"Please contact your system administrator to resolve the following problem:
Could not open or create the file "/home/spenceca/.gconf-test-locking-file"; this indicates that there may be a problem with your configuration, as many programs will need to create files in your home directory. The error was "Permission denied" (emo = 13)"

Hello and welcome to LinuxQuestions,

When did you get this error, meaning what command were you executing? Looks like the user 'spenceca' doesn't have appropriate rights, if you we're using that user. Or did you try something as another user on that user's home directory?

And most important, did you do what the error told you to? Contact your admin? Or are you the admin?

It's a permission denied error, simply meaning that whatever you tried to do as which ever user you used, is failing because that particular user doesn't have the right to be there and do that.

Kind regards,

Eric

Without knowing your Linux distribution/version, and if your trying to 'open' or 'install' something, it's hard to help. You're problem;
You need to have super user/administrator privileges.
Assuming you're on Debian-based/GNOME desktop;
To open the file;
Maybe try doing the operation in a Terminal.
Use it by navigating to: Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal.
Type into the terminal: "sudo gedit /home/spenceca/.gconf-test-locking-file.

This is not likely your problem though, as it says, you need your /home for stuff like that. Thats all I can help with, sorry.