Splintered Thread from___Drive Failure Imminent_"Last Option"

[Sherri is a Cat]

@KGIII
@wizardfromoz
@Condobloke
@The Duck
And everyone else who has been trying to help me. I'll find you and tell you about this thread.

I know this is long, but I didn't want to leave out any details. There's been a lot confusion. Information about all of this in several different threads. I want to consolidate everything in single thread to make it as easy as possible for all of you who are helping me!

I hope Wizardfromoz and KGll are done bickering about time formats because I need your help!

As of RIGHT NOW...

I'm am using a 2nd Lenovo. This one has its own issues, but based on my knowledge of hard drives, I think this one might work. I am naming this laptop "Last Option" and this is the only laptop this thread is about.

I will begin with what I did to finally get back back into the Linux Mint OS and move forward.

• I began using "Last Option" after finding the warning about the failing disk drive of the other laptop. That laptop is a non-issue. He went bye-bye. I sent him away. There is NO failing hard drive now.

• Using the same USB drive I started out with ( we are going to call it USB #1), I attempted an OEM install of Linux Mint 21.2 on Last Option. That could not be done.
• I was able to boot into a live version. When I looked in "Disks" it appeared that Linux didn't recognize the hard drive. I thought the drive was no good. (That post is in a 3rd thread...somewhere.)
• Before going to bed, I did NOT turn off Last Option. I did NOT remove the USB #1 drive with LM 21.2
• Today I looked in Disks to find out about a USB drive.
• I noticed an assessment about Last Option's Hard Disk Drive. I posted a screen shot of it earlier to today
• The assessment said "Disk is okay, one bad sector".

• Later on today, (that's today now! ) Later on today, Last Option froze up.
  • I could not switch windows
  • I could not move windows
  • I could not open the menu
  • I could not open the terminal or any other program
  • I don't know what keys to press to stop processes (I do now, thank you KGll!)
  • The only thing I could do and with a long delay, was move the cursor or arrow with the mouse.
  • Nothing happened. I manually forced a shut down.
• The next thing that happened was not something I expected.
  • Using the USB #1 drive I rebooted the PC
  • I did not have to go through set up.
    • No time zones
    • No (codecs)
    • No names, no passwords
    • All of that was bypassed. I booted straight into the desktop.
• Last Option froze for the second time.
  • Again, I could only move the mouse around the screen. That's it.
  • I waited again.
  • This time I got a message that the desk top was not responding. I selected "quit'
  • Everything seemed to be fine
• A few hours ago, Last Option froze a third time.
  • The very same things that happened the first two times happened again.
  • I waited a very long time hoping I would get the message about the laptop.
    • That was when I asked about keys to stop processes in one of the threads.
  • I entered Control+Alt+F3
  • It appeared to be doing a soft reset
  • I was asked for my (ID?) and password.
  • I forgot the ID, but not the password.
  • I think I wrote it down, looked for it, but couldn't find it.
  • I couldn't seem to get out of the (terminal?)
  • Sometimes the keys I typed didn't show on the screen
  • BUT I could see the movement seen under the characters when you type in the terminal.
• I wrote a reply to KGll and Condobloke that there should be an emoticon for crazy hysterical laughter. I manually shut down the laptop and took a shower.

This next part is very important so pay attention!
Are you ready?
Here we go now!

I did NOT use the USB #1 drive to boot into live Linux this time
I will repeat that
I did NOT use the USB #1 drive to boot into live Linux this time
You will now be introduced to USB #2​

• A couple of years ago I tried Linux for the very first time
• It was a DIFFERENT distro.
• I used Rufus to burn it to the USB #2 drive
• I didn't like it.
• I wiped the USB drive.
• Using Rufus, 2 years ago I burned Linux Mint 21.2 to the USB #2 drive.
• I recently found USB #2 drive with Linux. I never erased it.

