login ubuntu 10.04

If you reboot and hold shift, you will see the grub screen, select recovery mode then select root

You can no run:

cd /home; ls

ls is LS in lower case

You will now see the available users, you can now run:

passwd foo

replace foo with the username you see (Ignore 'lost+found', it's a system folder). You can now set the password and then run:

reboot

to reboot (funnily enough) and you can now boot to Ubuntu and login with the username you saw using the password you set.

Thanks for the help actionparsnip, but it did not solve the problem. As stated above, when I try to boot on recovery mode the PC freezes. Is that normal?

No that doesn't sound good. Use the same shift method but select the memtest option. Let a full scan run

I did that earlier today, same results.

I looks to complicated to fix this issue if we don't know how was installed software.
Reinstalling system should be the safer way.
If you choose this solution, during install choose manual partitioning and verify the big ext4 partition is mounted on "/" folder.

If the memory test is failing too I'd suspect a hardware issue. I suggest you reset BIOS to defaults and/or make sure it's the latest BIOS. This may help.

Thanks again, but the memory test is 100% OK. Let me ask you a question regarding this problem. I bought the Ubuntu book when I first installed the OS and the advice it gives is as follows:

Reset computer and when GRUB appears press Esc to see boot menu and select recovery mode. As stated before, the computer freezes. However if I press Alt Ctrl i can get to boot menu and type, as per their advice:

foo@bar:~# passwd <username>

It states then follow prompts for new passwoord, but nothing happens.

I don't have the CD for 10.04 but I have the latest Ubuntu 10.10. However the systems does not see it. I wonder what I;m doing wrong.

"foo@bar:~# passwd <username>" is not a Grub prompt, but a Unix one.
"As stated before, the computer freezes.": Is this occurring after a colored screen or a few seconds after boot ?

Hello Delance,

it actually happens when I'm prompted to boot Linux, Linux recovery, Memory test or Windows7. I press the Ctrl-C and it is on a black screen that I enter the above listed command, but I do not obtain the desired result.

Thanks for your help.

Hector

Thanks delance, that solved my question.