cursor, wallpaper and other functions disabled

[Thomas Blasejewicz]

On 2014/12/26 5:47, Colin Law wrote:
> On 25 December 2014 at 07:22, Thomas Blasejewicz 
> <thomas at s7.dion.ne.jp> wrote:
>> Good evening
>> I am sorry, but I do not know, how to "name" the current problem.
>>
>> Although I am using in this particular case a "xubuntu" distribution, 
>> I am
>> under the impression
>> that this applies to "whatever-buntu".
>>
>> I was installing my dictionaries under Windows XP installed using VMware
>> Player.
>> (after years of searching, I still cannot find ANY useful native linux
>> dictionary)
>> The very last one - I was already happy that I finally got somewhere 
>> - ran
>> amok, but I did not get any errors.
>>
>> After rebooting the computer:
>> *    the screen (wallpaper) is black and I cannot apply any changes
>> *    the cursor, when it shows up at all (very late), is an ugly cross,
>> which also cannot be changed
>>          during the startup progress, items in the panels can be
>> "highlighted", but there is no cursor
>> *    the window handles for minimizing, maximizing and closing the
>> particular window are gone
>> *    some applications open in some form of extremely enlarged state, so
>> that the entire screen is blank
>> *    when I open up the application menu, or try to shutdown the 
>> computer,
>> certain items are highlighted,
>>          like "shotdown", but pressing enter does not work any more. 
>> Those
>> items HAVE to be clicked with that ugly cross.
> If you logon as a different user (or guest) is it ok?  That will tell
> you whether it this is to do with setup for the user or a fundamental
> system problem.
>
> Colin
>
Good morning
*    I created a new user.
*    Set it to "ask password on login
*    But I never get a choice, the machine always starts with the user I 
created during installation.
         I remember having set "automatic logon" during installation. I 
suppose, that must be turned off somehow.

Anway
AFTER I created the new user and logged off -> logged in again ... 
SOMETIMES I get the usual screen, mouse pointer etc.
But only sometimes.
At other times (I have not had much time to play with this thing; the 
machine is at home .. I am at work ..) I get something that looks like 
at least 500 screens are superimposed on each other ...
which is then followed again by the strange black screen.
I also tried the "repair dpkg packaages" and "clean" functions from 
among the advanced options during startup. No change.

Now what?
What would happen, if I delete BOTH user profiles? In Libreoffice 
deleting the user profile automatically creates a new one ...

Or is there anything in linux like the "restore system" function under 
Windows, that allows you return the system to a state WHEN it did work,
lets say yesterday or a few days ago? That would be really helpful.

Or would it help, if I delete the VMware Player?