Comment 3 for bug 886440

I'll try to offer some help. Are you saying that you were adjusting settings in Compiz Config Settings Manager when the unity launcher (the list of programs on the left side of the screen) and your shut down/etc buttons disappeared?

Also, as a workaround to your problem, we can install a different desktop environment. Please take a look at the "gnome 3.2", "kde", and "xfce" desktop environments (a google image search of each will give you a good idea of which you prefer). Once you have chosen which you would like to use, please log in to an ubuntu-2d session. Then, from a terminal, type "sudo software-center" and hit enter. Hopefully the ubuntu software center opens. Then search for "gnome-shell" if you liked gnome 3.2, "kubuntu-desktop" if you liked kde, or "xubuntu-desktop" if you liked xfce. Then just click the result that matches what you searched for and install the package (it may take a while). That will install a new desktop environment, which you can select in the same way that you select ubuntu-2d at the login screen. You should now be able to boot into the desktop environment that you have chosen and use your computer from there. It's by no means a solution, but it will enable you to use your computer.