If Linux Mint 17 or other has no window buttons/controls you can do the following from terminal:
marco --replace&
Sometimes it can be fixed if you go to your themes/appearance and choose a new one but in the case like mine where Compiz is installed but not running/working then that fix will not work and will require the marco command above.
What if you can't type in a terminal Window?
If you close that terminal window the problem reappears only worse, you will not be able to type anything in any window so you cannot do the fix again.
Do a Ctrl+Alt+F1 and login by terminal and do the following:
marco --replace -d :0&
(:0 specifies the X session number).
To find the Xsession #:
cat /tmp/.X0-lock
28520
ps aux|grep 28520
user 9725 0.0 0.0 11748 2200 pts/23 S+ 00:24 0:00 grep --color=auto 28520
root 28520 2.3 0.5 476780 181152 tty7 Rs+ Mar13 34:43 /usr/bin/X :0 -audit 0 -auth /var/lib/mdm/:0.Xauth -nolisten tcp vt7
"/usr/bin/X :0" shows that it is ":0" and that is why we will pass to marco's -d option
linux, mint, ubuntu, debian, controls, solutionif, terminal, marco, themes, compiz, installed, reappears, ctrl, alt, login, specifies, xsession, tmp, ps, aux, grep, user, pts, auto, tty, rs, mar, usr, bin, audit, auth, var, lib, mdm, xauth, nolisten, tcp, vt, quot,