Lost screen and use

apport information

More info, starting the computer in 2D, provides some functionality, but programs such as VirtualBox are not availble.
Also ctrl+alt+t allows me to start and run Firefox and Thunderbird. That is not a way to work. The shiny new display with Launcher on the left and the complete panel on the top must be restored. I would appreciate some help!

I'll try to offer some help. Are you saying that you were adjusting settings in Compiz Config Settings Manager when the unity launcher (the list of programs on the left side of the screen) and your shut down/etc buttons disappeared?

Also, as a workaround to your problem, we can install a different desktop environment. Please take a look at the "gnome 3.2", "kde", and "xfce" desktop environments (a google image search of each will give you a good idea of which you prefer). Once you have chosen which you would like to use, please log in to an ubuntu-2d session. Then, from a terminal, type "sudo software-center" and hit enter. Hopefully the ubuntu software center opens. Then search for "gnome-shell" if you liked gnome 3.2, "kubuntu-desktop" if you liked kde, or "xubuntu-desktop" if you liked xfce. Then just click the result that matches what you searched for and install the package (it may take a while). That will install a new desktop environment, which you can select in the same way that you select ubuntu-2d at the login screen. You should now be able to boot into the desktop environment that you have chosen and use your computer from there. It's by no means a solution, but it will enable you to use your computer.

Thank you for responding to my problem. It turned out that it is not uncommon, as I looking through the answers, found question # 177651, which described the loss of Ubuntu just as I experienced. So I tried the solution, and it worked, both the laptop and the desktop are back to where they should be.

The lost shutdown button remains to this point unresolved. It is not a major problem to me, as the blank space where it should be reacts like the radio button anyway.

All in all another lesson learned, there are always people willing to help.

Thanks again

EA

That's good to hear and you're quite welcome. Indeed we have a lot of problems with the Unity launcher/etc breaking relating to CCSM. Bug 882204 is open regarding that, so feel free to click the "this bug affects me" link in that report so it gets more attention. On the subject of your missing shutdown button problem, I'm going to consolidate your two bug reports and mark this as a duplicate of your original, as that report has the apport information attached. I will add a comment to that report noting that your problem involving the loss of the unity launcher and panel was resolved upon re-enabling the unity plugin in CCSM, and the only other issue remaining is the loss of the picture of the shutdown button.