hi I would like to upgrade Mint 16 to 17 and I am new to linux so.. Here is what happens when I try to...

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Failed
The following packages have unmet dependencies:
gnome-settings-daemon-schemas : Breaks: gnome-settings-daemon (< 3.8.6.1-0ubuntu8) but 3.8.5-0ubuntu11.2 is to be installed
E: Error, pkgProblemResolver::Resolve generated breaks, this may be caused by held packages.


What do I need to do next???

Thanks..
Avi

Mint recomend againt upgrades - this is discussed continually in the Mint sub-forum.
Have a read of this for some background and recommendations.

Clean installs have always been recommended by the Linux Mint team, however, Linux Mint have now developed a Debian version of Linux Mint 17 which is a "Rolling" system, which means you no longer need to keep clean installing the latest OS release.
Check it out on the Linux Mint Forums ...

Even though Mint does not officially support dynamic online upgrades, you have nothing to lose by trying. The worst that can happen is that you have to nuke and reinstall.

Just be sure to back up everything just as if you were going to install fresh.

Here's a tutorial: http://community.linuxmint.com/tutorial/view/62

When I upgraded, I nuked and reinstalled, but my /home is on a separate partition, so all my data was still present and, as I reinstalled the applications I use, the application settings were already present.

It is called LMDE and was never developed as Mint 17.