gnome 2.8 desktop with limited interactivity

[wiseNoob]

Just installed FC3 and after a few days of using it and applying yum updates, it stopped showing my background image and all of the icons that were there before. the last update I installed was the most recent gaim update (yesterday or so) - this was done using yum update. did not specify anything specific.

Also, ever since this happened, I cannot shutdown from gui, only shutdown -h now.

Anybody have any ideas?

edit:
there is no interactivity with the desktop itself, only windows that are open. no right-click or any other clicking... the panel is fine, although shutdown is a problem as stated above. individual software works as it should.

[MikeyMike]

that was happening to me before i used a cd install and downloaded from a mirror

I downloaded the dvd from fedoras official site did a reinstall and then all worked out fine

[wiseNoob]

Was that a full install, or an upgrade? I left out the part where it was an upgrade - which I am starting to think was a bad idea.