Right after I did the distribution upgrade on debian, the little launchers in the bottom panel don't work right.

When I have many programs running, and try to click the launchers to change programs, they don't always change right away.

If I click the program windows, (if they are not maximized) they change fine.

I can click on the launcher for the program that is currently running on top and it will minimize and maximize, but I cannot change to another program right away by clicking the launcher.

However, if I first right click the launcher, then it will respond to the next left click and the window will come to the top.

I wondered if it is just broken on my account, not the whole system, so I made a different account on the machine and it does not happen there. The new account works normally.

So I am wondering how to reset my profile or theme or something to make the left click on the panel launchers work.

I don't know what they are actually called, but I am not talking about the shortcut launchers to start the programs. I only mean the little minimized box that stays in the panel when the program is already running.

Thanks for any advice.

What dekstop environment or panel are you using? The launchers are panel applets (or in KDE, plasmoids). Deleting the configuration file in your home directory for the panel will reset it to defaults and should solve the issue.

I don't use GNOME or KDE much, so I'm not sure where exactly the config files are but for GNOME, it'll somewhere like .gnome, .gnome2, .gconf, and/or .gconfd. (The . preceding the name means it's hidden). KDE similarly should have a hidden directory called .kde.

http://www.ghacks.net/2009/04/16/lin...-hidden-files/

Well, it was a good idea.

I found a web that showed the command

It was about ubuntu and it did reset the desktop to the original look, but the no click problem remained.

I had to put back all the icons on the top that I had made, but that took just a minute. Still the open applets are not working on my main login.

I also tried deleting the lower panel and inserting a new one, then adding the "Window List" feature from Gnome Add to Panel feature.

Right clicking the panel and choosing "About Panels" shows

The GNOME Panel 2.30.2

Maybe the commands to the launcher are incorrect after update
It may have not included full path

For instance iceweasel
right-click on panel
select "Edit Menu"
find iceweasel right on it
select "Properties"
The command is actually path to lib for the launcher.

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Thank EDDY.
It was a good guess but the launchers that start the programs are working fine.
Those are on the top bar, and I can click them individually without any problems.

The problem is apparently with the GNOME Applet "Window List 2.30.2" which is in the bottom panel by default. It shows the programs that are already open.

I have reinstalled that also with
Something changed a little bit after the remove and installs.

I can click them almost every time, if I move the mouse up from the panel then back on to the applet.

But if I click one program applet, then move left or right to another applet, I cannot left click the second applet.

So, for instance, if I open gedit text editor and a terminal, then minimize and maximize gedit then move the mouse up over the desktop then back down on terminal applet, the terminal applet will respond.

But if I then move the mouse directly to the gedit applet, the gedit applet will not respond. If I right click the gedit applet, or move the mouse up and back onto the gedit applet, it will respond to the next left click.

My temporary user still works normally.

Do you think it maybe the mouse settings. I myself have problems with my mouse grabbing objects & when I have the compiz window manager on I try to close a window and it maximizes or minimizes.