Linux Mint - Black screen after GRUB menu

clankfu32 · Feb 19, 2015

I've had Linux Mint Cinnamon installed on my desktop (17 then upgraded to 17.1 when it was released) for over two months. Had zero issues until a couple of nights ago.

I tried suspending my computer before going to sleep like I always do but it was just hanging so I rebooted. Since then, whenever I try to boot up, it takes me to the GRUB menu (which it never did before) and when I hit the first entry it just hangs on a black screen.

When I boot into recovery mode, I get these screens and then the recovery menu:

After I select "Normal boot sequence" in the recovery menu, I get this screen and then it just hangs, even if I hit 'S'.

wolverine96 · Feb 19, 2015

I have no idea what the problem is, and I am sorry I can't help you fix the problem, but I had a similar thing happen after I installed some programs and tried to reboot. This is why I switched to Arch Linux. It's not easy to install, but it's much more stable afterwards.

skittle · Feb 19, 2015

Grab a livecd/liveusb and try to run an filesystem check (on all your partitions)

sudo fsck -a /dev/sda1

In the last picture it looks like it can't find the device that is mounted to /mnt/data
Unplug this device and try booting again.

If you still can't get things working its probably easier to backup your data, reinstall and hope its not your hard disk/ssd acting up.

clankfu32 · Feb 19, 2015

Grab a livecd/liveusb and try to run an filesystem check (on all your partitions)

sudo fsck -a /dev/sda1

Code:

