Can't get into Linux, get initramfs message thing [SOLVED]

[Ignoramus]

Can anyone help, please? I can't get Linux to open. Full disclosure: I am in no way techie, and very new to Linux.
I have a Toshiba Satellite LD-50 D that's something like six or seven years old.It came with Windows 10 but a couple of months ago Windows wouldn't boot. So, havingmanaged to recover my files and folders etc, I did a factory re-set and installed Linux Mint xfce, but soon after, on a recommendation from someone on here, I upgraded to Cinnamon,and updated(?) to Uma. A few days ago, again on the advice on someone on here, I turned power management off, in an attempt to improve the wifi (viewtopic.php?f=52&t=365199&p=2125638#p2125638)
Everything's been fine for a few weeks, but over the past few days, if I put the computer into sleep mode (I can't remember the Linux term, I'm sorry), when I've tried to resume, all I've got is a black screen. The lights - ie the little ring around the power button, the wifi & power indicators etc - flickered as I moved the mouse or my fingers over the trackpad but the screen stayed dark. So, in desperation, I've just switched off using the power button and restarted.
Yesterday, however, when I switched on for the first time I couldn't get even the log-in screen to come up; the start-up process seemed to go as usual but then I got this message:

[ 0.004870] do_IRQ: 1.55 No irq handle for vector
[ 0.004870] do_IRQ: 2.55 No irq handle for vector
[ 0.004870] do_IRQ: 3.55 No irq handle for vector

BusyBox v1.30.1 (Ubuntu 1:1.30.1-4 ubuntu 6.4) built-in shell (ash)
Enter 'help' for a list of built-in commands
(initramfs)

Not many of the built-in commands meant much to me. I tried a couple (I didn't think to make a note of them, I'm sorry), but I think I tried repair and shutdown and got nowhere.

Can anyone tell me how to get past this message, please? Also, does anyone know what might have caused this and my precious 'resume' problem? Given the issues I had with Windows, and now this/these, the age of the laptop, and the fact that since I installed Linux I've stored very little on it, could it be that the real problem is with my computer's 'brain', that it's about to, if you will, die of old age?
Thanks for any help/advice anyone can give me.
Alison

[sleeper12]

See if this helps you:
https://ostechnix.com/how-to-fix-busybo ... on-ubuntu/

[Ignoramus]

Thanks, Sleeper; that worked - sort of! I followed the instructions and everything looked pretty much the same as the poster said, but then the screen filled with what looked like code, only it was going up the screen so fast it was hard to tell! I let it carry on for five minutes or so, then I switched off the computer, then restared Linux in recovery mode, and the problem seems to be fixed.
The poster did say that if this problem keeps happening it could mean the hard drive is 'getting weak' and should be replaced asap, so I could (shockingly for me!) be correct about the computer getting knackered. Given the issues with the hard drive, the screen (I had to drill through the lid after the hinges broke - a common issue with these laptops, apparently), the battery no longer holds charge properly and the dodgy wifi, it may be the time to look for a new one. But at least for now I have a working laptop again, so thank you, thank you. THANK YOU!!!

[sleeper12]

Glad that helped you. If you go to Menu, Disks, that might give you some clues. Click first button on upper right where you can run SMART Data & Self-Tests.