I suspect this part is also important.
I'm going to mention our old friend, the dead laptop and USB #1. But remember he is dead now.
Here we go!
​

• In the beginning, using the now dead laptop, I booted into live Linux with USB #1 drive.​
• There was some confusion about updating 21.2 and upgrading to 21.3​
• I thought I could update the installation files and upgrade them to 21.3​
• I tried to do that​
• Some of those files were written to the hard drive and some to to the USB #1 drive​
• That night, I tried to install Linux 21.2 from the desktop.​
• There were problems installing LInux. A lot. There were only 25 GB available (Yes, I know there is more to this 25 GB thing)​
• The next day, I tried to boot into Windows. I couldn't. I couldn't refresh or restore it. I couldn't set it back to the manufacturers settings.​
• The recovery drive for Windows was GONE​
• I couldn't boot in Linux.​
• What ended up working was an OEM install that wiped the entire drive. ​
• I was concerned. I seems to me that trying to update installation files may have corrupted them, especially given that some of them written to the HDD instead ​
• Everything seemed fine. ​
• I kept using our other dead laptop friend.​
• Then came the message about it's drive failing.​

Then...

• I got Last Option
• Using USB #1 I tried an OEM install on Last Option
• It didn't work, several times
• I thought Linux didn't recognize the HDD drive at all.
• This morning I saw the message that the disk is ok, but there is one bad sector
• I had the problems with Linux freezing up.
• I remembered trying to update installation files
• I remembered finding USB #2
• I used USB #2 to boot into this live version of Linux Mint 21.2

Now...

I checked "Disks" again and "Disk Usage Analyzer.
This is what I see now.

*The 125 GB USB drive is

I hope I didn't miss anything

One other thing, the time is out of sync. If reloading the calendar doesn't take care of it, well that's an issue for another day. Yes, I'm looking at you, KGll and Wizardfromoz!
​

 

[wizardfromoz]

...Wizardfromoz and KGll are done bickering about time formats...

We don't bicker - we engage in a little banter from time to time.

I'm reading the rest of the Post next.

Wiz

 

[KGIII]

• I entered Control+Alt+F3
• It appeared to be doing a soft reset
• I was asked for my (ID?) and password.
• I forgot the ID, but not the password.
• I think I wrote it down, looked for it, but couldn't find it.
• I couldn't seem to get out of the (terminal?)
• Sometimes the keys I typed didn't show on the screen

That was at my behest.

You entered the TTY phase. When your device was frozen, it was not completely frozen if you could get to that screen.

I asked you to try that simply to see if you were completely frozen.

Your ID is your username, like mine is 'kgiii', in lowercase letters.

When you type your password, nothing will appear on the screen. This is normal and expected.

By the way, to get back to the GUI, you just hold the left ALT button and press the RIGHT arrow key to get back to the GUI. As you're using Mint, you should also be able to press CTRL + ALT + F7 to return to the GUI.

The next bit may be a bit much for you...

You can use whatever 'top' Linux Mint has to check for resource usage. I think that's htop which is a terminal-based task manager of sorts.

 

[KGIII]

We don't bicker - we engage in a little banter from time to time.

I'm reading the rest of the Post next.

Wiz

Also, I realized my error. The HH, SS, MM etc are from PHP which is why they were fresh in my memory. I'd just tinkered with that a few days ago, working on some code for the site.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread...

 

[wizardfromoz]

Sherri, I have an idea that Last Option has not been formatted properly. I noticed that at one of your other threads.

I will put together what I have and be back.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Just read a magazine or play with the cats for a minute. You caught me running a program I could not afford to leave until execution was completed.

Rebooting and will return.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Just read a magazine or play with the cats for a minute. You caught me running a program I could not afford to leave until execution was completed.

Rebooting and will return.

No problem.
I have a fur ball I need to cough up anyway. I'll probably be done by the time you get back.

