AA1L 8g No grub directory ever created

hokay, so I've got a 16gb SD card, and have been trying to install 8.10 Intrepid to it (the SD card), and lost limpus along the way. The installer keeps crashing when it's creating a 'boot installer' (?). Now I'm a complete newbie, 54, and fed up with MS. I've been reading Linux magazine for about 6 month's, and via the Sun xVM VirtualBox, Ubuntu seemed to be the easiest Linux version around. At least it was intuitive to me. I've been trying to install it from the disk that came from Linux Pro Magazine Special 3. Created a USB install on a SanDisk 8g stick. That didn't work (same problem all the time). I downloaded the version at http://releases.ubuntu.com/8.10/ just in case there was a problem with the disk. Used unetbootin-windows-319.exe to create a USB version (same SanDisk). Same problem. Tried using a Kross 16gb USB. Still same problem (both the disk and the download). I tried updating all the files on the USB by running the 'Synaptic Package Manager', and updating the files and programmes on the USB. Same problem (both the disk and the download). So, If I understand what I'm reading from the LinuxMint forum, I should have a /grub directory with a collection of files that the installer is not creating in the /boot directory. Give where I'm crashing, is there SOMETHING, ANYTHING, I can run in directory /boot directory that will create the appropriate files? Any help would be appreciated, as I don't think adding to the error count on the 'boot installer' is worth it. :?

Gave up trying to install to an SDHC card, altho' if anyone is able to do so uning a USB to either the left or the right card input, I'd love to hear from you, and how you were able to do it. I finally just wrote 9.04 over everything on the SDD and hope a solution to the install programme (ubiquity?) is found before the drive gives up the ghost! I will keep my eye open for an SD card that's not HC, and see if that's the issue. :|