I installed 12.10 and get"No system tray detected on this system" error, unable to start

Asked by Martin Jensen

I installed the 12.10 update and rebooted as directed. Reboot halted. I shut down and restarted twice. Each time, desktop comes up, but no system tray or task bar. Error message: "No system tray detected on this system. Unable to start, exiting." Now what? Go back to 12.04? How?

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Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#1

So, should I just wait to hear from you? Or . . . ?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Jensen" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 2:01 PM
Subject: [Question #211710]: I installed 12.10 and get"No system tray detectedon
this system" error, unable to start

New question #211710 on Ubuntu:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/211710

I installed the 12.10 update and rebooted as directed. Reboot halted. I shut
down and restarted twice. Each time, desktop comes up, but no system tray or
task bar. Error message: "No system tray detected on this system. Unable to
start, exiting." Now what?

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HCL (lyonh) said :
#2

Exactly the same scenario here, about an hour ago.

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#3

If you log in as a different user, is it ok (make a new one if needed)

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#4

Hi, what kind of information do you need?

I downloaded the 12.10 update and installed it. When installer requested
restart, I clicked on that and reboot started, but stopped after a couple of
minutes and sat there frozen for about 5 minutes. So I crashed the computer
and booted again --twice. What comes up is an oversized screen that stretches
off all four borders by about an inch, followed by the error message: "No system
tray detected on this system. Unable to start, exiting."

Since it won't start, I can't use it at all. Some settings were available, but
in windows that had no quit-spots or other taskbar choices.

What else?

Martin Jensen

----- Original Message -----
From: "actionparsnip" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 3:01 PM
Subject: Re: [Question #211710]: I installed 12.10 and get"No system
traydetected on this system" error, unable to start

Your question #211710 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/211710

    Status: Open => Needs information

actionparsnip requested more information:
If you log in as a different user, is it ok (make a new one if needed)

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To answer this request for more information, you can either reply to
this email or enter your reply at the following page:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/211710

You received this question notification because you asked the question.

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Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#5

*Actionparsnip: Can't log-in with a new identity. Can't get log-in page to come up any more!!!!!!!!!!!! Excape key no long operative!!!!! WTF!!!!!!

With Dell rescue, it might reboot in 10.04, but I'd lose 2.5 years of modifications, files, emails, etc. There must be a better way.

Looks like Ubuntu changed my user name without giving me a chance to reject the new name. WTF!!!!!!

Too many hours wasted already. Tempted to do a fresh install of Chrome!

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#6

Got log-in screen (Ctrl-Alt-Delete), but it doesn't allow a new user name. So I tried "Guest" and got the same error message: "No system tray detected on this system. Unable to start, exiting." In short, since it won't start, user names are of no consequence. Whaddayathink?

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#7

How can I peel back to 12.04? Dell Rescue never updated and offers 10.04. Hate that!

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actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#8

You will need to reinstall if you want to go back to 12.04

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#9

Thanks. I don't WANT to go back to 12.04, and if I reinstall that, I might as
well use the Dell recovery files to put 10.04 in, don't you think? How about he
alternative of downloading the 12.10 update into a directory on my laptop,
burning a DVD, and using that to redo the update?

Martin

----- Original Message -----
From: "actionparsnip" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 4:56 PM
Subject: Re: [Question #211710]: I installed 12.10 and get"No system
traydetected on this system" error, unable to start

Your question #211710 on Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/211710

    Status: Open => Answered

actionparsnip proposed the following answer:
You will need to reinstall if you want to go back to 12.04

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If this answers your question, please go to the following page to let us
know that it is solved:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/211710/+confirm?answer_id=7

If you still need help, you can reply to this email or go to the
following page to enter your feedback:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/211710

You received this question notification because you asked the question.

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#10

Hi, Marco. Can you help? Half dozen people have reported the same problem
since noon yesterday, when I got mine. Still others are having trouble getting
Unity up and running. That's the problem, isn't it?

How can we get Canonical to address this issue? My desktop is virtually useless
to me without GUI.