 

[wizardfromoz]

Your Seagate

My Seagate

 

[wizardfromoz]

So do I take it you have not formatted Last Option, yet?

 

[wizardfromoz]

I thought Linux didn't recognize the HDD drive at all.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

So do I take it you have not formatted Last Option, yet?

No. I was under the impression the installing the OEM would take care of that, erase and install

 

[wizardfromoz]

Fair comment.

We can be sure, and set up that drive so it is Linux friendly.

I can best show you how to do this with GParted, which is available on your 21.2 Live stick.

It should probably be a tomorrow job for you - also, given we both have ADHD I do not wish to distract you from packing for Ohio, or other commitments.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

It should probably be a tomorrow job for you - also, given we both have ADHD I do not wish to distract you from packing for Ohio, or other commitments.

That sounds like a good idea to me. I'm tired now and have work in the morning. No packing for Ohio yet. I still working on a way to get there!

Tomorrow is Friday for me. I know your time is ahead of mine....

More rambling. I'm going to sleep!

I'll see you on the other side of what ever time it is there. I don't even know if that makes sense...

Good night!

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

That was at my behest.

You entered the TTY phase. When your device was frozen, it was not completely frozen if you could get to that screen.

I asked you to try that simply to see if you were completely frozen.

Your ID is your username, like mine is 'kgiii', in lowercase letters.

When you type your password, nothing will appear on the screen. This is normal and expected.

By the way, to get back to the GUI, you just hold the left ALT button and press the RIGHT arrow key to get back to the GUI. As you're using Mint, you should also be able to press CTRL + ALT + F7 to return to the GUI.

The next bit may be a bit much for you...

You can use whatever 'top' Linux Mint has to check for resource usage. I think that's htop which is a terminal-based task manager of sorts.

I'm going to have questions about some of this....later on

 

[KGIII]

I'm going to have questions about some of this....later on

Ask away. I'll try to respond without giant walls of text. You can also use a search engine with the terms I use as your keywords.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

Ask away. I'll try to respond without giant walls of text. You can also use a search engine with the terms I use as your keywords.

Don't worry! I'll come back to this. Right now I"m working with Wizardfromoz to see what can be done about Last Option's hard drive!

Unless it's something I would use right now, I probably wouldn't remember much.

In the future, hopefully sooner than later, I want to see about that Linux based web hosting. I have ambitions! A while back I learned some HTML code in college.I think they have something newer and better now? I had to set up a simple website with images and links. I don't remember exactly how to do it now and really haven't had any to look at all the code in the browser window. You could write anything as long as you didn't put the code around it. Unless someone thought to look, they would never know it's there.

 

[wizardfromoz]

G'day, sipping on my 3rd cuppa.

I'll put together a blow by blow and be back as soon as I can.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

G'day, sipping on my 3rd cuppa.

I'll put together a blow by blow and be back as soon as I can.

No problem.
I finding out that I might have some useful information for someone else!

 

[wizardfromoz]

Below is the first of a number of screenshots using GParted, the GNOME Partition Editor.

On your LM 21.2 Live stick, you can launch it from Menu - Administration - Gparted.

I hope the Lenovo #2 has 2 USB ports, if not let me know.

Have your Last Option plugged in and also your LM 21.2 stick.

Mine is from my SSD so don't worry about the entries in the lower pane, but grab a window handle and expand to the right so that the Flags column can be seen.

You may be missing a column or two - perhaps Name and Label, they will appear when used.

SCREENSHOT 1 - WIZARD'S SSD

If you can do so, post us a screenshot please.

 

[Sherri is a Cat]

I hope the Lenovo #2 has 2 USB ports, if not let me know.

It has 3 integrated ports. None USB 3.0

I have USB 3.0 hub with a long cable. The hub has 8 ports The long cable keeps things out of reach of the cats.

The USB drive with the Linux installation files is plugged into the hub.

I'm going do the above leaving everything as is.

If want me to move the USB port, I can do it again.