I just installed Linux Mint Cinnamon 19.2 last night. When I started up the computer this morning, I logged in by putting in my password and everything was just fine. Then,I switched it to automatic log in (Administration>Login Window>users)for me, after 5 seconds. I shut down the computer to make the change. When I started it up again, it loaded normally and came to the login window, delayed 5 seconds, went to a black screen for a few seconds, then went back to the login screen and kept repeating that over and over. I shut down the computer using the Quit button (upper right on the log in screen) and tried rebooting. The same thing happened. Since I am stuck on the login screen, I can't do anything else. I am totally new at this (See my username) and a little freaked out right now. Can anyone help?

Relax! Everything in Linux can be fixed. If you press ctrl+alt+F2, you will get to a text console. There will be a black screen with a login prompt. You can log in there to fix things (NOTE: you will not see your password being entered, but don't panic, it is being read). The autologin is specified in a file called /etc/mdm/mdm.conf so you will need to edit this. Here's a link that should tell you how to do the edit. Basically you need to switch that AutomaticLogin line to "false"

Hopefully someone else can tell you why this happened and how to do an autologin safely. I'm no expert on Mint.

I found out the term for what was happening was "login loop." After reading multiple pages about how to fix it (command/code lines in the terminal. I have absolutely no experience with that.) I decided to just reinstall the whole OS and NOT pick auto-login. Things seem OK now, but I will save your advice for if it happens again.

I do have a question, though. On some of the articles/videos, it said to click CNTL-ALT-F2 like you suggested, but on others it said F1 (for the last part.) How can I tell which one is right for my system (Linux Mint Cinnamon 19.2)?

You actually have 6 text consoles on most distros (with the graphical display on console 7), so any of ctrl+alt+F(1..6) would get you a console. But console 1 often has system messages on it, which might confuse a newbie. That's why I recommended console 2.

I very much appreciate your direct, easy-to-understand responses. Way to often on the forums, etc., I find myself living your quote: "I'm just a little old lady. Don't try to dazzle me with jargon." So thank you very much.

I am here,about 48 hours after the re-install and all is well. Yippee!