fsck from util-linux 2.20.1
fsck.fat 3.0.26 (2014-03-07)
0x41: Dirty bit is set. Fs was not properly unmounted and some data may be corrupt.
 Automatically removing dirty bit.
There are differences between boot sector and its backup.
This is mostly harmless. Differences: (offset:original/backup)
  1:63/58, 90:00/0e, 91:80/1f, 92:c0/be, 93:36/77, 94:96/7c, 95:04/ac
  , 96:00/22, 97:00/c0, 98:00/74, 99:00/0b, 100:ff/56, 101:fa/b4, 102:90/0e
  , 103:90/bb, 104:f6/07, 105:c2/00, 106:80/cd, 107:74/10, 108:05/5e
  , 109:f6/eb, 110:c2/f0, 111:70/32, 112:74/e4, 113:02/cd, 114:b2/16
  , 115:80/cd, 116:ea/19, 117:79/eb, 118:7c/fe, 119:00/54, 120:00/68
  , 121:31/69, 122:c0/73, 123:8e/20, 124:d8/69, 125:8e/73, 126:d0/20
  , 127:bc/6e, 128:00/6f, 129:20/74, 130:fb/20, 131:a0/61, 132:64/20
  , 133:7c/62, 134:3c/6f, 135:ff/6f, 137:02/61, 138:88/62, 139:c2/6c
  , 140:52/65, 141:bb/20, 142:17/64, 143:04/69, 144:f6/73, 145:07/6b
  , 146:03/2e, 147:74/20, 148:06/20, 149:be/50, 150:88/6c, 151:7d/65
  , 152:e8/61, 153:17/73, 154:01/65, 155:be/20, 156:05/69, 157:7c/6e
  , 158:b4/73, 159:41/65, 160:bb/72, 161:aa/74, 162:55/20, 163:cd/61
  , 164:13/20, 165:5a/62, 166:52/6f, 167:72/6f, 168:3d/74, 169:81/61
  , 170:fb/62, 171:55/6c, 172:aa/65, 173:75/20, 174:37/66, 175:83/6c
  , 176:e1/6f, 177:01/70, 178:74/70, 179:32/79, 180:31/20, 181:c0/61
  , 182:89/6e, 183:44/64, 184:04/0d, 185:40/0a, 186:88/70, 187:44/72
  , 188:ff/65, 189:89/73, 190:44/73, 191:02/20, 192:c7/61, 193:04/6e
  , 194:10/79, 195:00/20, 196:66/6b, 197:8b/65, 198:1e/79, 199:5c/20
  , 200:7c/74, 201:66/6f, 202:89/20, 203:5c/74, 204:08/72, 205:66/79
  , 206:8b/20, 207:1e/61, 208:60/67, 209:7c/61, 210:66/69, 211:89/6e
  , 212:5c/20, 213:0c/2e, 214:c7/2e, 215:44/2e, 216:06/20, 217:00/0d
  , 218:70/0a, 219:b4/00, 220:42/00, 221:cd/00, 222:13/00, 223:72/00
  , 224:05/00, 225:bb/00, 227:70/00, 228:eb/00, 229:76/00, 230:b4/00
  , 231:08/00, 232:cd/00, 233:13/00, 234:73/00, 235:0d/00, 236:5a/00
  , 237:84/00, 238:d2/00, 239:0f/00, 240:83/00, 241:d0/00, 243:be/00
  , 244:93/00, 245:7d/00, 246:e9/00, 247:82/00, 249:66/00, 250:0f/00
  , 251:b6/00, 252:c6/00, 253:88/00, 254:64/00, 255:ff/00, 256:40/00
  , 257:66/00, 258:89/00, 259:44/00, 260:04/00, 261:0f/00, 262:b6/00
  , 263:d1/00, 264:c1/00, 265:e2/00, 266:02/00, 267:88/00, 268:e8/00
  , 269:88/00, 270:f4/00, 271:40/00, 272:89/00, 273:44/00, 274:08/00
  , 275:0f/00, 276:b6/00, 277:c2/00, 278:c0/00, 279:e8/00, 280:02/00
  , 281:66/00, 282:89/00, 283:04/00, 284:66/00, 285:a1/00, 286:60/00
  , 287:7c/00, 288:66/00, 289:09/00, 290:c0/00, 291:75/00, 292:4e/00
  , 293:66/00, 294:a1/00, 295:5c/00, 296:7c/00, 297:66/00, 298:31/00
  , 299:d2/00, 300:66/00, 301:f7/00, 302:34/00, 303:88/00, 304:d1/00
  , 305:31/00, 306:d2/00, 307:66/00, 308:f7/00, 309:74/00, 310:04/00
  , 311:3b/00, 312:44/00, 313:08/00, 314:7d/00, 315:37/00, 316:fe/00
  , 317:c1/00, 318:88/00, 319:c5/00, 320:30/00, 321:c0/00, 322:c1/00
  , 323:e8/00, 324:02/00, 325:08/00, 326:c1/00, 327:88/00, 328:d0/00
  , 329:5a/00, 330:88/00, 331:c6/00, 332:bb/00, 334:70/00, 335:8e/00
  , 336:c3/00, 337:31/00, 338:db/00, 339:b8/00, 340:01/00, 341:02/00
  , 342:cd/00, 343:13/00, 344:72/00, 345:1e/00, 346:8c/00, 347:c3/00
  , 348:60/00, 349:1e/00, 350:b9/00, 352:01/00, 353:8e/00, 354:db/00
  , 355:31/00, 356:f6/00, 357:bf/00, 359:80/00, 360:8e/00, 361:c6/00
  , 362:fc/00, 363:f3/00, 364:a5/00, 365:1f/00, 366:61/00, 367:ff/00
  , 368:26/00, 369:5a/00, 370:7c/00, 371:be/00, 372:8e/00, 373:7d/00
  , 374:eb/00, 375:03/00, 376:be/00, 377:9d/00, 378:7d/00, 379:e8/00
  , 380:34/00, 382:be/00, 383:a2/00, 384:7d/00, 385:e8/00, 386:2e/00
  , 388:cd/00, 389:18/00, 390:eb/00, 391:fe/00, 392:47/00, 393:52/00
  , 394:55/00, 395:42/00, 396:20/00, 398:47/00, 399:65/00, 400:6f/00
  , 401:6d/00, 403:48/00, 404:61/00, 405:72/00, 406:64/00, 407:20/00
  , 408:44/00, 409:69/00, 410:73/00, 411:6b/00, 413:52/00, 414:65/00
  , 415:61/00, 416:64/00, 418:20/00, 419:45/00, 420:72/00, 421:72/00
  , 422:6f/00, 423:72/00, 424:0d/00, 425:0a/00, 427:bb/00, 428:01/00
  , 430:b4/00, 431:0e/00, 432:cd/00, 433:10/00, 434:ac/00, 435:3c/00
  , 437:75/00, 438:f4/00, 439:c3/00
  Not automatically fixing this.
Performing changes.
/dev/sda1: 7 files, 857/124424 clusters

In the last picture it looks like it can't find the device that is mounted to /mnt/data
Unplug this device and try booting again.

If you still can't get things working its probably easier to backup your data, reinstall and hope its not your hard disk/ssd acting up.

