I tried. It was so long ago now I can’t even remember. It was xubuntu, though.

But, I’m pretty sure I had to take it down to the local shop and get a copy of the iso since I didn’t have a fresh install to compare. (This wasn’t the only time I absolutely borked my machine)

Nowadays, I backup everything. I image the partitions. I create a separate partition for home. And I know what to never touch.