Updater (I assume) put a no entry style alert icon on the panel which informed me that certain package dependencies were not up to snuff. Upgrades were thereafter only partial. The dialogue advised that I (and this is from noob memory) sudo apt-get install -f. I did this and typed in the confirmation phrase and watched apt-get systematically remove every component of linux, both the stuff I installed and the core ubuntu packages. I could only assume at this stage that this was for a fresh install but of course, I know better now. There's much complaint about Windows, but I've never met with advice from Microsoft tools to wipe out the operating system because of a couple of missing .dlls. So what gives? This was a 64 bit install of 12.04. All that is left is grub pointing to a couple of windows recovery partitions on the hard drive. I'm tempted, but I have hopes of recovering the data that I had enough misguided faith to trust to the linux ext4 partition. I've tried pen driving back into it with a 32 bit iso but I'm simply informed that ubuntu is running in low graphics mode and get to watch the dots cycle indefinitely.

EDIT:

Thanks for the advice vis positive request. I've got onto the machine with a 64 bit stick and can see the file structure left behind by the installation. My first instinct was to run install from the stick but it did not seem to offer a recovery option. My question then: is there a way to recover the current installation so that if I reinstall the packages I had they will pick up the original settings. I'm particularly worried about losing email from evolution - the rest I could probably lash back together.

I would also be interested how this disaster came about. I see people in the know recommending this same procedure in similar circumstances.

Thanks for your attention,

Tony Martin