I tried unplugging my HDD but it's still not booting up.

skittle · Feb 19, 2015

You should go ahead and run fsck on your other partitions too.. sda1 sda2 sda3... you can also try with the '-y' option
fsck -y /dev/sda1

maybe format the boot partition, chroot into your mint installation and reinstall GRUB and what ever else resides on that

clankfu32 · Feb 19, 2015

skittle :

What's the difference between using '-a' or '-y'?

junkeymonkey · Feb 19, 2015

http://askubuntu.com/questions/315921/comreset-failed-and-slow-boot-times

http://askubuntu.com/questions/62295/how-to-fix-a-comreset-failed-error

I just googled that comreste failes 16 thing and started off looking at that ??

junkeymonkey · Feb 19, 2015

looking at the top screen you posted there seems to be a lot of usb showing up ??? like it see something about that but cant overcome it ? try to unplug all your usb stuff and see it may be a bad usb hub or port ??

clankfu32 · Feb 19, 2015

junkeymonkey :

Just tried unplugging all my usb ports and still nothing.

clankfu32 · Feb 20, 2015

skittle :

mint@mint ~ $ sudo fsck -a /dev/sda2
fsck from util-linux 2.20.1
fsck: fsck.swap: not found
fsck: error 2 while executing fsck.swap for /dev/sda2

mint@mint ~ $ sudo fsck -a /dev/sda3
fsck from util-linux 2.20.1
/dev/sda3 is mounted.
e2fsck: Cannot continue, aborting.

skittle · Feb 20, 2015

Well the error is quite clear, unmount /dev/sda3 and try again.
(You have to do this step via a liveusb/livecd!)
/dev/sda3 is your swap partition. Virtual memory in case your ram fills up. Does not need fsck..

clankfu32 · Feb 20, 2015

skittle :

I'm a total noob. Any chance you can walk me through this?

junkeymonkey · Feb 20, 2015

i just loaded linux mint 17.1 like 5 min ago and this is my first boot and test so far so good ...

like i said above it looks lie a hardware issue seeing it just went bad like it did -- did you add new hardware or did somthing update that linux dont like or corruped it in some way ??

i also see that leveno stuff listed in your scren shots ???

wolverine96 · Feb 20, 2015

When I had a similar problem (I couldn't get to the login screen in Mint), I downloaded Linux Mint, stuck it on a USB drive, and booted into the USB drive. Then I backed up all my files and installed Arch Linux, but you could simply install re-install Linux Mint. There may be a better way to fix your problem, but this is the only advice I can give.

clankfu32 · Feb 20, 2015

junkeymonkey :

I do my regular updates when they pop up (up to level 3) but haven't installed any software or hardware lately.

junkeymonkey · Feb 20, 2015

i dont know just seems like in that top screen it seems somthing in the usb system ???
mabye put this over at the linux mint forums and see what there guys say ??

all i can say to me id [1] harddrive failed - [2] got corupted - [3] usb or a device failed and not being reconised when linux loads up and need to load the driver packet durring boot ??

clankfu32 · Feb 20, 2015

wolverine96 :

That's probably what I'm going to have to do. The problem is that my HDD where all my files are isn't being recognized. I'm using a Live USB and it only shows my SSD as a removable device.

junkeymonkey · Feb 20, 2015

i guess you could take out the drive thats not being recognised on that computer and hook it to another computer to see if it will on it if not it may gone bad ?? it it comes up then you may look at your board or the storage controler or chipset ?? you know what if the new linux update could of screwed up the files like what it uses for chipset ???

or the new 7.1 may not support your board or some type of the lenveno hardware anymore ?? [long shot ]

clankfu32 · Feb 21, 2015

junkeymonkey :

Looks like the HDD is indeed bad. Tried hooking it up to another computer. It was making a clicking noise and the computer wouldn't recognize it.

I still don't get why my Linux machine won't boot up since the OS is on the SSD.

junkeymonkey · Feb 22, 2015

look then look at this and then reinstall linux to be sure the bad drive did not cause corruptuon to the boot drive
http://askubuntu.com/questions/269880/re-install-ubuntu-without-losing-data-in-home-folder

clankfu32 · Feb 23, 2015

junkeymonkey :

Someone on reddit figured it out. I had to delete the entry for the faulty HDD in the fstab file in /etc.

Thanks for your help.

junkeymonkey · Feb 23, 2015

should of gave the link to that

makes me wonder if the drive was used as a swap drive and not just storage ??

clankfu32 · Feb 23, 2015

junkeymonkey :

Link to the reddit thread?

No, I'm pretty sure swap is on the SSD.

junkeymonkey · Feb 23, 2015

''Link to the reddit thread?''
ya i like to review it myself..

clankfu32 · Feb 23, 2015

junkeymonkey :

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux4noobs/comments/2ws3u7/linux_mint_stopped_booting_up/

Linux Mint - Black screen after GRUB menu

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