boot menu in BIOS except when a USB is plugged in.

When I relaunched the installer from the USB, I can see my other OSs and partitions in disk utility. So I suspect (and hope) they are still in tact. I believe something may have happened to my EFI partition which I have a backup of that I created with dd in Linux.

I tried to use a bootable USB with Manjaro Linux on it, but when I attempt to boot it, it says "unknown filesystem" and leaves me at a 'grub rescue' prompt.


My priorities are to:

1. Boot into windows if possible and create an image, if I cannot boot into it, at least backup some files from that partition.

2. Continue installing Mojave

Any help would be appreciated.

UPDATE: Is it possible my entire drive was converted to APFS?

 

[robo731]

The one on my system or the one on my bootable USB?

 

[robo731]

Here is the one from the USB I used. I'm not sure how I can post the one from my system as I can't boot anything.

 

[robo731]

Okay, I was finally able to boot into a linux image. My partitions are intact, I can mount them and see the files, etc... It looks like the drive hasn't been put into an APFS container, but that the EFI partition has been destroyed as I first suspected.

 

[Feartech]

Okay, I was finally able to boot into a linux image. My partitions are intact, I can mount them and see the files, etc... It looks like the drive hasn't been put into an APFS container, but that the EFI partition has been destroyed as I first suspected.

View attachment 386462

i think the efi should be at the start of the disk

 

[robo731]

Well, originally I had a 100 MB EFI partition which is now that unallocated space between sda1 and sda2. I had created another EFI parition which I am intending to use for Clover and macOS (sda8) which is labeled as Clover EFI partition at 500MB.

 

[Feartech]

Well, originally I had a 100 MB EFI partition which is now that unallocated space between sda1 and sda2. I had created another EFI parition which I am intending to use for Clover and macOS (sda8) which is labeled as Clover EFI partition at 500MB.

best to have resized the 100mb one to 200mb or so

 

[robo731]

That may be, but I'm not able to go that route. Do you know why that 100 MB EFI partition was destoryed?

 

[itwas]

don't touch the EFI partition, when you are using macOS to format the drive, it will create a 200MB FAT EFI partition automatically.

normally EFI system partition (ESP) is the first partition, with the name EFI, size 200MB

/dev/disk0 (internal, physical):
   #:                       TYPE NAME                    SIZE       IDENTIFIER
   0:      GUID_partition_scheme                        *500.1 GB   disk0
   1:                        EFI EFI                     209.7 MB   disk0s1
   2:                  Apple_HFS Seagate                 499.8 GB   disk0s2

 

[robo731]

You mean it will create its own 200MB EFI partition separate from the 100MB one being used for Windows and Linux?