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When I enter my password in the login box nothing happens. It gets stuck. It was running fine earlier. I have installed gnome-panel and cairo-dock, after which, I logged out, logged back in, and choose gnome classic session. I also added a ppa from the webupd8.org to install the themes (link).

I opened Ubuntu Tweak tool, and changed the theme to Evolve the whole laptop stopped responding. The keyboard and mouse were unresponsive. So I was forced to do a shut down. Now whenever it starts, I cannot login into Ubuntu. I hear the fan noise, as its spinning very fast, when the laptop freezes.(Probably the CPU is running at 100%).

Please help me. How can I login back to Ubuntu? I am using Ubuntu 12.04 and have installed all the latest updates..

EDIT: I want to know how can I delete a folder from the file system using the live CD?

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3 Answers 3

up vote 3 down vote accepted

Thanks Mitch for your idea! I was able to fix my problem. I booted to my system using the live CD of Ubuntu. I mounted the file system in nautilus. Now to gain root access to the file system (of installed ubuntu), I typed this code in the terminal

sudo nautilus /media/"mounted drive name here"

I navigated to /usr/share/theme. Deleted the Evolve theme folder. Restarted the computer and now everything is normal.

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Using recovery mode can help you. Use this mode only if your system is unbootable. It is also recommended that you make backup of important data.

  1. Start Computer / reboot computer

  2. Put your Ubuntu install CD

  3. Make sure BIOS is set to boot from CD

  4. Now booting will start from Ubuntu install CD

  5. You will see various option screen - select Recover a broken system

You will system is booting in to rescue mode; system will ask about Network and other information. This is required to setup rescue environment.

Now you will prompted to select root partition or device.

Next it will try to mount root device and it will notify the same.

Now you will see common rescue mode option such as Reinstall GRUB or open / execute a shell etc.

Now you are in rescue mode.

Source: http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/howto-boot-ubuntu-linux-rescue-mode/

To Delete Theme:

Your custom themes are stored in the directory:


Where ~ is your home directory path (/home/username).

Themes are stored in their own folders under that directory, so to delete one, simply delete the folder (which is the name of the theme you want to remove).

Source: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=453879 (post #2)

Now depending how you installed the theme you may be able to use the

sudo apt-get remove


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I am using a USB. Will the procedure is same? Themes are installed in /usr/share/themes –  Ravi Jun 11 '12 at 12:16
Yes, You have to create a bootable USB for Ubuntu through UNetbootin –  Mitch Jun 11 '12 at 12:19

Ok, just follow steps and say what you got

  1. Turn power on and hold the Shift button
  2. You see that the GNU GRUB comes, select Ubuntu, with Linux ... (recovery mode), if you used burg, can't find recovery mode press c wich must open terminal(source: http://code.google.com/p/burg/wiki/InstallUbuntu)
  3. After that you see its booting and the Recovery Menu comes
  4. Select from there root
  5. Write your password
  6. Did you see that you got promt. If no don't continue, but if yes...
  7. Write in there this:

    sudo apt-get remove cairo-dock
    sudo apt-get update
    sudo apt-get autoremove

    if you think that this wan't help don't use that
    to change theme write this(source is this)

    sudo apt-get install gconf2
    gconftool-2 --type=string -s /apps/metacity/general/theme ambiance
  8. Reboot, and say what you get there

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I don't think it is the cairo dock is the problem! I think it is the theme. Can I change the theme in the recovery mode? And yeah one more thing I have installed BURG and I have hidden the <b>Ubuntu, with Linux..(recovery mode)</b> using the Grub manger. So how do I enter in the recovery mode? –  Ravi Jun 11 '12 at 11:35
@Ravi , shure, just give me a min to edit –  geoh Jun 11 '12 at 11:37
Hi, when I press 'c' a grub> prompt comes. There is no recovery menus at all. When I enter 'root' nothing happens! And how can I connect to internet in recovery mode? –  Ravi Jun 11 '12 at 12:15
not bad questuin @Ravi, i will say even good quiestion, sorry but i don't know –  geoh Jun 11 '12 at 12:18

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