apps not showing on desktop at starting-SOLVED

[dig2021]

I have a macbook pro (2012) running mint cinnamon 20.3. Everything was OK although I'd only been using it a short time but decided to have a SSD installed, this was done by a shop but now when I start the system everything seems OK until a app is started, with some apps there's no problem but with others the programme is running and is visible and open on the taskbar but there's nothing on the desktop. This makes it impossible to use. So I'll say again the app is visible on the taskbar and when hovering over this it shows the app as though it's open but nothing is there on the desktop.
Any help would be most appreciated.

[kc1di]

Did you by any chance have a timeshift snap shot form before the work was done?
If you did you could reinstall it and see if that fixes the problem.

If not then I would back up any important files and do a complete reinstall of the system.

[Cosmo.]

with others the programme is running and is visible and open on the taskbar but there's nothing on the desktop

It is running and visible, but not on the desktop I can't follow.

[dig2021]

The little app icon on the taskbar suggests the app is open but there is no app to use on the desktop

[dig2021]

No timeshift snapshot was done. I restarted the computer with a live usb but the same issue arises as though it's something to do with the SSD.

[Cosmo.]

Thank you.

What we also need are some examples of applications, which do work and some, which don't.

Besides that: Create a guest account (in the login window settings), reboot the computer and enter the guest account. Do the not working programs appear in the guest account?

[dig2021]

Tried the guest account same thing happens, just tried starting different apps, libre suite are ok as are most of the others, Okular, firefox, brave, tor, pix, document scanner, drawing. Not OK deluge, transmission, freetube, but not installed many yet.

[Cosmo.]

I do not use one of the failing programs, so I cannot add much advice.

But as they give the same problem in 2 accounts, one of them completely new, the culprit is in the system.
I see 2 options:
1. Uninstall and reinstall those programs. Perhaps it helps.
2. Use Timeshift, as kc1di already suggested.

[Coggy]

I saw something like this many years ago, and it was something (I forget what) that had saved its screen position as somewhere outside of my actual screen size. It placed itself off-screen again every time it started. I think my solution in the end was to find and delete the application's settings file (~/.whatever or ~/.config/whatever) while it wasn't running, so that next time it started it just defaulted to somewhere on-screen.

I don't know if that's your problem, but may be worth trying.

[dig2021]

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling the apps but it's the same, can't use timeshift because I didn't make a snapshot it's a new mint install anyway.
I do I do a command to delete the apps settings please?

[kc1di]

Since if I'm reading what you said correctly the SSD was install after Mint. I still think you may want to reinstall the system.
The page may also be of help.
https://easylinuxtipsproject.blogspot.c ... d.html#ID2

[Cosmo.]

I think my solution in the end was to find and delete the application's settings file (~/.whatever or ~/.config/whatever)

I don't know if that's your problem, but may be worth trying.

Impossible in a fresh new account.

it's a new mint install anyway.
I do I do a command to delete the apps settings please?

If this means, that there is nothing to loose, than reformat the drive (during a new installation) and all old settings are gone.

You should consider to set up Timeshift in the new system.

[dig2021]

I'm reluctant to do a new installation because when starting a live version of mint from a usb stick the same problem occurs when I start transmission, also it's not picking any wifi up so I'll probably introduce even more problems

[kc1di]

Well as It article I referenced said make sure your BIOS/UEFI are set for ACHI.

As to the Wifi problem start a new thread giving the output of this terminal command.

Code: Select all

inxi -Nn

As some else in this thread has mentioned give us the exact programs you are having problems with. Is it all program or just specific ones?
And what happens if you try to launch those programs from a terminal?

[Cosmo.]

I am confused. In the starting post you wrote or at least I understood -, that the trouble began, after a shop had installed the new SSD. To my understanding this means, until that time all was OK.

That you have to enter your wpa2 password for making wifi work in the live system, is normal. If wifi would work without the need to enter the password you would have a more than serious security hole.

[dig2021]

Sorry for the confusion. Originally there was a standard hard drive installed which had a new installation of mint, everything seemed OK but to speed the system up I asked a shop if they could install a SSD which they did. They then did a fresh and updated mint install on the new SSD and that's when the issues started. Having said that, the original install I'd only been using for a few days but I did use deluge so the problem wasn't there on the standard original hard drive.

When I start mint on a usb stick it's not showing any wifi connections only wired and not plugged in so I presume the shop installed some drivers, that's why I prefer not to do a fresh install because then I'll have the wifi problem to try and sort also.

[Cosmo.]

OK, I understood it correctly.

Regarding wifi: Once more, this is not a matter of a driver (how should a shop install a driver in a live DVD?), but of the WPA2 password. Enter it. If you do this before you install Mint, the new system will get the password automatically, yo you do not have to enter it a second time.

[dig2021]

As I said there are no wifi connections so it's not possible to enter a password.

[dig2021]

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[kc1di]

We need to know more about your wifi card to know how to tell you to get that working correctly.
Give us the output of inxi -Nn