Not able to Open Desktop Icons & Folders but able to open Files

Question

I'm not able to open icons, folders and mounted drives on desktop but I can access files on desktop. Please help solving this in Ubuntu 18.04.01 LTS.

I'm accessing folders through favorite bar "files" and able to access inside folders on file window. But issue here accessing folders on desktop.

I don't use terminal to open folders or files.

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Update: Hi, Please provide a solution to this problem.Its no response clicking desktop folders/system drives on desktop.

Solution 1

I have the same problem with 18.04. I can open folders this way. click " open with other application". select "Files" and the folder opens.The folder inside opens clicking "open". Another way double click "Files" icon.click "Desktop" All files and folders will appear. click "open" selected folder. it opens.

Solution 2

It sounds like the applications to view the files are working, but not the system's filesystem browser. For Gnome, which is what Ubuntu uses, its called "nautilus". If you open a terminal window (Ctrl+Alt+t) and type:

$ nautilus

It should pop up. If it doesn't that's likely broken. (There are other filesystem browsers like "thunar", "pcmanfm", "dolphin" and many more.)

You might have to:

$ sudo tasksel install ubuntu-desktop

Or

$ apt update && apt -f install gnome-session gdm3

(Google these terms and commands for more)

These should also fix a missing "mime-type" or settings file that could be causing your problem.

Scenario two is that you managed to install it with different user permissions, and your current user doesn't have permission to open those.

If this is the case, then:

$ adduser newuser

Set up a password, and log in with the new user, it might work...

Third scenario might be a corrupted disk, or bad memory or just installation from corrupted media, or an interrupted installation, or a botched update. For a botched update, try:

$ apt update && apt upgrade

If it's just the installation best is to reinstall... if it's corrupted disk or memory anything else might stop working at any time. Better check that out first, start by checking the logs:

$ less -S /var/log/syslog

Arrows to scroll, Q to exit. Google anything you don't understand.

Comments

[damadam]

what do you mean by "not able to open icon"? can't you use graphic link but you can open files with graphic option (or you use the terminal to do it)? Please edit your question to describe a little more your issue

[damadam]

can you provide the result of ls -l /home/<user>/Desktop to see if your folder "Home" and "My Files" are well linked (<user> is your username)?

[UKIN]

total 16 drwxr-xr-x 2 uday uday 4096 Aug 7 19:28 'My Files' -rw-rw-r-- 1 uday uday 58 Aug 7 17:38 'my txt' -rw-rw-r-- 1 uday uday 6930 Aug 9 17:02 'Untitled 1.ods'

[UKIN]

Hello, Any Help ?

[snark]

Do you have nautilus included in your Startup Applications? Check out askubuntu.com/a/1114483/103266 and bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/1814140 to see if that applies to you.

[snark]

Also check out askubuntu.com/a/1222026/103266, which is what fixed this issue for me in the end.