This view is called the Desktop

If coloured boxes have appeared behind the icon labels on the Desktop try this:-
Start-->Control Panel. Double click the System icon. Click the System properties tab. Click the Advanced tab. Under the heading Performance, click the Settings button. In the Performance options window click the Visual effects tab. Ensure that the chosen scheme is Let Windows choose what's best for my computer. In the lower pane make sure all the boxes are ticked, especially the item labelled Use drop shadows for icon labels. Click Apply (unless the apply button is greyed out). OK your way out to return to the Desktop.

The desktop has rotated 90 or 180 degrees on the screen. This can occur if you accidentally touch the following keys simultaneously: Ctr, Alt and an Arrow key. To correct the fault, hold down Ctrl and Alt and then tap arrow keys until the screen is the right way up.
Alternatively, RIGHT click on the desktop (in an empty space where there are no icons). Click Properties, Click Settings, look through the tabs and properties for a rotation setting and adjust the rotation to normal.

Icons have vanished from the Desktop, also the Notification area hides icons. To stop this silly behaviour, right click the Taskbar.
In the Properties window, all the items should have their boxes ticked. The following two should not have their boxes ticked.
         Auto hide the Taskbar
         Hide inactive icons
To tick or un-tick a box just click it.
To finish, click Apply and then click OK

Now right click an empty area on the Desktop. Click Properties. Click the Desktop tab. Click the button labelled Customize Desktop. Un-tick the box labelled Run Desktop Cleanup Wizard every 60 days. Click OK. On the next window click Apply then OK.

If your TFT (thin flat) monitor suddenly displays snow instead of your desktop picture with icons, it is looking for a TV channel and it can't tune in. Don't panic nothing has broken either in your computer or in the monitor. You have a dual purpose monitor (TV and PC) and you accidentally pressed the TV button on the front, side or underside of the screen. To change back to PC mode, most dual purpose TFT monitors have a button labelled Source. Press that and use the buttons marked with little up and down signs to put it back to the PC setting.

Window too big for screen, so that you can’t access the title bar, size button or OK button. Also you are unable to move the window around. The cause is described in the next paragraph. RIGHT click the screen to access the Settings window. With the Display Settings window on the screen, press Alt + Spacebar to open the Control menu at the upper left. Then press M for move. You'll be able to move the window around with the arrow keys.
Press Enter to leave the Move mode.

Icons and windows too big for screen:  The screen resolution has changed and needs to be changed back to your normal resolution. On the Desktop RIGHT click an empty space. Then:-
In Windows XP: on the next window click the Settings tab. Move the Resolution slider to the right one step. Click Apply.
In Vista: on the next window click Personalize. Then click Display settings.  Move the Resolution slider to the right one step. Click Apply.
Windows 7: on the next window click Screen Resolution. Move the Resolution slider downwards one step. Click Apply.
In all cases the screen may go black for a second or two. You will then be given 15 seconds to view the new resolution. Click OK if it is acceptable. If the icons are still too big, repeat this procedure and move the slider one further step until you are satisfied.

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