She used the computer yesterday and told me she had closed out everything (firefox) before shutting down. The last updates to 19.3 was on Saturday.
She has been using Linux Mint 19.3 for a couple of weeks now.
Any ideas why? My options?
Thank you

Hi, Thank you for your help. Fortunately I do have Timeshift enabled, I tired six different saved points but none worked. I also tried checking the box for Update initramfs (in the boot loader advance options) to see if that made any difference but it didn't. I also tried highlighting the files to restore, it didn't make a difference.gittiest personITW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 5:21 amDon't know what the problem is but you will probably be able to fix it quite easily IF you have Timeshift enabled.
If you boot to your Live USB Mint again, then run Timeshift and RESTORE snapshot - choose one a few days ago.
Post back if that works or not.
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fsck -y /dev/sdX
Thanks, I did as you wrote and got a message that read 'permission denied while trying to open /dev/sda', and that I must have r/w access to the file system or be root.gittiest personITW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:35 amOk, it was worth a go.
You can try a 'system repair' also by booting into live disk and running the following command from terminal.
Where X=your system drive (most likely but not definitely, a )Code: Select all
fsck -y /dev/sdX
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parted /dev/sda 'print'
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parted /dev/sdb 'print'
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parted /dev/sdc 'print'
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parted /dev/sdd 'print'
Thanks for your reply.gittiest personITW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 8:58 amCan you try the following commands and post back:Code: Select all
parted /dev/sda 'print'
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parted /dev/sdb 'print'
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parted /dev/sdc 'print'
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parted /dev/sdd 'print'
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sudo parted -l
Ok, thanks. I gotgittiest personITW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:19 amOK, we'll try this which I maybe should have said right at the start - my bad:
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sudo parted -l
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parted: invalid option -- '1'
Usage: parted [-hlmsv] [-a<alighn>] [DEVICE [COMAND [PARAMETERS]]...]
OK, here is the results:
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Model: ATA Samsung SSD 860 (scsi)
Disk /dev/sda: 500GB
Sector size (logical/physical): 512B/512B
Partition Table: msdos
Disk Flags:
Number Start End Size Type File system Flags
1 1049kb 500GB 500GB primary boot, lvm
Warning: The driver descriptor says the physical block size is 2048 bytes, but
Linux says it is 512 bytes.
Ignore/Cancel?
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sudo blkid
OK, here it is (I left out the UUID characters, if needed I can type them in):gittiest personITW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 10:06 amNext one:BLKID in little lettersCode: Select all
sudo blkid
I'm fearing that the drive is NTFS or exFAT
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/dev/loop0: Type="squashfs"
/dev/sda1: UUID="[...]" TYPE="LVM2_member" PARTUUID="96faa485-01"
/dev/sdb1: UUID="[...]" TYPE="Linux Mint 19.3 Cinnamon 64-bit" TYPE="iso9660" PTTYPE="dos" PARTUUID="1dda4ac4-01"
/dev/sdb2: SEC_TYPE="msdos" UUID="[...]" TYPE="vfat" PARTUUID="1dda4ac4-02"
/dev/mapper/mint - -vg-root: UUID=[...]" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/mapper/mint - -dv-swap_l: UUID="[...]" TYPE="swap"
Did you select logical volume management at installation? If so, why?MintUser19 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:45 amCode: Select all
Number Start End Size Type File system Flags 1 1049kb 500GB 500GB primary boot, lvm
Thanks for your reply and the link.gittiest personITW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:34 pmThat I don't know what to do with or how to fix. It might be worth waiting for someone else more knowledgeable in Linux to come forward.
When you installed LM originally, did you use the 'standard' way or 'Another' way - as in extra partitions, encryption etc?
Also, when the computer was shut down that caused the problem in the first place, was it powered off or reset, or shutdown properly?
That can cause probs if not shut down properly.
If no one gets back to you, I'd get whatever data you need off the computer, then start from scratch doing a standard installation. Put it down to a learning experience.
Then, follow these instructions to start off with a lean machine .......
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.com/p/2.html
pbear wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:49 pmDid you select logical volume management at installation? If so, why?MintUser19 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2020 9:45 amCode: Select all
Number Start End Size Type File system Flags 1 1049kb 500GB 500GB primary boot, lvm
For reference, we're talking about a screen which would have looked something like this:
FYI, from a quick search, repairing LVM looks like a nightmare. So, probably you're looking at re-installation and the main point of my question becomes whether to do LVM again (assuming you did it on purpose the first time).
MintUser19 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 23, 2020 5:32 amOK, thanks. Went through the re-install process.
Now to find out why the blank screen after rebooting when firefox wouldn't close, any idea why?
Or, just bad luck. Sh1t happensAlso, when the computer was shut down that caused the problem in the first place, was it powered off or reset, or shutdown properly?
That can cause probs if not shut down properly.