Fail after update (more info)

[Grizzly]

Follow up to last

I tried to start in advanced with 4.4.09 and left running for 40 minutes (so 
far) screen is purple with the dots, F6 shows Network Manager Scripting service 
starting / started 100's of times and an (unnamed) "job is running for hold 
till boot finishes "44mins 33 secs / no limit", is this a endless loop?

I made the error of tying the hwe kernel on 16.04.3 it was at 4.4.09 (iirc) 
after it went to 4.4.13 but the sustyem when was unusable:-

Screen full of what looks like dead worms or a squiggle in middle of screen, 
trying a terminal did not work (afaict)

I tried the advanced and run wotrh the old(er) kernel and tried to follow 
instructions (AskUbuntu) to get back to the old system, but that then made the 
whole system fail totally, had to wipe disk and reinstall Win7 then Ubuntu 
16.04.3, after install i ran 

Apt update
Apt dist-upgrade

and that 4.4.13 came back (noted on grub) and I don't know how to fix without 
frigging the whole thing again, and system is again unsable

How can I get back without another re-install and not be here again at next 
update/upgrade

p.s. 17.04 live seems to work on the same box so confused