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I am a complete newbie.

I installed ubuntu 12.04 on an old laptop on a clean hard disc It worked well for a while, until various boot-up issues arose Details can be supplied, but the position got worse and now all I get is:

error: ELF header smaller than expected
grub rescue>

This has been on Forum before, but did not help.

computer does not activate cd/rom or usb (whatever order I put the into in BIOS) Thus Boot Repair and Ubuntu 12.04 discs do not work, nor any other discs Nor can I get into grub by hitting shift on boot-up. All I can get is BIOS and the message above.

I have made some progress.

command ls shows:

(hd0) (hd0,msdos5) (hd0,msdos1).

ls (hd0,msdos1)/ shows line `'lost+found/ etc/ media/ bin/ boot/ dev/ home/ lib/ mnt/ opt/ proc/ root/run/ sbin/ selinux/ srv/ sys/ tmp/ usr/ var/ vmlinuz initrd.img cdrom/ Desktop/ initrd.img.old vmlinuz.ol .gnome-desktop/ I then type in

ls (hd0,1)/ produces the same output

ls /boot/ shows ./ ../ grub/ System.map-3.8.0-29-generic abi-3.8.0.29- generic config... and a further 5 lines of similar stuff

set prefix=(hd0,1)/boot/grub

and all I get again is grub rescue>

same for when I type in

 set root=(hd0,1).

and if I type in

insmod normal

I get

error: ELF header smaller than expected
grub rescue>

I have come to a dead-end. Before I give up can anyone confirm that my hard disc can still be broken, even though it comes up with 'grub rescue' and 'ls' as described above. If so it might just be worth buying a new hard disc as I suspect it has had it.

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  • Did you modify the hd0,* values? what are your outputs? of ls and ls for each entry?
    – Braiam
    Nov 20, 2013 at 18:54
  • The best way to add additional information to your question is by editing it, with the edit button. It is better visible that way, and comments are mainly for secondary, temporary purposes. Comments are removed under a variety of circumstances. Anything important to your question should be in the question itself.
    – Braiam
    Nov 21, 2013 at 0:21
  • I'm afraid this is much too advanced for me, but here goes. when I put in ls I get : (hd0) (hd0,msdos5) (hd0,msdos1) (hd1) (hd1,msdos1). Then i put in set root=(hd0,2)/boot and I got no outputs except grub rescue> again. I put in insmod linux and got ELF header smaller than expected grub rescue>. No modifications made as I haven't a clue what I am doing
    – user193623
    Nov 21, 2013 at 0:28
  • Apart from @Braiam, no one has helped. I tried HOWTO: Boot & Install Ubuntu from the Grub Rescue Prompt and got a vg item by drs305 dated 17.10.10. I put in ls (hd0,1)/boot/grub and got loads of .mod files. Next step not entirely clear, but I put in set prefix=(hd0,1)/boot/grub - but command not recognized. Not sure what to try next ?
    – user193623
    Nov 23, 2013 at 17:33
  • 1
    Possible duplicate of ELF header smaller than expected
    – Eric Carvalho
    Mar 5, 2018 at 11:32

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