Score:1

Full USB installation isn't booting anymore

ca flag

I installed Ubuntu permanently on a 256 GB USB drive. In order to boot it, I simply hit F12 during boot and selected the USB drive. This has been working fine for at least 2 years, but now I just get a black screen after selecting the USB drive to boot from. I assume this has something to do with the latest Ubuntu update. I temporarily fixed the issue by running Boot Repair from a LiveUSB, but now I am back to getting a black screen again. I know I had to somehow disconnect the laptop's hard drive when I created the full USB installation on the USB drive, so is that what I need to do before I run Boot Repair from the LiveUSB? Any other ideas? Thanks a bunch!

jpbrain avatar
ca flag
Can you provide version of Ubunut and the kernel you are loading? also, did you try to boot alder kernels?
Chris avatar
ca flag
I believe I am on the current Ubuntu version (20.04) since I usually update as soon as the LTS becomes available. Regarding older kernels, I don't even get to the screen where I could boot these. I select the USB drive to boot from, and then all I get is a black screen...
user535733 avatar
cn flag
My first assumption would be a dying USB stick. There's nothing special about any recent changes that suddenly makes everybody's system unbootable. The whole point of an LTS is that it *doesn't* change beyond major bugfixes and security patches.
Chris avatar
ca flag
I doubt that. When I ran Boot Repair from a LiveUSB, it worked fine for a few times. There is a trick to install the GRUB2 on a full USB installation where you have to disconnect the computers hard drive, so maybe I need to do that, too, to repair it?
heynnema avatar
ru flag
You shouldn't have to disconnect the laptop's internal HDD. What's on the HDD, and can you still boot to it? Did you CLONE the internal drive to the external USB, or did you clean install to the USB? Can you get to the GRUB menu?
sudodus avatar
jp flag
Are you disconnecting the Ubuntu drive, when running Windows? Some updates of Windows will tamper with Ubuntu's boot structure. Normal running of Windows should be OK, but you never know when it starts upgrading, but I think major upgrades of Windows are worst. You should also check if Ubuntu's file system is good. There might be some memory location that is not quite reliable.
sudodus avatar
jp flag
@TBr, This is not a live, but a fully installed system (in an external drive).
Chris avatar
ca flag
The laptop is a Windows 10 machine. Before I boot Windows, I remove the Ubuntu USB drive. Boots Windows without any issues. I did not clone Ubuntu, but clean installed it to USB as a full install, and I did disconnect the laptop's hard drive in order to do so. As of now, I cannot get to the GRUB menu, all I get is a black screen.
Chris avatar
ca flag
So I ran Boot Repair again from a LiveUSB, and have since booted the Ubuntu full USB install as well as WIndows 10 multiple times, the latter with the USB removed. The first time I successfully booted Ubuntu, I also installed some automatic updates, which included updates to the GRUB. Maybe that is what was needed, but so far everything seems to be working again just like it did over the last two years. Cross your fingers!
C.S.Cameron avatar
cn flag
If it happens again try booting the USB on a different machine, (assuming you have not installed proprietary drivers). That has worked for me in similar circumstances.
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