Fix “Failed to start gdm.service – GNOME Display Manager” on Ubuntu (Lenovo, Dell, HP & Others)

Last Updated: November 2025
Works for Ubuntu 20.04 / 22.04 / 24.04, Pop!_OS, Debian, Mint, Zorin OS, etc.
Tested on: Lenovo ThinkPad, Dell Inspiron/Latitude, HP ProBook/Envy, ASUS & Acer systems

Ubuntu GDM fix, Failed to start gdm.service solution, Ubuntu black screen after login, GDM vs LightDM, Lenovo ThinkPad Ubuntu boot issue, Dell Ubuntu secure boot disable, HP Ubuntu AHCI mode, Ubuntu NVIDIA driver fix, Ubuntu GUI not starting, Ubuntu display manager problem,

Introduction

If your Ubuntu suddenly boots to a black screen or text-only console showing:

Failed to start gdm.service – GNOME Display Manager

Don’t worry—your system isn’t broken.
This error means your graphical login (GDM) failed to start—usually because of:

A blocked graphics driver (e.g., Secure Boot + NVIDIA)

Wrong BIOS storage mode (RAID/VMD instead of AHCI)

Corrupted GDM or GPU configuration

This guide explains how to fix it step-by-step on Lenovo, Dell, HP, and other laptops, even if you don’t have a USB flash drive.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, make sure you can:

Access a TTY terminal by pressing Ctrl + Alt + F3 or F4

Log in with your username and password

Have an internet connection (Wi-Fi or Ethernet). 

Step 1—Enter BIOS/UEFI Settings

Different brands have slightly different BIOS access keys:

Brand

BIOS Key

Boot Menu Key

Lenovo (ThinkPad / IdeaPad)

F1

F12

Dell (Inspiron / Latitude / XPS)

F2

F12

HP (Pavilion / ProBook / Envy)

Esc → F10

Esc → F9

ASUS / Acer / MSI

F2

F12 or Esc

Power on your laptop and press the key repeatedly during startup.

Step 2—Disable Secure Boot

Reason: Secure Boot blocks unsigned GPU drivers (especially NVIDIA), preventing GDM from starting.

BIOS Navigation:

Lenovo: Security → Secure Boot → Disable

Dell: Boot Configuration → Secure Boot → Disabled

HP: Security → Secure Boot Configuration → Secure Boot → Disable

Save and exit (usually F10) and reboot.

Then, verify inside Ubuntu CLI:

				
					sudo mokutil --sb-state
				
			

It should say:

Secure Boot disabled

Step 3—Change Storage Mode (RAID → AHCI / VMD → Disabled)

Reason: Ubuntu sometimes can’t boot properly or detect NVMe drives when Intel RST/VMD is enabled.

BIOS Path by Brand:

Brand

Menu Path

Change To

Lenovo

Config → Storage / VMD Controller → Disabled

AHCI mode

Dell

Storage → SATA Operation → AHCI

From “RAID On”

HP

Advanced → Storage Options → AHCI

Disable Intel RST if shown

If Windows was preinstalled with RAID/RST mode, switching may stop it from booting — backup first.

After saving BIOS changes, reboot back into Ubuntu CLI.

Step 4—Update & Repair Packages

In your Ubuntu terminal (Ctrl+Alt+F3):

				
					sudo apt update
sudo apt install --fix-broken -y
sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt upgrade -y

				
			

This ensures all system components are synced before repairing GDM.

Step 5—Reinstall & Reconfigure GDM

				
					sudo rm -f /etc/gdm3/custom.conf
sudo apt install --reinstall gdm3 -y
sudo dpkg-reconfigure gdm3

				
			

When asked, choose gdm3 (not lightdm).
Then try restarting the display manager:

				
					sudo systemctl restart gdm

If it fails again:

sudo systemctl status gdm --no-pager
sudo journalctl -xeu gdm

				
			
Top 4 Laptops
ASUS VivoBook 15

ASUS Book 15

Intel i5 • 8GB • 512GB SSD • 15.6"

₹42,999
Buy Now
Dell 15

Dell 15

Intel i5 • 16GB • 512GB SSD • 15.6"

₹52,900
Buy Now
Lenovo Slim 3

Lenovo Slim 3

Intel i5 • 8GB • 512GB SSD • 15.6"

₹54,600
Buy Now
Lenovo Slim 3 i7

Lenovo Slim 3

Intel i7 • 8GB • 512GB SSD • 15.6"

₹62,999
Buy Now

Step 6—If GDM Still Fails, Use LightDM

Switching to a lighter login manager often bypasses GDM/driver bugs:

				
					sudo apt install lightdm -y
sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm
sudo reboot

				
			

Choose LightDM when prompted.
After reboot, your graphical login screen should return.

