No matter how many times I try re-installing Linux Mint, I get a GRUB error. How do I fix it?

Question

I have been trying to install Linux Mint 16 Petra using a removable USB thumb drive on my laptop, and after multiple attempts, I get the same error every time:

error: file '/boot/grub/i386-pc/normal.mod' not found.
Entering rescue mode...
grub rescue>

I tried following the instructions here, but absolutely none of it helped.

How do I get my computer to boot?

Solution

The solution was to boot the computer using the USB stick, and then run Boot Repair, which I only just learned about.

It was easy to install via repository, and the process was very clear. It reported an error, but the computer was able to reboot successfully anyway.

In the GRUB menu, the default option says ubuntu instead of Linux Mint, but I can live with that.

Comments

[rickhg12hs]

So you can boot from USB, but get the grub error on 'normal' boot. Like the thread you gave a link to, are there initial boot options from USB?

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: With the USB thumb drive connected, the only options are to boot from the USB drive or run some memory tests. Nothing that can help the GRUB error.

[rickhg12hs]

There are no boot options from USB? E.g., BIOS vs UEFI?

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: Nope. Should there be?

[rickhg12hs]

There doesn't have to be, but choosing specific USB boot options, and install from USB was the ultimate solution for the original poster of the link you provided.

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: Yeah. Where he mentions UEFI:USB MEDIA, and USB MEDIA, I don't see where that applies in any of the options I have.

[rickhg12hs]

Where did you get your USB image? Have a link? Perhaps best to include all these extra details in your original post.

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: I used the USB Image Writer program in Linux Mint to copy the install ISO file to the thumb drive.

[rickhg12hs]

So the install proceeded completely normally, got to the "Restart Now" part, you clicked it, removed the thumb drive, and then got the mentioned error?

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: Yep, that's pretty much the case.

[rickhg12hs]

If you boot from USB and as root run 'grub-install /dev/sda' (if that's the proper device), does a reboot then work normally?

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: Maybe... I don't know what's happening right now, but I can't seem to boot from the USB thumb drive now either. I've checked the BIOS settings and I should be able to. It's possible my thumb drive has died, so I'm going to have to get another one to try.

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: Okay, after some unrelated complications, I was able to get the thumb drive to boot again. I ran sudo grub-install /dev/sda at a terminal prompt, and the response I got was grub-probe: error: failed to get canonical path of /cow. Path '/boot/grub' is not readable by GRUB on boot. Installation is impossible. Aborting. I'm pretty sure my GRUB should be on /dev/sda, but I tried /dev/sda1` just as an experiment, and got the same response.

[rickhg12hs]

Glad you were able to fix it. Waiting for a Mint kernel update or running 'sudo update-grub' may "fix" the grub Ubuntu listing.

[ADAM]

@rickhg12hs: Thank you for all your suggestions and help along the way. Strangely, the GRUB listing seems to have corrected itself, though I can't be sure why or how. Likely it was something to do with some updates I did with the GUI update manager, but I couldn't tell you exactly what.

[psusi]

1) He doesn't have grub4dos, 2) he isn't trying to boot the iso image, and 3) dd is not a grub command.