I have been using Debian Etch stable since it became available, I installed from the net and it has been kept up to date automatically. I use "Iceweasel" and Gnome with the kernel from the install.

Lately I am experiencing a few problems that initially I thought were of my making but I now start to doubt.

First I started to get a message at boot up or when logging in:
"An error occurred while loading or saving configuration information for gnome-panel. Some of your configuration settings may not work properly."
"Type mismatch: Expected `string' got `int' for key/apps/nautilus/desktop/home_icon_name".

I found ignoring this message did not seem to affect anything.

But then the spell-checker stopped working about a week ago and I could not find what the problem was. I use "gedit" and pressing tools > set languages shows a blank window even though "synaptic" shows that I had some language dictionaries installed. I tried to change from "ispell" to "aspell" (or the other way around) with the corresponding dictionaries but the result was the same. Now I have both installed plus the US, English and French dictionaries for each, but - no go.

In the last few days, some HTML/PHP files stopped rendering properly even though they have been working properly for some time and they have been tested with the w3c validator. The files are printed as a "download" instead of being rendered although the exact same file renders correctly when invoked through "http://127.0.0.1/file.php" although the vertical scrolling is painfully slow and I often get a message that the window is not responding when I try to remove it.

I use "frames" and some of the links in these PHP files refuse to work although they are correct.

Perhaps I have changed something accidently that creates one of these problems but I doubt very much I have and one mistake couldn't possibly create all these problems.

Rebooting makes no difference and I have the feeling one of the automatic upgrades could be the culprit because at some stage, the kernel was found to be in need of upgrade but when it proceeded with it, it reported that the version to be installed was the same than the one that was already installed. This kept happening 5 or 6 times.

Anyone with a tip or idea?

Thank you for your help

PS: also, the screen (Samsung SyncMaster 940n) would not come out of sleep yesterday, I had to turn the power off and reboot.

Does this happen for just one user or do you have another user account that has the same problem? You could try adding another account which would create a new home directory and all the files for Gnome, and then logging in. I don't know for sure what's happening but it could be a problem with that particular user's config files.

Thank you for the answer, I'll try that.
The "gedit" problem is fixed, I don't know why the first (and possibly second) reinstal did not work, but the last did.

Sounds to me like you may have a hardware issue. Bad RAM or failing hard drive that is corrupting data slowly..

use memtest86+ to check your RAM.

Install smartmontools and test the hard drive (or download the manufacturers bootable hard drive test CD)

if everything works then things start mysteriously breaking one at a time and getting progressively worse.. look to the hardware.