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Unable to access GRUB menu for password reset in Ubuntu 20.04.3

pn flag

I am facing difficulty in resetting a lost admin password for Ubuntu 20.04.3 According to various online resources, the recommended method is to access the GRUB menu, enter recovery mode, and reset the password from there. However, when I press Esc during the boot-up process, instead of displaying the GRUB menu, a series of commands start running and eventually I end up on the home screen.

Is there an alternative method or a workaround to access the GRUB menu in this situation? I really need to reset the admin password, and any help or suggestions would be highly appreciated.

photo of a screen showing verbose boot

Nmath avatar
ng flag
Does this answer your question? [How do I boot into a root shell?](https://askubuntu.com/questions/92556/how-do-i-boot-into-a-root-shell) See [this answer](https://askubuntu.com/a/92558). If you have legacy BIOS you need to hold shift. Of course none of these methods will work if your BIOS is not booting your Ubuntu partition. If the problem is with BIOS boot priority, review the documentation for your motherboard for the procedure on your particular hardware.
Raffa avatar
jp flag
Isn't it supposed to be the "Shift" key instead ... Plus there is always the forceful way like with most OSs if you forcefully interrupt the boot process by rebooting early ( Ctrl+Alt+Delete ) in the boot process, it will show the GRUB menu on the next boot.
guiverc avatar
cn flag
Your details imply you've not applied security fixes/upgrades in a very long time if you're using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS. A fully upgraded system will report as [20.04.6](https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2023/03/23/ubuntu-20-04-6-lts-released/) with you more than [12 months](https://fridge.ubuntu.com/2022/02/25/ubuntu-20-04-4-lts-released/) behind on security fixes. Also note the dates are ISO release dates, with installed systems upgrading in the week+ before ISO release date. Are you using Ubuntu? (Ubuntu based systems will report as what they were based on & may not upgrade)
user1695860 avatar
pn flag
I've tried with Shift key (pressed multiple times, hold the key) but nothing happens in that case.
Raffa avatar
jp flag
In this case, follow instructions here https://askubuntu.com/a/1238393 and you will be able to change your password after the `chroot` step.
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