reverse a software update

Asked by marie buchanan

How can you reverse a software update? Like when you get a little icon pop-up that says there are new software updates to download (and you click on it and download the new updates and then restart the computer) I did one of those and it has messed up my computer (the internet looks all different, i don't like it and all my printers are deleted, no longer downloaded/connected to the computer and I can't re-connect them so basically I just want to delete whatever software updates were put on here/changed with the last update and go back to the way the computer was before. Thanks

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Ubuntu update-manager Edit question
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François Tissandier (baloo) said :
#1

If you remember which day it happened, could you open "Synaptic" in System>Admin, then look for the history of updates, it's in the first menu of Synaptic.

Then tell us what was updated on this day. We need to have a better overview of the changes.

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marie buchanan (marieschmee) said :
#2

I can't go into System because one of the many changes/problems that has occurred since I did the update is that when I click on System in my toolbar it just opens up a new webpage (the whole systems menu is gone)

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druisan (druisan) said :
#3

In Synaptic there is an option called "force version", after doing that and selecting previous version, just reinstall package and I'll reinstall using the previously selected version.

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marie buchanan (marieschmee) said :
#4

how do I find Synaptic? This is all another language to me

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François Tissandier (baloo) said :
#5

Synaptic is in the menu "System" and in "administration". But if you don't have the menu anymore... Your problem sounds serious, would you mind doing a screen capture of your desktop? I would like to see what it looks like. You can't attach the capture here, but you can upload it to imageshack.com for instance and copy the link here.

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marie buchanan (marieschmee) said :
#6

here is my screenshot link...
http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/9492/screenshotcgc.png

The "system" tab is still there but when i click on it all it does is opens a webpage

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François Tissandier (baloo) said :
#7

Would you have a Dell netbook by any chance? It looks like it, and from what I experienced, Dell is providing its own updates to the Ubuntu they are installing. I can't say I'm surprised if an update broke something, I experienced a very annoying problem while trying to install a software on those netbooks. I don't know if Dell improved the maintenance of their software updates, but I switched all my Dell netbooks at the office to the "default" Ubuntu installation.

First thing, make the menu usable :)
I think it's opening a webpage because the menu is overlapping on the web browser icon... Silly problem, right? Move the task bar to the top again (right click anywhere on the free space on the bar, then "properties"), and I think it should work. If you want to keep your bar on the right side, I think you should consider replacing this big menu by a smaller version. There is one in the applets I think (can't be 100% sure if it's a Dell Ubuntu). You can add applets by right clicking on the bar, then "add applets" I think.

Of course all of this does not fix your initial problem...
I don't know if you can revert easily to what you add before. I don't know exactly what you updated, it could be a major update of the whole system. To revert this is very complicated. I think it would be easier to actually add your printers again, and see what you mean by "the internet looks all different, i don't like it"

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marie buchanan (marieschmee) said :
#8

yes I do have a dell notebook and it is a pin in the ass, obviously. Thank you for trying to help me... How do you switch the netbook to the default ubuntu installation? also I cant move the toolbar (i want it on top) but i did delete some things from it so System works properly now, buy when i go to the toolbar properties the Orientation button is grey and i cant change it, there is a yellow triangle next to it that says "some of these properties are locked down" so apprently i cant change it for some reason. I cant add my printers again either because the computer wont let me so i need to go back into the system somehow and get rid of that last update, but i dont know how to do that.. when i go into system- admin- synaptic... i dont know what to do, all the stuff in there makes no sense to me...

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François Tissandier (baloo) said :
#9

Mmmmm locked properties, I don't even know how to do that.

To switch to the default Ubuntu installation, you can back up your file and do a clean installation. You would need help to do that I think, to install a system is not always easy.

So the idea would be maybe to fix your current system, and see if we can update it to the default Ubuntu instead of doing a full install. The easiest way to do that is to get the help from someone familiar with ubuntu. As you are asking here, I guess you don't have someone like that near you. So maybe I could help, but the easiest way would be to let me connect on the netbook to see what's going on and try to fix it by myself. Of course I would understand if you don't want to do that as it gives me access to the netbook. Or I can maybe assist you by instant chat (like Gtalk, Live Messenger, etc...) instead of here, it's quite slow. Your problems are clearly not normal, your laptop can work much better than that.

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