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I have a N751JK ASUS notebook with Windows 8.1 pre-installed. I am trying to install Ubuntu 14.04 on my second hard drive, but the installation is failing with this error message: Unable to install GRUB in dev/sda. Executing 'grub-install/dev/sda' failed.

I am installing from a USB stick, with an ISO I already used to, successfully, install ubuntu on another machine. Not sure what I'm doing wrong. If someone could lend a hand, that would be great. :)

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  • If Windows 8 pre-installed, then that is UEFI with gpt partitioning. If you install to sdb in BIOS mode and it trys to install to sda, then it will want a bios_grub partition. Better to install in UEFI boot mode since Windows is UEFI. And often better to disconnect Windows drive so Ubuntu install is clean. With UEFI it will always install a ubuntu folder with efi boot files in sda. How you boot installer, is then how it installs. You should have two boot options for flash drive. help.ubuntu.com/community/UEFI
    – oldfred
    Jun 12, 2015 at 22:57
  • Hi, thanks for writing back. I gave up in the end, and installed Ubuntu in a partition on my first drive (where Win 8.1 is). Installation went through without any trouble. I am curious though; most sources seemed to suggested allowing grub to install on sda, without having to create a separate partition on sdb, and having install there. If I ever have to install ubuntu on a multiple drive machine, I'll try what you suggested. Thanks for the help. :)
    – Krys Anywhere
    Jun 15, 2015 at 10:32
  • With UEFI grub always installs to sda. I installed a second Ubuntu to sdb and specifically told it to install to sdb, but it did not. But I want each drive configured so it could boot without the other drive, so I copied /EFI/ubuntu folder to my efi partition on sdb, more as a backup way to boot if sda fails for any reason. The only way I could get it to install fully to sdb, was by disconnecting sda.
    – oldfred
    Jun 15, 2015 at 15:12
  • Ok, then, I'll keep that in mind should I need to install Ubuntu on another multiple drive machine. Thanks for the help. :)
    – Krys Anywhere
    Jun 17, 2015 at 9:17

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