I'm suddenly being taken to GRUB menus on boot. | Linux Mint Community🍵 | Page 1

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 12:40 PM

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I was using my pc normally to browse the web and chat, when I left for a few hours and had the system hybernate. After starting it up again, I can't open floorp (the firefox fork I use), and an error message saying that it already had an instance open and that it did not respond, then suggesting that i should restart my system, which i did. During reboot, i saw some error messages in white text appear on the screen, and upon reboot proper mint didn't boot normally and i was taken to the GRUB menu instead, from where i don't know how to proceed.

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 12:43 PM

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misty leaf I was using my pc normally to browse the web and chat, when I left for a few hou...

just press enter on first one

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 12:45 PM

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deep socket just press enter on first one

The mint logo popped up and then this appeared

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What to do from here?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 12:46 PM

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ctrl-alt-delete

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then choose Mint Advanced, and start older kernel

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 12:50 PM

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Which one?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 12:52 PM

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6.14 near top

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non-recovery

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then delete all thos excess kernels soon

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wasting space

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 12:54 PM

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misty leaf The mint logo popped up and then this appeared

I'm taken to this same screen

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 12:54 PM

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well, keep 6.8 -94

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and try with that

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if still no good, and u made a timeshift, boot the live Mint usb, and run timeshift to restore a snapshot from a good-working time

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 12:56 PM

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Could this have been a virus? Or is something else at work

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 12:56 PM

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probably something else

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 1:02 PM

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Tried every non recorvery kernel up to 6.8 - 94, same thing

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Guess i'll try a live boot

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EFI stub: WARNING failed to measure data for event 1: 0x800000000000000b

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Is the error message i get befote i'm taken to that busybox thing

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I may have missed some 0s

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 1:48 PM

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deep socket if still no good, and u made a timeshift, boot the live Mint usb, and run timesh...

Got the live boot running

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Do i go to the "install linux mint" app in the desktop?

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Do i need internet connection?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 1:49 PM

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no

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neither

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launch Timeshift

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let it scan.

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if it finds no snapshots, that's cuz you didn't set it up to make any.

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so you'll need to backup any personal data off the system, and reinstall.

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 1:52 PM

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I did set up timeshift

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Do i select one and press restore?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 1:52 PM

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ok so you'll see they're all dated.

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choose one from a date that you know the system was working well.

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then click Restore and wait a while

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 1:53 PM

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I mean, it was still working fine until yesterday night, but i suppose i should go back a bit further

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Says it's restored

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Do i try to boot normally now?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:01 PM

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yep

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:05 PM

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The snapshot from 3 days ago didn't work

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Same grub menu, same busybox screen from before

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:07 PM

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misty leaf Same grub menu, same busybox screen from before

did you choose to restore root plus the EFI ?

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root + boot

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:08 PM

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I'm not sure

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When do these options pop up

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I have timeshift open again

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:10 PM

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when u click restore it shows

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:12 PM

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Where?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:13 PM

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right in front of u

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are those the exact same choices u set last time?

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:13 PM

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I think so

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:13 PM

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wait.

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:14 PM

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I didn't change any of them and just kept pressing next

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:14 PM

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open the DISKS app from start menu

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and show main drive

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layout

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:14 PM

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The install linux mint thing?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:14 PM

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start menu

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:15 PM

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Disks app doesn't open

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:17 PM

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close timeshift

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:21 PM

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deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:22 PM

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misty leaf

click p2 and the play button. how full is it?

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:23 PM

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538MB - 530MB free

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:23 PM

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click on the blue link

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are there folders and loader files within them?

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:24 PM

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Yes

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:24 PM

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ok stop the partition in DISKS

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:25 PM

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With the square button i assume

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:25 PM

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misty leaf Where?

then restore again with these options.

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then powerdown safely after it's done

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:31 PM

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Snapshot from 4 days ago, same thing

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I'm losing hope

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Do i just try restoring another snapshot until one works?

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Wait

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Timeshift says "restore completed with errors"

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:42 PM

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misty leaf Snapshot from 4 days ago, same thing

8 days ago, still nothing

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Man

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:50 PM

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that's nuts

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:50 PM

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What now?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:53 PM

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i guess save anything u need and do a full reinstall

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you'll need another backup disk or use cloud storage

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 2:54 PM

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I guess

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Besides some game save data i don't really need much else

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But what could have caused all this?

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My SSD being faulty, perhaps?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 2:56 PM

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that crossed my mind

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u can try running tests onit

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using the disks app, in dots menu

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both read AND write tests

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and any other test it offers

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 3:16 PM

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What sample size should i test?

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I'm doing it from live boot. I haven't made the reinstallation just yet

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 3:21 PM

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just go with the defaults

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also look at the SMART data. if it shows it's had a great many read or write errors that should give you clue to its state

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 3:49 PM

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I'm not really sure what these mean

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Should i look for a replacement SSD? This one is indeed from a dodgy brand

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 4:08 PM

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seems ok the results

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so try reinstalling

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if same issue arises again, I can only imagine it's the drive

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:40 PM

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Reinstalled mint. All my files are gone

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Man, i wish i at least knew what could've gone wrong

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:43 PM

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deep socket you'll need another backup disk or use cloud storage

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misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:43 PM

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The last download i did that wasn't an update was a ROM from myrient, and like a torrented movie from rutracker almost a week before

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:44 PM

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ROM?

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:44 PM

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Mega man x

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:44 PM

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dont allow any bios updates or kernel updates from now on and u should be fine

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ZERO firmware updates!!!

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this occurence was a real dog

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so bad that even timeshift couldnt help

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:46 PM

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deep socket ZERO firmware updates!!!

when Update Manager shows orange, u go into it and LOOK at every single thing. and untick/disallow those what i said

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:46 PM

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Got it

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Should i leave those indefinitely?

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:47 PM

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are u on intel or AMD graphics?

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yes

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:47 PM

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AMD

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:47 PM

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do u know the model?

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if not, check system information

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or inxi -G command

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if it's anything but the 9000-series you're fine

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*anything lower than

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:54 PM

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deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:54 PM

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gahh

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can't tell from that

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do inxi -Gxxx

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need chip ID

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:55 PM

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I don't have a dedicated gpu so i'm relying on the integrated graphics of a ryzen 5 5600GT, if that helps

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:56 PM

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Common Use: Ryzen 5 5600G, Ryzen 7 5700G, and various laptop CPUs (Ryzen 5000 series).

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ok then ur fine. leave it.

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SOLVED (needed to reinstall Linux fully)

misty leaf Feb 13, 2026, 6:57 PM

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Still, thank you

deep socket Feb 13, 2026, 6:57 PM

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yw. sorry it couldnt get resolved in a less intrusive way

#I'm suddenly being taken to GRUB menus on boot.