How to Fix a Blank Screen with Blinking Cursor on Boot in Ubuntu

How to Fix a Blank Screen with Blinking Cursor on Boot in Ubuntu

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Written By Eric Sandler

If you’re encountering a blank screen with a blinking cursor when trying to boot Ubuntu, you’re likely facing an issue with the boot process that prevents the operating system from loading correctly. This problem can be caused by several factors, including issues with the bootloader, graphics drivers, or even filesystem corruption.

How to Fix a Blank Screen with Blinking Cursor on Boot in Ubuntu

In this guide, we’ll walk through the most common causes of this issue and how to troubleshoot and fix it.

Possible Causes of the Blank Screen with Blinking Cursor

  1. GRUB Bootloader Issues: GRUB, the bootloader used by Ubuntu, may be misconfigured or corrupted, preventing the system from booting properly.
  2. Graphics Driver Issues: Problems with your graphics driver can cause Ubuntu to get stuck before loading the graphical interface.
  3. Corrupted File System: If there’s corruption in the root file system, Ubuntu might not be able to load properly.
  4. Hardware Compatibility Issues: Sometimes, hardware-related issues, such as conflicts with peripherals or BIOS settings, can cause this error.

Step-by-Step Fixes for the Blank Screen with Blinking Cursor

Method 1: Access GRUB Menu and Check Boot Options

One of the first steps to troubleshoot this issue is to access the GRUB menu and check whether your boot options are configured correctly.

Step 1: Access the GRUB Menu

  1. Restart your computer and hold the Shift key as the system boots. If you’re using UEFI, you may need to press Esc repeatedly to access the GRUB menu.
  2. Once in the GRUB menu, you’ll see a list of boot options.

Step 2: Boot into Recovery Mode

  1. In the GRUB menu, select the Advanced options for Ubuntu.
  2. Choose Ubuntu, with Linux (recovery mode). This will boot the system into recovery mode, where you can try to troubleshoot the issue.
  3. If the system boots successfully into recovery mode, the problem is likely related to the graphics drivers or display settings.

Step 3: Boot into a Previous Kernel Version

If recovery mode works but the normal boot does not, you can also try booting into an older kernel to see if a recent update caused the issue:

  1. In the GRUB menu, choose Advanced options for Ubuntu.
  2. Select an older kernel from the list and press Enter to boot.

Method 2: Fix GRUB Bootloader

If the GRUB bootloader is corrupted or misconfigured, repairing GRUB can resolve the issue.

Step 1: Boot from Ubuntu Live USB

  1. Insert an Ubuntu Live USB or installation media and boot from it. You may need to access your system’s BIOS/UEFI settings to boot from USB.
  2. Once the live environment loads, open a terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

Step 2: Reinstall GRUB

  1. Identify the partition where Ubuntu is installed. Run the following command to list all partitions:
   sudo fdisk -l

Look for the Linux partition (e.g., /dev/sda1).

  1. Mount the Ubuntu partition:
   sudo mount /dev/sda1 /mnt
  1. Reinstall GRUB on the appropriate disk (replace /dev/sda with your actual drive name):
   sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sda
  1. Update GRUB to apply changes:
   sudo update-grub
  1. Reboot the system:
   sudo reboot

This process will reinstall GRUB, potentially resolving any bootloader issues causing the blinking cursor.

Method 3: Fix Graphics Driver Issues

A common reason for the blank screen and blinking cursor issue is a problem with the graphics driver, particularly if you have an Nvidia or AMD GPU.

Step 1: Boot into Recovery Mode

Access the GRUB menu (as described in Method 1), and boot into Recovery Mode.

Step 2: Access Root Shell

Once in recovery mode, select the root shell option from the menu.

Step 3: Remove Problematic Drivers

If you’re using a proprietary graphics driver, removing it can help:

  1. If you have an Nvidia driver installed, remove it using:
   sudo apt-get purge nvidia*
  1. If you’re using AMD drivers, you can remove them using:
   sudo apt-get purge fglrx*

Step 4: Install Open-Source Drivers

You can then install the open-source drivers:

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

For AMD users:

sudo apt-get install xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu

Step 5: Reboot the System

After installing the drivers, reboot the system:

sudo reboot

Method 4: Check for File System Errors

Corrupted files in the root filesystem can also prevent Ubuntu from booting correctly. Running a file system check can help resolve this.

Step 1: Boot into Recovery Mode

As mentioned earlier, boot into Recovery Mode through the GRUB menu.

Step 2: Run fsck (File System Check)

Once in recovery mode, choose the fsck option from the recovery menu to check for and fix file system errors.

Alternatively, you can run it manually by entering the root shell and running:

fsck /dev/sda1

(Replace /dev/sda1 with the partition where Ubuntu is installed.)

Step 3: Reboot the System

Once the file system check is complete, reboot the system:

sudo reboot

Method 5: Check BIOS/UEFI Settings

Sometimes, BIOS or UEFI settings can interfere with the boot process. Ensuring that your BIOS settings are correct can resolve the issue.

Step 1: Access BIOS/UEFI

Restart your computer and press the appropriate key (usually F2, Del, or Esc) to enter BIOS/UEFI.

Step 2: Check Boot Mode

Ensure that the boot mode is set to UEFI (if you installed Ubuntu in UEFI mode) or Legacy (if installed in Legacy mode). You can usually find this in the Boot or Advanced section of the BIOS settings.

Step 3: Check Secure Boot

If Secure Boot is enabled, try disabling it, as it can sometimes interfere with Linux installations.

Step 4: Save and Exit

Save your changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI settings, then see if the system boots properly.

Conclusion

A blank screen with a blinking cursor on boot in Ubuntu can be frustrating, but it’s usually resolvable by troubleshooting the bootloader, graphics drivers, or file system. By following the steps outlined in this guide—starting with checking GRUB, repairing boot files, addressing graphics driver issues, or checking the filesystem—you should be able to resolve the issue and get Ubuntu booting correctly. If the problem persists, it may be worth considering hardware compatibility checks or reinstalling Ubuntu as a last resort.

Eric Sandler

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