<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <html><head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="generator" content="Osso Notes"> <title></title></head> <body> Dear louise, I do not think i can help but i will give it a go. What version of ubuntu are you using? What happens when you press ad hold the meta or super &ey (formally windows key) do you see the icons numered? If you re running an aplication can you see it's icon on the left? Can you then leftclick on it and tell it to stay on launcher? About the usb.. When you connect it do you have any kind of icon on it? If so find out it's name something like dev/sdc when you clic on properties or something Do you normally use the usb as a working folder? I have been told that usbs can be damaged after a lot of use. But i have a similar netbook aspireone zg5 and still have not found a problem. Do you have another machine where you can see if the usb works? Is it fat32? -- Andrés Muñiz Piniella Sent from my Nokia N900 Please do not send microsoft office documents plain txt or pdf are prefered. ----- Mensaje original ----- > Dear Ubuntu folks, > > I would be most grateful for help on two problems: > > 1.) My drop-down main menu for launching applications is failing to > appear when I click on the usual icon on the main top edge panel (it > just offers me 'Places' & 'System' & 'Quit...'). I have been managing > without it for a while now because the few applications I use have > start-icons on the top panel strip. > > I would be grateful if someone could help me to restore it. > > 2.) usb memory sticks which I use to overcome the limited size of the > solid state netbook hard drive have recently failed to be recognised and > mounted. The 'Add to panel' facility refuses to add "Disk Mounter" > -which I assume is the required item (?). > > (I am using a Dell Netbook Inspiron Mini 1011 (or 1101?) which came with > Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron, April 2008) pre-installed). I use it as a > desktop with external monitor, keyboard, mouse & usb external optical > drive.) > > Thankyou in anticipation to someone out there, > regards, > Louis Gidney (Louis AT Gidney DOT com - should you need it.) > > (PS. To give some idea of context- My needs are modest. I bought this > netbook to run mainly just Mathematica (plus Firefox and Gedit plain text > editor), hardly ever use Office, & never use it for games or dvd movies. > I am a 'senior' of 72 in good health, retired in NW Highlands, with > experience in the computer industry as it was in the 1960s (but > regretably not a fully-fledged up-to-date geek). Engaged in extending > my understanding of maths & physics, I occasionally make educational > 'MathArt' physical models which illustrate various aspects of > mathematics. I have not yet learnt to use the terminal/console, but aim > to do so when I get time to read a couple of books I've got on > scripting.) </body> </html>