How to Fix �Failed to Connect to lvmetad� Error on Ubuntu?

By Kevin Arrows July 18, 2019 0 2 minutes read

Ubuntu is a free and open-source Linux based operating system used mostly for cloud
computing with OpenStack support. Updates are released every 6 months that come
with extended features and performance enhancements. However, quite recently, a lot
of reports have been coming in where users are unable to boot into the operating
system and the �Failed to Connect to lvmetad, Falling back to Device Scanning�
message is observed.
Failed to Connect to Lvmetad, Falling back to Device Scanning
What Causes the �Failed to Connect to Lvmetad� Error on Ubuntu?

After receiving numerous reports from multiple users, we decided to investigate the
issue and devised a set of solutions to rectify it completely. Also, we looked into
the reasons due to which this error is triggered and listed them as follows.

Nvidia Drivers: For some users, it was seen that the Nvidia drivers were
causing the issue with the operating system. Sometimes, the drivers can malfunction
and interfere with important system features which can result in triggering this
error.
Corrupt/Broken Kernel: In some cases, it was seen that updating kernel to the
latest version wasn�t processed properly and it might have gotten broken/corrupted
in the process due to which the error might be triggered.

Now that you have a basic understanding of the nature of the problem, we will move
on towards the solutions. Make sure to implement these in the specific order in
which they are presented to avoid conflict.
Solution 1: Purging Nvidia Drivers

If the Nvidia drivers are interfering with certain system functions, the error
might be triggered. Therefore, in this step, we will be completely uninstalling the
Nvidia Drivers from our computer using the purge command. For that:

If the computer doesn�t boot up follow the second solution before trying the
steps below,
Press �Ctrl� + �Alt� + �T� keys to bring up the terminal.
Opening Terminal
Type in the following command and press �Enter�.

sudo apt-get remove --purge '^nvidia-.*'

This will delete all Nvidia related packages, however, a command needs to be
executed for Ubuntu to work.
Type in the following command and press �Enter�.

sudo apt-get install ubuntu-desktop

Check to see if the issue persists.

Solution 2: Booting into an Older Kernel

If the new kernel hasn�t been processed properly it can cause issues during the
bootup. Therefore, in this step, we will be booting into an older kernel. For that:

During the bootup press the Esc, F9 or the F3 key to boot into the BIOS.
Select the �Advanced Options for Ubuntu� to boot into the Ubuntu options
screen.
Selecting Advanced Options for Ubuntu
 Navigate with the arrow keys and select an older version of the kernel.
Press �Enter� to select the kernel.
Reboot the computer and try to boot into the older kernel
Check to see if the issue persists.

Solution 3: Processing New Kernel

The issue is mostly seen if the newer kernel hasn�t been processed properly.
Therefore, in this step, we will be properly processing the newer kernel. Make sure
that you have already tried the first solution listed in this article and installed
the proper Nvidia drivers before trying this solution.

Boot into the older kernel before trying this using the second solution.
Press the �Ctrl� + �ALT� + �F3� keys simultaneously to boot into the virtual
terminal.
Opening Virtual Box
Type in the following command and press �Enter� to update everything.

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade -y

Type in the following command and press �Enter� to remove the older kernels.

sudo apt-get autoremove

Type in the following command and press �Enter� to reinstall the current kernel

sudo apt-get install --reinstall linux-image-4.13.0-32-generic

Note: Replace the numbers in this command with the version of the kernel you
want to install. The version could be found by executing the following command.

uname -r

Reboot and check to see if the issue persists.