It appears that there are some permission problems in your setup.  Either you're logged in as a user different from one who has permissions to change your configuration file or somehow the permissions for the configuration file have been changed or perhaps the wrong configuration file is being used. Are you logged in the same now as when you set up your desktop originally?  Does the Settings Manager save the changes at all?  Or do they disappear the next time you start it (in which case they were never written in the first place)? <div class="gmail_quote"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">----Original Message ----</blockquote><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 19:58:52 -0700 From: "leegold" <<a href="mailto:leegold@fastmail.fm">leegold@fastmail.fm</a>> Subject: [xubuntu-users] Fwd: Re: All icons and desktop setting        dissapeared - why? To: "Xubuntu Help & User Discussions" <<a href="mailto:xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a>> Message-ID: <<a href="mailto:1232765932.8678.1296472903@webmail.messagingengine.com">1232765932.8678.1296472903@webmail.messagingengine.com</a>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" The desktop is totally strange, the check box mentioned will not stay checked and a pdf file's icon on my desktop can not be copied cut or pasted, occasionally I can open it - I think there are problems with 8.10 - at least for me. ----- Original message ----- From: "leegold" <<a href="mailto:leegold@fastmail.fm">leegold@fastmail.fm</a>> To: "Xubuntu Help and User Discussions" <<a href="mailto:xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a>> Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:40:16 -0700 Subject: Re: [xubuntu-users] All icons and desktop setting dissapeared - why? The fix: Somehow, XFCE was prevented from managing the desktop. Enable Applications->Settings->Settings Manager->Allow Xfce to manage the desktop. I have no idea how that got unchecked?! > Hi, > > All icons disappeared on my desktop, right-clicking the desktop produces > no menu/nothing, my wallpaper image dissappeared - it's just light blue > now. > > Does anyone understand what's going on? Using Xubuntu 8.10. I assume > Xubintu will be more stable than windows - this hasn't been the case, > and it's been quirky with wireless connections. I want to use it, i > really do! > > Any ideas why this happened appreciated... > > Lee g. > > -- > xubuntu-users mailing list > <a href="mailto:xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a> > Modify settings or unsubscribe at: > <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-users" target="_blank">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-users</a> -- xubuntu-users mailing list <a href="mailto:xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-users" target="_blank">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-users</a> ------------------------------ -- xubuntu-users mailing list <a href="mailto:xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com">xubuntu-users@lists.ubuntu.com</a> Modify settings or unsubscribe at: <a href="https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-users" target="_blank">https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/xubuntu-users</a> End of xubuntu-users Digest, Vol 25, Issue 17 ********************************************* </blockquote></div>