Bootloader install failed

[videosgones]

Total Linux noob here. So I'm installing from a live USB drive that I made a while ago, and at the end of installation, I got this message:

"Unable to install GRUB in /dev/sda1"
"Executing 'grub-install /dev/sda1' failed.

This is a fatal error."

In case this could have any bearing on the success of the installation (like I said, I'm clueless), I was browsing our internet webs with the included Firefox while it was installing.

Thanks,
Video Gone.

EDIT: I'll also note that a lot of the questions involving failed bootloader installation on Ubuntu that have come up in my Googling also mention installing from a flash drive.

[gnuuser]

grub should be installed to the mbr
grub loads to the bootable directory sda1

[MartinRF]

Which version of Linux Mint are you trying to install?

/Martin

[AlexVSharp]

Well I'm having the exact same issue, so might as well post here.
I'm trying to get Mint14 Cinnamon installed on RAID0, and the bootloader keeps failing to install.

Tried a bunch of guides I've found here and there, however most seem to be outdated.
Otherwise they just didn't work because I'm still stuck on a LiveUSB without a working OS.

[Clemmy Clem]

I'm also having the same issue trying to install Mint 14 on a SSD.

Does anyone know if the SSD (or any drive you install to for that matter) have to be the 1st available drive? I'm thinking that this may be the problem but I could be wrong.

Thanks.

[AlexVSharp]

Nevermind. I solved it... somehow...

[karlchen]

Hi, folks.

What gnuuser tried to tell the thread starter was that he should install Grub to /dev/sda, not to /dev/sda1.
Wherever possible Grub should be installed into the MBR of a disk. The MBR of /dev/sda1 lives in /dev/sda.
If the device were /dev/sdd1, then the appropriate location for Grub would be /dev/sdd.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards,
Karl

[karlchen]

Hello, Clemmy Clem.

Does anyone know if the SSD (or any drive you install to for that matter) have to be the 1st available drive?

It should be the drive which the Bios wants to boot from. I.e. if you have got 2 separate disks in your machine, assuming they are /dev/sda and /dev/sdb, and you have instructed your Bios to boot your machine from /dev/sdb, then /dev/sdb would be the right location for Grub.
As a rule, however, the first drive in a machine will be the drive where the Bios looks for a bootable system.

Kind regards,
Karl

[gnuuser]

Hello, Clemmy Clem.

Does anyone know if the SSD (or any drive you install to for that matter) have to be the 1st available drive?

It should be the drive which the Bios wants to boot from. I.e. if you have got 2 separate disks in your machine, assuming they are /dev/sda and /dev/sdb, and you have instructed your Bios to boot your machine from /dev/sdb, then /dev/sdb would be the right location for Grub.
As a rule, however, the first drive in a machine will be the drive where the Bios looks for a bootable system.

Kind regards,
Karl

correct you can chose the boot device in bios by using the boot order.
when you install the drives in the system the interface is usually numbered as well on the motherboard or color coded
your manual should have the connection order listed.
i should have clarified the drive number (doh! smacking forehead)