TTY1 showing when boot into Zorin OS, with A problem has occurred screen

Hello everyone, this morning when i restarted my laptop, instead of normally taking me to Zorin OS it took me to a tty1 console, where when I login using my username & password, and run startx, it tells me "Oh no! Something has gone wrong. A problem has occurred and the system can't recover."; Same happens when i shift to tty2,3,4,5,6 (I'm not able to shift to tty7)....

What should I do here? Also, right before restarting, i remember running these commands -

sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.config
sudo update-grub

I ran above commands coz I'm having issues with accessing Windows after installing zorin with custom partition options and i found the commands online, but that's a different story; Could these commands have broken the GUI?

What should I do now to get back to normal? Any help is appreciated! Thanks :slight_smile:

I would play safe and run Zorin OS in live mode using the media you used to install Zorin - you should be able to access your /home folder installed on the drive. I would then backup all your files from the /home folder to an external device or burn to DVD depending on how much data there is. Don't forget to include hidden files in the /home folder which usually precede the file name with a period, e.g., .mozilla. I would look at doing a fresh install of ZorinOS and once installed install Timeshift to take snapshots and store them in your /home folder so that if the same situation arises you can restore Zorin to a time when it works.

https://www.unixmen.com/timeshift-restore-linux-desktops-previous-state/

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Hi, @swarfendor437! Thanks for replying...

Alright; lets say I've taken the backup, how do I do a fresh install of Zorin OS? I am unable to access Windows 10 from the grub bootloader - when I choose the option, screen turns black for 2-3s, & then back on bootloader screen.

The thing is when I installed Zorin OS, I didn't go with installation software's partition method, but I did custom partition -

Since I installed it, I haven't been able to access my Windows 10 side, and hence tried the grub-mkconfig ... in hopes to fix it all; but evidently, it went wrong and here i am stuck on tty console :pensive:

So after I take my backup from Zorin OS try-it-live, how do I access my Windows 10 side, so I can just delete the 50gb partition my linux is in & the grub bootloader? Plz advice... Thanks!

I wonder if Boot Repair Disk will help you:

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Hi, @zabadabadoo! I think I'll go with the backup & fresh install method for now...


Also, my last post was flagged my the spam detector, i think because I made 2-3 edits to it(?) I have added a lot of details in it - can you kindly check & make it visible again? I didnt intend to spam ever, i just forgot to add some details, therefore edited it.... Thanks!

I can only see your OP and the one above (which has an edit), no others.

Maybe the Mods can see the missing post that we can't see and reinstate it. @seanhinkley @storm ?

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Restored

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Thanks!


@swarfendor437 So I've done my backup, how do I re-install zorin now? in my previous post, i've described how I installed Zorin OS - through custom partitioning... Can it be re-installed? Plz advice... Thanks!

Hi, firstly if you want to get back to Windows it might be worth creating a Windows installation media to use system repair tools first if you can get access to another computer to create one. But first see if enabling fast boot in the BIOS brings back Windows 10. Also check CSM (Computer System Management) in BIOS is set to EFI too to see if you can get back into Windows.

Thanks for replying! Actually since I didnt have any important data on both Windows and Zorin (I backed up whatever I had on Zorin using the live boot method you suggested), I ended up deleted all partitions of my drive (I have only 1 drive in my laptop) and am currently doing a fresh install of Windows 10 through it's bootable media. After win10 is up and running, I'll fresh install zorin as dual boot, this time by the installation tool's "install zorin os alongside your current OS" option, instead of me manually partitioning the drive.

Hopefully it all works out now.... Thanks again! :slight_smile:

What you should do for manual partitioning on dual boot is to use Disk Managent in Windows to shrink your C:\ drive first before setting up any other OS. Then just install to the partition you have created. If it is an SSD drive you don't need swap.

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You can use [HOW TO] Partition & Install Zorin 16 to properly partition your drive for Zorin. While you may have followed a method that was supposed to work, this is a tried and true method. I created the tutorial after using this exact method to install for a dual boot. It has never failed or corrupted either partition. Read it thoroughly prior to installing (especially the before you install link).

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