Martin

----- Original Message -----
From: "marcobra (Marco Braida)" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2012 7:46 AM
Subject: Re: [Question #211710]: I installed 12.10 and get"No system
traydetected on this system" error, unable to start

Your question #211710 on unity in Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+question/211710

    Project: Ubuntu => unity in Ubuntu

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Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#11

Problem solved -- mostly! I downloaded LiveDVD as ISO file, checksummed it, burned it to DVD as individual folders, and reinstalled 12.10 over the original upgrade. Looks like it's working. Lost a lot of files and configurations, despite assurance in the Installer menues that "reinstall" would leave them intact. So now I'm busy getting a few favorite apps back up and running and configuring everything. For example, my Thunderbird was deleted and not left alone, leaving me with the challenge of setting up a fresh connection to my service provider. That's done, and I'm exhausted. Thanks for your interest and help!

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#12

CORRECTION: The reinstall collapsed and produced many of the same problems! After several hours trying to recover (I use this word advisedly), I resorted to what should have been (in retrospect) my first resort -- fresh install of the whole damn 12.10 update. My advice: Do that! It overrides the many faults injected by piecemeal efforts to "fix" the problem, each of which caused new problems that accumulated to the level of domination. One more time: Fresh install of the whole damn 12.10 update is the sensible solution. Thanks everybody for your concern and assistance.

Revision history for this message
Cameron (cameronfra) said :
#13

Any hints on what your 'fresh install of 12.10 update' process involved?

I went from 12.04 to 12.10 with mixed success (very light use of term).
Desktop has half emerged from update with no functionality after a couple of odd boots to nothing.
Thanks.

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#14

Pressed for time right now. My "fresh install" was just like my "reinstall,"
except this time I chose the option to blow away everything already in the
computer and replace it altogether. That option comes up shortly after booting
with a DVD based on the Ubuntu download. More later.

hawkeye96

----- Original Message -----
From: "Cameron" <email address hidden>
To: <email address hidden>
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2012 10:31 AM
Subject: Re: [Question #211710]: I installed 12.10 and get"No system
traydetected on this system" error, unable to start

Your question #211710 on unity in Ubuntu changed:
https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+question/211710

Cameron posted a new comment:
Any hints on what your 'fresh install of 12.10 update' process involved?

I went from 12.04 to 12.10 with mixed success (very light use of term).
Desktop has half emerged from update with no functionality after a couple of odd
boots to nothing.
Thanks.

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You received this question notification because you asked the question.

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#15

Here are the steps I took:

Get a good support FAQ from Ubuntu -- http://www.ubuntu.com/download/help/install-desktop-latest

Download the ISO image of 12.10 to your desktop.

Check it to be sure it's a clean image -- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM
You'll have to download this checksum application.

Burning a workable DVD is tricky. The download on your desktop has to be converted into a group of files as it is burned onto the DVD -- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto

Here's a link to get "InfraRecorder" to handle this conversion and DVD burning. Download, install, and run it.
http://www.winportal.com/infrarecorder?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Utilidades&utm_content=Javi_Disp_US%20InfraRecorder

Then set your Ubuntu computer to boot from CD/DVD. This probably requires changing your boot options (F-12).
For help with that, see -- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootFromCD

Put your newly created Install DVD in the CD/DVD drive, then finish the ROM boot sequence, which transfers to the DVD in the proper sequence.

The DVD sets up an option for a 12.10 trial, fully operative, but I went directly to "Install". Follow the prompts.

Be aware that most of your personal configurations and hardware drivers from earlier Ubuntu versions, along with email and its contacts, will be erased. The good news is that you get a clean, operative computer that you can tune and trick to suit your current needs.

Hope this is helpful.

Hawkeye96

Hope this is helpful.

Revision history for this message
Cameron (cameronfra) said :
#16

Thanks for the info.
The 12.10 upgrade is the only one in years to go so far offside for me.

