[solved] Update breaks my display, slows my computer down and makes it freeze

[Chocapic]

Hello everyone,

I have been having a serious issue lately, installing an unknown level 4 update has caused my display to go crazy:
tool bar icons are not displayed(sometime it does when my mouse is on it), letters are missing from windows' titles, there's white stripes on my desktop or I have no desktop, when I open the settings nothing is displayed. Everything is extremely slow. And mint freezes when I ask for softwares to run.
But ! Sometime it works (like it does now, and it's the second time), the display bugs a little at first then everything runs at normal speed with no display problem.
I know it's a level four update because as I was installing xfce first I installed every update and the problem occurred, I installed it again without updating the level 4 updates and everything went fine until I did.
I went from 18.1 to 18.3 hoping something would change, to no avail.
I looked for similar problems online but found nothing convincing
I would have made a new fresh install but my bios won't let me boot UEFI anymore, even though the settings should allow it.

Here's my inxi -Fxz :

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System:    Host: HaveACigar Kernel: 4.13.0-45-generic i686 (32 bit gcc: 5.4.0)
           Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 (Gtk 2.24.28) Distro: Linux Mint 18.3 Sylvia
Machine:   System: ASUSTeK (portable) product: X540SAA v: 1.0
           Mobo: ASUSTeK model: X540SAA v: 1.0 Bios: American Megatrends v: X540SAA.303 date: 09/20/2016
CPU:       Quad core Intel Pentium N3710 (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB
           flags: (lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 12800
           clock speeds: max: 2560 MHz 1: 576 MHz 2: 1328 MHz 3: 480 MHz 4: 480 MHz
Graphics:  Card: Intel Device 22b1 bus-ID: 00:02.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.4 drivers: intel (unloaded: fbdev,vesa) Resolution: 1366x768@59.97hz
           GLX Renderer: N/A GLX Version: N/A Direct Rendering: N/A
Audio:     Card Intel Device 2284 driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0 Sound: ALSA v: k4.13.0-45-generic
Network:   Card-1: Realtek RTL8101/2/6E PCI Express Fast/Gigabit Ethernet controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: e000 bus-ID: 02:00.0
           IF: enp2s0 state: down mac: <filter>
           Card-2: Realtek RTL8723BE PCIe Wireless Network Adapter driver: rtl8723be port: d000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
           IF: wlp3s0 state: up mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 1000.2GB (2.4% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: TOSHIBA_MQ01ABD1 size: 1000.2GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 275G used: 20G (8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda1
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 3.50GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda6
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 62.0C mobo: 51.0C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 3400
Info:      Processes: 193 Uptime: 44 min Memory: 1156.8/3941.6MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.4.0
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.481) inxi: 2.2.35 

Do you know how I could try to fix this?

Thank you very much

[Pjotr]

1. Try a graphics driver switch, by forcing the use of the modesetting driver:

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sudo apt-get remove xserver-xorg-video-intel

Reboot.

2. Disable all visual effects in Xfce:
https://sites.google.com/site/easylinux ... ts-in-Xfce
(item 5.3, right column)

[Chocapic]

Thanks, I used your code, I hope it works
As for the visual effects, my settings were already as asked.

[Chocapic]

I can't boot anymore, I see the mint logo loading then a black screen and nothing happens
I used the grub options tobrepaire broken packages and that didn't work

[Pjotr]

That's bad.... Does it help when you boot into a root desktop and then re-install the Intel video driver?

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apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-intel

[Chocapic]

Nope, after doing it I got to the sign in window but when I tried to type my password it went black. After that it was just black screen after the loading logo

[Pjotr]

Looks like a seriously broken system, then.... Check the health of your RAM and your hard disk.

[Chocapic]

It does but everything was fine before that update
Do I just use the grub memory test option? What answers am I looking for?

[Pjotr]

If you have a Grub memtest option: use it. For disk health, use the application Disks (if need be, after booting from the Mint DVD).

[Chocapic]

Ok I ran memtest85 for close to five hours and there was no error.
I'll buy CDs tomorrow so I can burn a live image, in the meantime I'll try to see why I can't boot from a USB anymore

[Chocapic]

Ok, case solved: I found out that if I didn't use bios but just the boot menu I could boot from my key (without UEFI) so I'm getting a fresh 13.1 install and keeping away from any level 4 update.
I managed to get my files back thanks to the live image
Thanks a lot for your time and help Pjotr