Ubuntu dual boot and grub error 18

Posted by srboisvert on Super User See other posts from Super User or by srboisvert
Published on 2009-09-28T14:53:37Z Indexed on 2010/03/13 5:05 UTC
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ubuntu

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grub

I've attempted to install 9.04 on an older toshiba laptop with a new 300GB drive and am getting the dreaded Grub error 18 that indicates that grub is looking beyond the bios readable area of the HD and failing.

I just let ubuntu roll with its default selections when installing and ended up with this:

Drive layout
/dev/sda1 -ntfs 128GB -boot
/dev/sda2 -extended 170GB -lba
 /dev/sda5 -ntfs 167.59GB
 /dev/sda6 -ext3 2.33GB
 /dev/sda7 -linux-swap 172MB

I'd like make the system dual bootable without having to reinstall windows (real pain since I would have to go through an obstructionist IT dept). I know I can make windows bootable with a rescue disk and fixmbr but is there something I can do to make it dual bootable using the ubuntu livecd?

Alternately, what should I have done at the partition stage of ubuntu installation to avoid this?

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