Lost left side icons. Precise Pangolin 12.04

[GCbon]

Yesterday most everything was running fine. I have been having trouble with the updates app, it keeps choking on something called Firstfox?? which I haven't been able to find to get rid of.
But I installed a proprietary non Ubuntu driver for the graphics card; it wouldn't install the update for that.
I continued to work for some time, then shut down as usual.
Today when I logged on, all I got onscreen was the background.
Everything seems to be there, just not accessible without going around Robin's barn.
This is quite a hassle, since I can't get to apps on the hard drive without shutting down Internet access.
I do not know what a terminal is.
Can I find a manual on my Kindle (so I could read it while keeping things open here?)
I am not just new, I am a constantly sleepy Narcoleptic Newbie, and big words put me out (zzzzz). If I am going to enter commands, I need very exact instructions if something says xxx --rt or something, I need to know if the -- is a space and two dashes - or something else.
I will be back tomorrow AM.
What is a tag?

[zombifier25]

Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal, type this command and see if it helps:

unity --reset

a space after "unity", followed by two dashes and "reset"

[GCbon]

Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal, type this command and see if it helps:

unity --reset

a space after "unity", followed by two dashes and "reset"

I thought that this did not work when I tried it. But voila, when I logged on just now, I first got a totally unresponsive screen, and then suddenly the icons (or thumbnails?) were all back. Thank you.
You should have seen me searching for the "quick reply icons in the messages above" to answer you.

[GCbon]

Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal, type this command and see if it helps:

unity --reset

a space after "unity", followed by two dashes and "reset"

I lost the launch icons again.
Tried the same fix.
Got message "compiz (core) - Warn: unhandled ConfigureNotify on 0x300009c!
compiz (core) - Warn: this should never happen. you should probably file a bug about this."
Now I need to know how to file a bug.

[iMac71]

Now I need to know how to file a bug.

give a look to the following topic:
Improving Ubuntu: A Beginners Guide to Filing Bug Reports

[deadflowr]

Here's Jono Bacon's video tutorial on bug filing

http://www.jonobacon.org/2012/02/28/...bug-in-ubuntu/

[Mark Phelps]

The link below includes additional stuff you can do to fix the problem -- maybe those will permanently fix it:

http://www.tuxgarage.com/2011/04/mis...-in-unity.html

[GCbon]

After going up and down, and on the average, just downhill, I decided on a clean reinstall of Ubuntu. I saved my pictures, communications, etc. and went back to the flashdrive OA had set up for Ubuntu.
Not nearly as painful as it was going to be to repair everything I had messed up. When I reinstalled YAHOO TOOLBAR, I even got back all my missing customization. So, in one fell swoop, I conquered a fear and am back in business. Another 70 years and I may know something.