I've been using Pop!_OS for a while, but I'm feeling pretty lost right now. I was just browsing Reddit when suddenly all my web pages went blank. At first, I thought there was an internet issue, but then random apps wouldn't load either. I caught a glimpse of an error message mentioning a 'failed child' before I decided to restart my computer. After the motherboard logo appeared, the screen just turned black. I've tried restarting multiple times with the same result. I found guidance online about accessing recovery mode but I'm stuck on what to do next. I really don't want to do a clean install or refresh that forces me to reinstall all my apps. Any tips on how to figure out what went wrong and fix this?
2 Answers
It might help to share what kind of system you're using. First, you need to determine if it’s a hardware or software issue. Try booting from a bootable Linux USB drive with just a keyboard and mouse. If that works, you can check your hard drive. If you can access it, then it’s likely a software problem. If not, you may need to reseat any components and try again.
Have you set up Timeshift for backups? It might help if you need to restore your system.
I’m not sure if I did that. If I did, how would I access it? Everything's showing a blank screen. Can I reach Timeshift from recovery mode?
I was able to boot into recovery mode and access my hard drive. This seems to be a software issue. But I've been using this setup for years, and nothing has changed in the hardware recently.