Ubuntu download issue

Support and Help
1

Ubuntu Version

26.04 LTS

Desktop Environment (if applicable)

Other

Problem Description

I downloaded Ubuntu onto my laptop earlier this year successfully, however, I had an issue trying to download some non-Ubuntu software which caused my laptop to crash and I lost everything on it. I then re-installed Ubuntu and, rather than overwrite the old version, I think it downloaded it again so somewhere in my laptop the old version still exists though I cant access it. I now have no storage left on my laptop as a result. Is there a way for me to check if and where the old version of Ubuntu exists and remove it, without losing the current version that I am now using and all my data?

2

Hello sixthelement -

Sure - a quick peak is via the terminal command:
sudo fdisk -lu
for what the disk partitioning is (installed operating systems).
If it shows duplicated installs then I would run
efibootmgr -v
to know the booting system’s partition.
If there is a mess to clean up - I really like the GUI partition manager - gparted - to remove and resize partitions. There is a learning curve to gparted, but not too steep. That, however, maybe best addressed in a new topic if you need guidance.

-just make sure you hold your mouth right at all times :D-

3

Holding my mouth as we speak!

Thanks so much for your advice. Will my current version be safe doing as you suggest? I’m a bit of a tech-novice and am fearful I may lose my current version of Ubuntu and saved data! Mostly because I have no idea what I’m doing, especially using terminal.

4

Uh Huh -

totally safe if you execute the terminal commands exactly as given. In these invocations there is nothing destructive. sudo requires your admin password - enter the PW blindly and carry on. You will find that many times the terminal not only is faster, but the more informative.

-being new is nothing to be ashamed of, we were all new at one time-

5

sixthelement - shucks - a rethink
Upon reflection the efibootmgr command will not tell you what the installed partition is.
rather run
sudo grub-probe -t device /boot/grub
in my case:

sysop@Xm2404:~/uwn$ sudo grub-probe -t device /boot/grub
/dev/sdb1
sysop@Xm2404:

by grub is booting my Xubuntu on the 2nd disk and the 1st partition.

-backup to regroup-

6

Boot into your current version, open a terminal and enter

lsblk -e 7 -o name,size,pttype,type,fstype,fsuse%,fsavail,mountpoint

Please post the output within code tags </>

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7

The commands suggested above if run exactly as posted will not do/change anything but will only output information you can post here for members to review and make suggestions. If you can boot the current/new install of Ubuntu, you can show which partition(s) it is using withe command: df -h

This command only shows the currently mounted/used partitions and will tell you which partition you are currently using while the other commands will give general information on all drives/partitions on the computer.

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