cannot move windows in Ubuntu 11.04

Hey i have bought a new Sony Vaio laptop recently last week. Also installed Ubuntu 11.04 version in the laptop. No issues with the laptop or the OS installed in it. But right now facing a small minor issue must be due to my silly mistake.

I was actually trying to install new themes for my laptop, doing so I just went in the compiz settings. I guess I may have done something wrong with the compiz setting and now I am supposed to face the consequences. I can’t move any of the windows around the desktop which is opened. Is this really a small problem or I have a big damage in my laptop.

I guess this issue is very much common or inherited in Ubuntu 11.03 because I am also having the same issue right now with in my system. Whenever I try to open any application in my computer the window opens normally but it is unable to move anywhere around the desktop.

I noticed a close similarity between your problem and mine, we both mess around with the compiz setting in our system. I was actually trying to modify my desktop but I guess something went wrong with the compiz settings which resulted in such problem.

The problem is resolved in my case using a Classic Desktop.

Switching to classic desktop must be sorting out the issue, but not in all cases. I had the same problem, was unable to move any window opened on my desktop, the application window use to get stuck up over the desktop as soon as they were opened. This all happened after I did lots of R&D with my compiz settings.

Like you people even I was suggested to use Classic Desktop but that didn’t work in my PC. People say that using Classic Desktop solves such issue but don’t know why it didn’t work in my case.
Any ways but running "unity" from terminal solved my problem. Windows move normally as it should be.

The issue is not inherited my dear, it’s actually that the compiz settings are so easy to break down that anyone can get into it easily and hang up with some problem. I myself have encountered the same issue hundreds of times. But now I am also of the solution for the same.

Type "ccsm" in a terminal; alternatively you can also use System / Preferences / CompizConfig Settings Manager. Then click on the Preferences Tab, and then click the "Reset to Defaults" button.

There is a simple reason behind the fixing of this issue after running the “unity” from the terminal, the solution worked only because the compiz settings in your laptop must be set to the default for unity or Ubuntu Classic.

Now as you said that you messed up with your compiz settings, so definitely if you undo the messed up thing and set everything to default then problem is bound to solve.

In clear and simple words what I did was, went into the compiz Menu then over there I unchecked the checked “Windows Decoration”. After doing this while running the unity you will automatically get the title bar reappeared on the child window as I got.

Everything is fine and normal if you also go on with the Classic mode option.

I was completely clueless about the functioning as I have recently installed Ubuntu. Everything was done by my friend. As far as I remember what exactly he did was just downloaded an application from the software center in order to get the cube desktop. But then too I was uable to get the solution. Not only I was unable to move any of my opened windows but also the top title bar was missing from the window.

But then he tried both the solution i.e. unity and classic desktop and both of them worked. But I personally preferred Classic.

Same problem same verison of Ubuntu in my system too. Switching to “Classic Desktop” is what exactly fixed up my issue. After all that I rebooted the system and them everything worked smoothly with all the windows moving in all direction. But then I had to run the CCSM and then tick the “Move Window option”, just wanted to add that “Move Window” option under the “Windows management” in CompizConfig Settings Manager (CCSM).

Getting a solution is good but it’s better if you take the precaution prior to anything happen. Its better you Export your compiz settings after you are done with all your work related to it and also when happy with it. This will help you to stay away from the compiz setting whenever you are try to do any R and D things. You can import it anytime whenever you are in emergency. But I think yes getting the default settings is a great backup idea.