I'm trying to install Linux Mint Cinnamon on my 2014 Asus Atheros AR5B125 laptop, which has a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, and a 500GB HDD. However, I'm encountering an error that says, "unable to install grub in dev/sda. This is a fatal failure." From what I've gathered online, this might be related to my hard drive being HDD instead of SSD. I'm unsure about what to do next – should I re-download the installer or is there a better solution?
3 Answers
When you boot from the installer USB, make sure you see two entries for the same USB: one for UEFI boot and one for Legacy (MBR) boot. If your hardware supports UEFI (which most recent machines do), you should choose the UEFI option and use GPT for the partition table. If you're booting in Legacy mode, then you need to use MBR for partitioning instead. You could run into errors if these settings don't match up. Honestly, HDD vs. SSD doesn’t play a role in this issue. I recommend leaving your drive unallocated for the installer to set everything up as it needs.
Just to clarify, the issue isn't because you're using an HDD instead of an SSD. It seems like you might be trying to install in BIOS-compatible mode while your drive is set up with GPT. Ideally, you should boot the installer in UEFI mode to avoid problems. Repartitioning with classic MBR could work, but it's a hassle compared to a UEFI installation.
I did try that, but I ran into the same error. Another commenter mentioned my laptop's setup might be mixed between legacy BIOS and UEFI, so I plan to create a new installation with a version of Mint designed for older hardware.
Can you share what your current partitioning looks like? Also, confirm if /dev/sda is indeed your 500GB HDD. This will help in figuring out the next steps.
I have only one drive since this system is pretty old. Looks like I was booting in legacy mode (CSM in BIOS). I've disabled that and am going to try the installation again.
This is the way.