Ubuntu 9.10 boot problems after automatic update

[valhalla2100 at comcast.net]

Hello,

I got another automatic update tonight.  After the update was
completed I got the screen of death.  Attempted to reboot and 
I got a message that certain files were missing and I had to 
so a reinstall.

Will this re-install delete the files of the previous 9.10
environment?  Will I be able to access them?

All of the items on my desktop took on a strange appearance
and when I clicked on icons I got an error message.  

I am using the try out mode of an older version of Ubuntu to
get to the internet and to my Comcast mail.  

This is awful. 

I would like to get opinions on what other version of LINUX 
would members of this group recommend.  So far this is a 
worse experience than I ever had with versions of Windows that
I installed an was able to use (NT 4 and NT 5 beta were just
not useable).  Surely, Vista could not have been as bad as 
this.  

I don't want to go back to Windows for my internet access but
this problem is too much.  If I ever get back to functioning
I will reject all upgrade requests.  

Thanks

Thomas S.