On Tue, Oct 23, 2012 at 11:41 PM, Martin Jensen <
<email address hidden>> wrote:

> Question #211710 on unity in Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+question/211710
>
> Martin Jensen posted a new comment:
> Here are the steps I took:
>
> Get a good support FAQ from Ubuntu --
> http://www.ubuntu.com/download/help/install-desktop-latest
>
> Download the ISO image of 12.10 to your desktop.
>
> Check it to be sure it's a clean image --
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM
> You'll have to download this checksum application.
>
> Burning a workable DVD is tricky. The download on your desktop has to
> be converted into a group of files as it is burned onto the DVD --
> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto
>
> Here's a link to get "InfraRecorder" to handle this conversion and DVD
> burning. Download, install, and run it.
>
> http://www.winportal.com/infrarecorder?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Utilidades&utm_content=Javi_Disp_US%20InfraRecorder
>
> Then set your Ubuntu computer to boot from CD/DVD. This probably requires
> changing your boot options (F-12).
> For help with that, see -- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootFromCD
>
> Put your newly created Install DVD in the CD/DVD drive, then finish the
> ROM boot sequence, which transfers to the DVD in the proper sequence.
>
> The DVD sets up an option for a 12.10 trial, fully operative, but I went
> directly to "Install". Follow the prompts.
>
> Be aware that most of your personal configurations and hardware drivers
> from earlier Ubuntu versions, along with email and its contacts, will be
> erased. The good news is that you get a clean, operative computer that
> you can tune and trick to suit your current needs.
>
> Hope this is helpful.
>
> Hawkeye96
>
> Hope this is helpful.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

Revision history for this message
Cameron (cameronfra) said :
#17

My work-out so far has consisted of cursing, then trying to get USB-ISO
without success and finally burning ISO and selecting "reinstall"
(versus wiping and starting fresh).
12.10 desktop and associated features popped up without issue including
new functions of 12.10

On 12-10-24 08:26 AM, Cameron wrote:
> Question #211710 on unity in Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+question/211710
>
> Cameron posted a new comment:
> Thanks for the info.
> The 12.10 upgrade is the only one in years to go so far offside for me.
>
>
> On Tue, Oct 23, 2012 at 11:41 PM, Martin Jensen <
> <email address hidden>> wrote:
>
>> Question #211710 on unity in Ubuntu changed:
>> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+question/211710
>>
>> Martin Jensen posted a new comment:
>> Here are the steps I took:
>>
>> Get a good support FAQ from Ubuntu --
>> http://www.ubuntu.com/download/help/install-desktop-latest
>>
>> Download the ISO image of 12.10 to your desktop.
>>
>> Check it to be sure it's a clean image --
>> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/HowToMD5SUM
>> You'll have to download this checksum application.
>>
>> Burning a workable DVD is tricky. The download on your desktop has to
>> be converted into a group of files as it is burned onto the DVD --
>> https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto
>>
>> Here's a link to get "InfraRecorder" to handle this conversion and DVD
>> burning. Download, install, and run it.
>>
>> http://www.winportal.com/infrarecorder?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Utilidades&utm_content=Javi_Disp_US%20InfraRecorder
>>
>> Then set your Ubuntu computer to boot from CD/DVD. This probably requires
>> changing your boot options (F-12).
>> For help with that, see -- https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BootFromCD
>>
>> Put your newly created Install DVD in the CD/DVD drive, then finish the
>> ROM boot sequence, which transfers to the DVD in the proper sequence.
>>
>> The DVD sets up an option for a 12.10 trial, fully operative, but I went
>> directly to "Install". Follow the prompts.
>>
>> Be aware that most of your personal configurations and hardware drivers
>> from earlier Ubuntu versions, along with email and its contacts, will be
>> erased. The good news is that you get a clean, operative computer that
>> you can tune and trick to suit your current needs.
>>
>> Hope this is helpful.
>>
>> Hawkeye96
>>
>> Hope this is helpful.
>>
>> --
>> You received this question notification because you are a direct
>> subscriber of the question.
>>

Revision history for this message
bardi (bardi-e) said :
#18

How is this solved?

Is the solution to reinstall 12.04?

Solved??

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#19

It's "solved" because I finally achieved what I set out to do -- upgrade from 12.04 to 12.10. After trying the online upgrade and failing, one option was to reinstall 12.04. But the cost of that was roughly the same as the cost of installing 12.10 in place of 12.04. I lost some customization from the past, but now have the latest version of Ubuntu as the operating system on my desktop.

