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I can no longer access my regular administrator account on my Ubuntu (see Ubuntu won't log me in with correct password) however I really need to access my files. I can only get on the PC with a guest login. How can I access my files? How can I log in as a guest, then using the shell after typing CTRL+ALT+F3 access the files?

This is NOT a duplicate of the suggested question. The person who claimed that it was apparently did not read my previous question linked above.

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  • If you had read the article you would see that in fact my password IS NOT LOST, UBUNTU has screwed with it at LOGIN. I can still login under shell.
    – mtnz
    Dec 8, 2017 at 2:52
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    That is not what you said, nor does it even make sense. Either you can log in ( as you, not guest as you said ) or you can not.
    – psusi
    Dec 8, 2017 at 2:55
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    @mtnz no, you will remain civil at all times or you will not participate here. Those are your only options. Just to clear a couple things up: nobody "decided" it was a duplicate, one user suggested that it might be, It takes another 4 users for that to be binding. All you need to do is explain why it isn't a duplicate and the problem goes away. but you need to do so politely or not at all. Remember that we're just volunteers here, nobody is getting paid for this and nobody has any obligation to help you.
    – terdon
    Dec 8, 2017 at 15:31
  • I don't know if anyone here actually works on Ubuntu but this simple major problem has existed for YEARS. I have NOT read about this being a problem as result of installing software so I do not believe it is a duplicate. It seems to be closed as a duplicate anyway so either 4 people have decided it's a duplicate when it's not or.... well you know the other option. Don't get blunt with me because you've had enough of helping people for free on this POS operating system that doesn't have structural integrity where permissions are not robust enough to hold off 3rd party install errors.
    – mtnz
    Dec 10, 2017 at 5:38
  • If you guys work on Ubuntu I suggest you take the focus off me and agree that this is very bad form locking a user out of his pc and then get on with FIXING it for others, forget about me. It won't be hugely difficult to fix I'm sure. Then you won't face irate users who have every right to get p'd off and then double that when people demean what's being said and treating it as nothing.
    – mtnz
    Dec 10, 2017 at 5:53

1 Answer 1

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The simple answer is that you can't access user files from a guest login. The guest login:

  • cannot su or sudo
  • cannot access /home, /boot, /snap, etc. despite the permissions on these

You can create a live USB of Ubuntu and boot using that (like when you installed Ubuntu in the first place) to access your files.

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  • Thanks. I'm not too sure how to do that. I have been able to login via the shell... Advanced Options during BootUp.... then open as Root.... so I can get root access at the command prompt... if I could just get all the files I want onto some other media that's my first priority as I need them urgently
    – mtnz
    Dec 8, 2017 at 4:46
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    if you can log in on a shell .. command prompt .. why not just copy the files over cp -a /home/username/folder /mnt/usb_or_something/ .. if you plug in a usb drive it should 'automount' .. you just have to find where it mounted too and use that path or cp -a /source/. /destination/ if you want recursive with hidden files
    – John Orion
    Dec 8, 2017 at 8:28
  • If you can log in as root in command line. Why don't you use passwd to reset the account password? Or create another account?
    – Prav
    Dec 9, 2017 at 20:06
  • It will not reset the password.
    – mtnz
    Dec 12, 2017 at 11:14

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