Grub-pc installing error

do you have SuperGrubDisk (http://www.supergrubdisk.org/)? This could help troubleshout. If it's more aptitude-related, have you tried stuff like apt-get update or apt-get clean?

I could recover grub many times by following these instructions at: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Grub2#Recover

First of all, you must start your system from a live cd. Then

"METHOD 3 - CHROOT

This method of installation uses the chroot command to gain access to the broken system's files. Once the chroot command is issued, the LiveCD treats the broken system's / as its own. Commands run in a chroot environment will affect the broken systems filesystems and not those of the LiveCD.

1) Boot to the LiveCD Desktop (Ubuntu 9.10 or later). Please note that the Live CD must be the same as the system you are fixing - either 32-bit or 64-bit (if not then the chroot will fail).

2) Open a terminal - Applications, Accessories, Terminal. 3) Determine your normal system partition - (the switch is a lowercase "L")

sudo fdisk -l

If you aren't sure, run

df -Th 

Substitute the correct partition: sda1, sdb5, etc.

sudo mount /dev/sdXX /mnt  

sudo mount /dev/sdYY /mnt/boot 

6) Mount the critical virtual filesystems:

sudo mount --bind /dev  /mnt/dev
sudo mount --bind /dev/pts  /mnt/dev/pts
sudo mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
sudo mount --bind /sys  /mnt/sys 

7) Chroot into your normal system device:

sudo chroot /mnt 

8) If there is no /boot/grub/grub.cfg or it's not correct, create one using

update-grub 

9) Reinstall GRUB 2:

Substitute the correct device - sda, sdb, etc. Do not specify a partition number.

grub-install /dev/sdX 

10) Verify the install (use the correct device, for example sda. Do not specify a partition):

sudo grub-install --recheck /dev/sdX 

sudo umount /mnt/dev/pts
sudo umount /mnt/dev
sudo umount /mnt/proc
sudo umount /mnt/sys 

13) If you mounted a separate /boot partition:

sudo umount /mnt/boot 

14) Unmount the LiveCD's /usr directory:

sudo umount /mnt/usr 

15) Unmount last device:

sudo umount /mnt 

16) Reboot.

sudo reboot 

Run

chmod -x /etc/grub.d/README

Then try the upgrade again.

This question is quite old, but I just ran into this and had a different issue: looks like my partition UUIDs changed around, so I had to run

sudo update-grub

This prompted me to select partitions to install GRUB, and it updated the GRUB installs on the selected partitions (I guess detecting the appropriate UUIDs in the process). Following that

sudo dpkg --configure -a

successfully ran to completion.