how to repair ubuntu 25.04 without losing data

When Ubuntu 25.04 breaks or fails to boot, you can often fix it without reinstalling or losing your personal files.

Step 1: Boot into recovery mode

Restart your system and hold `Shift` to access the GRUB menu. Choose the recovery entry, then drop to the root shell:

mount -o remount,rw /

This gives you write access to the system for repairs.

Step 2: Fix broken packages

Use APT to repair incomplete or corrupted packages:

apt update
apt install -f

This will check and fix dependency problems automatically.

Step 3: Reinstall the desktop

If the graphical interface is missing or broken, reinstall it safely.

apt install --reinstall ubuntu-desktop
reboot

This resets the desktop without affecting personal data.

Step 4: Repair bootloader from live USB

If Ubuntu doesn’t boot at all, use a live USB. Mount the root partition and reinstall GRUB:

sudo mount /dev/sdXn /mnt
sudo grub-install --root-directory=/mnt /dev/sdX

Replace sdX with your actual disk (like /dev/sda).

Step 5: Reconfigure system packages

This step resets package configurations that may have failed during previous upgrades.

dpkg --configure -a
apt upgrade -y

Your system should be stable again after this.

Optional Step: Clean up old files

Free up space and remove unused packages once everything works:

apt autoremove -y
apt clean