Error 18 after fresh install

Asked by mikiiin

I've just installed Gutsy 7.10 and after the initial reboot i get the error

GRUB Loading stage1.5.

GRUB loading, please wait...
Error 18

I've checked the forums and haven't found an answer. I have the drive set to Auto in the BIOS
If it helps im using a 500GB HDD... i really don't want to go to Windows again
Thanks

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Ubuntu grub Edit question
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Randy LeJeune
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Ramy Al-AShram (ramyashram) said :
#1

remove any media on your computer
like flash memory or the cd etc ,,,

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mikiiin (mighty-mike00) said :
#2

I just removed everything and still, did not work

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Best Randy LeJeune (lejeunerandy-fastmail) said :
#3

Grub error 18 means that your hard drive is larger than the BIOS can address. Linux only uses the BIOS to address the hard drive during boot so boot is the only time the problem can appear.

The way to solve the problem is to create a small partition -- maybe 300 megs or so -- at the beginning of the hard drive and place /boot in that partition

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mikiiin (mighty-mike00) said :
#4

Thanks Randy LeJeune, that solved my question.

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OMEGA303 (atlas909) said :
#5

Ubuntu Grub: Error 18: Selected Cylinder exceeds maximum 1024 cylinders supported by BIOS.

For Ubuntu 8.4, Ubuntu 8.10, Ubuntu 9.4. One single hard drive dual boot - Ubuntu /xp only

Please back up everything; I don’t want to be responsible for lost of precious moments, porno or school work!! (Use partition magic) to make a partition of unallocated disk space we are going to work with unallocated, because is the simplest way to do this (Be my guest to and to this test).

(Before than anything this error 18: sucks)
1) First boot with Ubuntu live CD.
2) Now star installing Ubuntu normally
3) Do everything as normal language, keyboard etc…..
4) When you get to the part of partitioning use manual partition (I will try to explain in the simplest way).
5) Let say you have a 20, 40, 60, 80, and so on gigs hard drive of unallocated disk space, When partition editor open you would see that space you created.
-------------------------------------------------------Part 1 ext2-------------------------------------------------------------------
6) Now lets make the first partition highlight the partition (press create new) this is the one that is going to be in the first (1024 cylinders) the most important one, you will use from 300mb to 1000gig (I use 1gig my self because I have lot’s of space).

When the window opens up do this:

Mark primary/ them put the number you want 300mb to 1000 gig/mark beginning/ext2 journaling/ mount point  pull down (/Boot) --- click ok----

NOTE: When you click ok you would have your first partition (ext2) plus what ever is left of that unallocated disk space.
-------------------------------------------------------Part 2 swap-------------------------------------------------------------------
7) Now lets make the second partition or what they call SWAP highlight the remain of the unallocated disk space partition (press create new) the swap partition have to be twice the size of your memory so (512mb equals 1024mb, 1gig equals 2gig) etc…

When the window opens up do this:

(Mark primary/put the numbers of twice your memory/mark beginning/pull down choose- (swap) - (click OK).

NOTE: When you click OK you would have your second partition (swap) plus what ever is left of that unallocated disk space.

-------------------------------------------------------Part 3 ext3-------------------------------------------------------------------
8) Now let’s make the third and final partition highlight the remain of the unallocated disk space and create an ext3 partition like this

Mark primary/live the numbers the way they are inside the box don't touch them/mark beginning/ext3 journalist/pull down and use only slash (/) as your mount point - (click ok).

NOTE: When you click OK you would have your third partition (ext3) and nothing left!!!

The window should look something like this
Windows XP
/dev/sda1 ext2 /boot ----300mb to 1000gig
/dev/sda2 swap 512mb equals 1024mb, 1gig equals 2gig
/dev/sda3 ext3 / (what ever is left numbers) as and EXT3

Click forward wait for the Ubuntu to install reboot and you should have you grub!!! palm your self in the back go to your girlfriend apartment and get laid you deserved!!!

Personal note: it took me 2 years to figured this crap out and I wasn’t able to up grade to newest Distros because DELL don’t have newest BIOS for my computer or because people didn’t answer my questions like a regular human being, if we cant explain people to install Ubuntu and by pass this types of errors we would lose them. Sorry for my English lol. Hope this help