How do I restore default file system hierarchy

Please tell us some about the directory name you have copied...
So we can help you step by step

Thank you

My home folder was coming up in the file browser path /home/guy but the contents of Desktop was being displayed and I lost the guy folder in the side pane. So the side pane was showing (Desktop,File system,Trash then after the break Videos,Music,Pictures). So on the desktop I made another Desktop folder and dragged it contents to that folder thinking that would restore it back to normal.
noob boob move

Appreciate your help very much

Please confirm is short have you done this:

copied the /home/guy/Desktop into /home/guy/Desktop/Desktop

Thank you

Thats is what Im not sure about
At the cmd prompt [guy@ubuntu-laptop~]$ twhen I type ls I get Desktop

Then when I cd to /home/guy/Desktop I get the contents of Desktop

So I get no file or dir when I try /home/guy/Desktop/Desktop

Thanks

if so is all ok...

i quite don't understand your issue...

Thank you

So by default without ubuntu tweak installed the gutsy desktop comes up clean
Now when I log in if I leave tweak with its default settings all of my desktop folders contents show on the desktop
which was not the case before I messed this up. Also any flash drives or cd/dvd's inserted would show up on the desktop as mounted volumes and now that is not the case.

Sorry but I am confused
Tell me if Im having a senior moment
Thanks

Open a terminal and please type:

cd
ls

copy and paste result here

then type:

cd Desktop
ls

copy and paste result here

Thank you

[guy@ubuntu-laptop:~]$ cd
[guy@ubuntu-laptop:~]$ ls
Desktop
[guy@ubuntu-laptop:~]$ cd Desktop
[guy@ubuntu-laptop:~/Desktop]$ ls
brasero.bin mac80211-10.0.4.tgz
brasero.toc mac80211-10.0.4.tgz.1
Documents Music
Examples out.pnm
hplip out.ps
hplip-2.8.10.run PDF
iwlwifi-1.2.25 Photos
iwlwifi-1.2.25.tgz Pictures
iwlwifi-1.2.25.tgz.1 Public
iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17 qnext
iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz recipes
iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz.1 Templates
iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz.2 Unsaved Document 1
key Videos
mac80211-10.0.4
[guy@ubuntu-laptop:~/Desktop]$

ok now i understand... open a terminal and type:

cd
cd Desktop
mv * $HOME/Desktop/.

Hope this helps

[guy@ubuntu-laptop:~/Desktop]$ mv * $HOME/Desktop/.
mv: `brasero.bin' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./brasero.bin' are the same file
mv: `brasero.toc' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./brasero.toc' are the same file
mv: `Documents' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Documents' are the same file
mv: `Examples' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Examples' are the same file
mv: `hplip' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./hplip' are the same file
mv: `hplip-2.8.10.run' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./hplip-2.8.10.run' are the same file
mv: `iwlwifi-1.2.25' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./iwlwifi-1.2.25' are the same file
mv: `iwlwifi-1.2.25.tgz' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./iwlwifi-1.2.25.tgz' are the same file
mv: `iwlwifi-1.2.25.tgz.1' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./iwlwifi-1.2.25.tgz.1' are the same file
mv: `iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17' are the same file
mv: `iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz' are the same file
mv: `iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz.1' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz.1' are the same file
mv: `iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz.2' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./iwlwifi-4965-ucode-4.44.17.tgz.2' are the same file
mv: `key' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./key' are the same file
mv: `mac80211-10.0.4' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./mac80211-10.0.4' are the same file
mv: `mac80211-10.0.4.tgz' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./mac80211-10.0.4.tgz' are the same file
mv: `mac80211-10.0.4.tgz.1' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./mac80211-10.0.4.tgz.1' are the same file
mv: `Music' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Music' are the same file
mv: `out.pnm' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./out.pnm' are the same file
mv: `out.ps' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./out.ps' are the same file
mv: `PDF' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./PDF' are the same file
mv: `Photos' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Photos' are the same file
mv: `Pictures' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Pictures' are the same file
mv: `Public' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Public' are the same file
mv: `qnext' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./qnext' are the same file
mv: `recipes' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./recipes' are the same file
mv: `Templates' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Templates' are the same file
mv: `Unsaved Document 1' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Unsaved Document 1' are the same file
mv: `Videos' and `/home/guy/Desktop/./Videos' are the same file

I copied and pasted your suggestion and the above is what I got
Is that that the solution
I am new at this so I don't remember the orig. config.
but I do remember that I never had to use ubuntu tweak to hide desktop icons and when I would insert a flash drive it would show up on the desktop which now it doesn't

Thank you so much for your research I really appreciate it

I don't know much about ubuntu tweak, but in general I would say such programs are probably not needed and may cause more issues then they solve. After looking at the site, this seems like a simple program that just makes it easier to find some of the "tweaks". However, not being a coder I can't say if it's done well or not. It looks like a new project so things could be a bit buggy still. My personal feeling on programs like this is that they make it TOO easy for people to change things and then don't really learn what they are doing and what the ramifications are. New users don't really need to tweak their system. It's set up to be very usable. And advanced users know how to do this without such a program. Furthermore, you become an advanced user by doing these things on your own.

Anyway, I know that doesn't really help you now but a little food for thought.

As for your issue, it looks like most things got moved into a folder called Desktop that was inside the original Desktop folder that happens to be just all the stuff on your "desktop". When you ran Marcobra's command you just moved everything to the same folder which doesn't do anything. You need to move everything up one level if I understand the issue (and I'm not sure I do). To be honest, it might be easier to do it visually with the file browser. Just open it and open the folder that has the stuff you want to move and copy (or cut) and paste it to the folder where you want it (by the way, folders in Linux are called directories but I was trying to be more clear). That won't have any effect on hidden files/folders unless you "show" them with crtl-h.

One more caution, it seems everyone sooner or later comes up with a better way to do files/folders/permissions, etc. and they almost always break their system and end up reinstalling (I did and more than once). The best advice I can give is leave the system and its hierarchy intact. Only move around your files as you need to for your own organization - and never mess with system files/folders/permissions unless you REALLY know what you are doing.

So in other words copy the contents of what is now the desktop folder /home/guy/Desktop to /home/guy?
Just want to make sure that I am following

Thanks for your patience

Thanks Jim Hutchinson, that solved my question.