Step 7—Fix GPU Drivers (Intel / NVIDIA / AMD)

Check your GPU:

				
					lspci | grep -E "VGA|3D"
				
			

Intel

Usually works out of the box. Just update:

				
					sudo apt install --reinstall xserver-xorg-video-intel -y
				
			

NVIDIA

				
					sudo ubuntu-drivers autoinstall
sudo reboot

				
			

If GDM still fails, disable Secure Boot again in BIOS and repeat.

AMD

				
					sudo apt install --reinstall xserver-xorg-video-amdgpu -y
				
			

Step 8—Rebuild Initramfs & GRUB (after BIOS changes)

If you changed RAID → AHCI / VMD → Disabled:

				
					sudo update-initramfs -u
sudo update-grub
sudo reboot

				
			

Step 9—Use GRUB Recovery (if the GUI won’t start at all)

Reboot → hold Shift or Esc → open GRUB menu.

Select Advanced options for Ubuntu → (recovery mode)

Choose root to open a repair shell.

Run the same repair commands from above.

 

Step 10—Verify & Troubleshoot

Check what’s working and what’s not:

				
					sudo systemctl status gdm
sudo mokutil --sb-state
lspci | grep -E "VGA|3D"
df -h
lsblk -f

				
			

Step 11—Summary

Problem

Fix

GDM fails to start

Reinstall gdm3 or switch to lightdm

Black screen after boot

Disable Secure Boot

Disk not visible

Switch BIOS from RAID/VMD → AHCI

NVIDIA drivers not loading

Run ubuntu-drivers autoinstall

GUI still missing

Rebuild initramfs + grub


Final Thoughts

Most “Failed to start gdm.service” issues are caused by BIOS security or storage modes blocking Linux from initializing GPU drivers.
For Lenovo, Dell, and HP laptops, disabling Secure Boot, changing RAID to AHCI, and reinstalling gdm3 or lightdm usually fixes the issue completely — no USB or OS reinstall needed. 

5 1 vote
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
14 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
y555game
y555game
2 months ago

Y555game seems like it could be my next obsession. Gonna dive in and see what all the hype is about. Fingers crossed! Give y555game a shot y555game

betpawalogin
betpawalogin
1 month ago

Alright folks, if you’re looking for a new spot, betpawalogin might be up your alley. I had a decent experience. Give it a shot: betpawalogin

Polecenie Binance
Polecenie Binance
1 month ago

Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me?

best binance referral code
best binance referral code
1 month ago

Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

Binance账户
Binance账户
1 month ago

Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me? https://www.binance.info/register?ref=IHJUI7TF

Registrera dig
Registrera dig
24 days ago

Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

binance US-registrera
binance US-registrera
23 days ago

Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

Kayit Ol
Kayit Ol
16 days ago

Thank you for your sharing. I am worried that I lack creative ideas. It is your article that makes me full of hope. Thank you. But, I have a question, can you help me? https://accounts.binance.info/register-person?ref=IXBIAFVY

pk55kagame
pk55kagame
14 days ago

Yo! pk55kagame is where it’s at! Been playing for a minute now, and I gotta say, I’m hooked. Easy to get into, but hard to master, if you know what I mean. Definitely worth a shot if you’re looking for something new. pk55kagame

g555
g555
14 days ago

Yo, just checked out g555. It’s alright, a decent alternative for sure, It just needs a bit more content, you know to keep the attention going. g555

x03gamedownload
x03gamedownload
14 days ago

Alright, x03gamedownload. Just downloaded some stuff from here. Seemed legit, download was fast. No complaints so far. If you need some stuff, might be worth checking out. x03gamedownload

binance алдым-ау бонусы
binance алдым-ау бонусы
13 days ago

Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

bonus za registraci na binance
bonus za registraci na binance
13 days ago

Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.

registro de Binance US
registro de Binance US
1 day ago

Can you be more specific about the content of your article? After reading it, I still have some doubts. Hope you can help me.

Read More

14
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x