Password no longer recognised; and 'latest' version of Ubuntu will not load
by malwodyn from LinuxQuestions.org on (#5NMTV)
I have a problem which I have so far been unable to resolve despite reading a number of threads on this forum.
I consider myself a Linux user, not a Linux expert. I'm happy to enter commands in a terminal, but very much more at home with a GUI.
Some years ago I purchased a Lenovo laptop running Ubuntu, and specially configured to allow me to enter text in Japanese, using LibreOffice. That worked quite happily until the screen developed a serious fault. I had been thinking of upgrading for some time, the available space on the hard disk was beginning to run low, and this was a good opportunity.
Unfortunately the suppliers of the original laptop were no longer in business; but a local computer repair shop was able to clone the hard disk onto a larger solid-state hard disk and install this in a second-hand Compaq Qinetiq laptop.
All worked well for a short time, until just before the beginning of lock-down, the cooling fan ceased to work. At round about the same time, I became unable to log on to my user account - the password was no longer recognised.
The problem with the fan has been rectified. However, there remain problems logging in to my account.
The original version of Ubuntu installed on the Lenovo laptop was Precise Pangolin (12.04 LTS)", and at some time afterwards Quantal Quetzal 12.10" was installed. Now, when I try to start the machine, I am offered a choice of these two and can select one by moving the up and down arrows; if I highlight Precise Pangolin, I am then offered a choice of my own account or a Guest Session; my own account requires a password, but the password I've always used is no longer recognised. I can log in under Guest Session, but do not have access to my files. The good news is that LibreOffice still functions as it did prior to the problems, and I can switch from text entry in English to text entry in Japanese and back again.
However, if I highlight Quantal Quetzal as my selected operating system, the last line on the screen tells me that the highlighted entry will be booted automatically in 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 seconds" but never boots; instead the countdown begins again at 5.
Pressing enter' to boot this OS does not work.
Pressing e' to edit the commands before booting gives
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
savedefault
(with the exception of the first command, which reads root (hd0,1) the same commands appear if I select Precise Pangolin)
and I am offered the choice of b' - boot, e' edit selected command, c' for a command-line, o' & O' to open a new line, d' to remove the selected line, or Esc to return to the previous menu.
Pressing c' gives me the following
[ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename. ESC at any time exits.]
grub> _
HELP, please!!!
I consider myself a Linux user, not a Linux expert. I'm happy to enter commands in a terminal, but very much more at home with a GUI.
Some years ago I purchased a Lenovo laptop running Ubuntu, and specially configured to allow me to enter text in Japanese, using LibreOffice. That worked quite happily until the screen developed a serious fault. I had been thinking of upgrading for some time, the available space on the hard disk was beginning to run low, and this was a good opportunity.
Unfortunately the suppliers of the original laptop were no longer in business; but a local computer repair shop was able to clone the hard disk onto a larger solid-state hard disk and install this in a second-hand Compaq Qinetiq laptop.
All worked well for a short time, until just before the beginning of lock-down, the cooling fan ceased to work. At round about the same time, I became unable to log on to my user account - the password was no longer recognised.
The problem with the fan has been rectified. However, there remain problems logging in to my account.
The original version of Ubuntu installed on the Lenovo laptop was Precise Pangolin (12.04 LTS)", and at some time afterwards Quantal Quetzal 12.10" was installed. Now, when I try to start the machine, I am offered a choice of these two and can select one by moving the up and down arrows; if I highlight Precise Pangolin, I am then offered a choice of my own account or a Guest Session; my own account requires a password, but the password I've always used is no longer recognised. I can log in under Guest Session, but do not have access to my files. The good news is that LibreOffice still functions as it did prior to the problems, and I can switch from text entry in English to text entry in Japanese and back again.
However, if I highlight Quantal Quetzal as my selected operating system, the last line on the screen tells me that the highlighted entry will be booted automatically in 5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 seconds" but never boots; instead the countdown begins again at 5.
Pressing enter' to boot this OS does not work.
Pressing e' to edit the commands before booting gives
root (hd0,2)
chainloader +1
savedefault
(with the exception of the first command, which reads root (hd0,1) the same commands appear if I select Precise Pangolin)
and I am offered the choice of b' - boot, e' edit selected command, c' for a command-line, o' & O' to open a new line, d' to remove the selected line, or Esc to return to the previous menu.
Pressing c' gives me the following
[ Minimal BASH-like line editing is supported. For the first word, TAB lists possible command completions. Anywhere else TAB lists the possible completions of a device/filename. ESC at any time exits.]
grub> _
HELP, please!!!