Revision history for this message
Lynne Stevens (jackie40d) said :
#20

Hummmm I did a comlete delete and re format the drive with windows XP and then reformat the drive with12.10 and installed it and got gobs of ERROR's and Continue plus send in reports and I get NO SYSTEM TRAY and HPLIP says same thing No system tray found BUT at least wine works and I can install Quicken and run from desktop this time . . Oh yeah it is putting the wrong Nerwork up in the tray ( what liittle there is ) and I have to open the menu go down to Other click on network to sign in to correct WiFi network and then I have 2 network Icons up there . . I have Virtual Box re installed now and tomorrow Iwilll re install windows XP and then reinstall corel draw and a few others . . ( Have not learned all of Inscape vector graphics yet )

Revision history for this message
Gabriel Faure (faure212) said :
#21

Many of us have concluded that 12.10 was by far the worst release. One hopes that this is not a trend...
Did anyone say going back to Windows?

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Gabriel Faure (faure212) said :
#22

And yes-- I have the same problems described here..

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Michael Foerster (h-michael-foerster) said :
#23

I found a sollution:
login with gnome classic (no effects), install fbpanel, set it into your profile for further use,

I agree 12.10 IS NOT NICE!
Neither Gnome 3 nor Ubuntu standard

Revision history for this message
actionparsnip (andrew-woodhead666) said :
#24

The thing is, you don't have to use any of that. So it really doesn't matter. Imagine if you had the same stuff in Windows but with zero choice :-).

In future I suggest you install Xubuntu. It is GTK based so will allow you to install the same Gnome applications with few resources.

Revision history for this message
Torsten Franc (torstenfranc) said :
#25

I just did a 12.10 proposed update and get the same error message as described above "No system tray detected on this system" on my Dell D-630 machine. in the discussion above I can't find any simple solution to get the system tray working again? any new proposals?

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#26

If possible, forget 12.10 because version 13.04 will be coming out in a couple of weeks. Hopefully Canonical has fixed this problem after all the trouble it caused six months ago. If you can't wait, there is no "simple" solution, so far as I know. Follow my method submitted above on 2012-10-24. Good luck.

Revision history for this message
Torsten Franc (torstenfranc) said :
#27

Thank you Martin for the information, I will wait for version 13.04

Regards Torsten

2013/4/9 Martin Jensen <email address hidden>

> Question #211710 on unity in Ubuntu changed:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/unity/+question/211710
>
> Martin Jensen posted a new comment:
> If possible, forget 12.10 because version 13.04 will be coming out in a
> couple of weeks. Hopefully Canonical has fixed this problem after all
> the trouble it caused six months ago. If you can't wait, there is no
> "simple" solution, so far as I know. Follow my method submitted above
> on 2012-10-24. Good luck.
>
> --
> You received this question notification because you are a direct
> subscriber of the question.
>

--
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Torsten Franc
Franklandsv 26
16853 Bromma

Tel +46767 115117

Revision history for this message
Keith Finnie (keith-finnie) said :
#28

I have just encountered the "No System tray detected on this system. Unable to restart" error message. So, not fixed in 13.04.

With every distribution upgrade I have performed over the last two years, my system has not successfully rebooted, requiring at least 4-6 hours of investigation work (a week of elapsed time) to figure out what is wrong, what needs to be changed, etc and get it usable again.

Upon reading the entries above, It is clear to me now that Ubuntu will likely never improve in this respect, and that I must shift my twice yearly 'distribution upgrade' to a 'distribution replacement'. That is, re-install everything from scratch.

Still better than Windows, just less than what I'd hoped for.

Any sign of a root cause?

Revision history for this message
Martin Jensen (hawkeye96) said :
#29

UPDATE! 13.04 INSTALLED WITHOUT INCIDENT

Friends, after my bitter experience last Fall with version 12.10, I am happy to report that version 13.04 installed without incident. Download and installation took several hours, as advertised by Ubuntu, but I was up and running before sunrise, and so far as I can tell, everything is working just fine. The marginal improvements all seem to be positive.

Best to all

Martin