How to save our "desktop state"?

Solution 1:

I know of two utility programs for this. PC Magazine's WinTidy and Iconoid. PC Mag charges for downloads. Iconoid is available free from http://www.sillysot.com/

Solution 2:

I have my parents set up with Fences, a program that allows you to group and organize your desktop icons. Also, the animation for shifting icons around on screen when you drag one through a group of other icons is amazing.

It's free.

Solution 3:

Probably overpowering, but I use Dextop. It's a virtual desktop manager. It also has a nice feature that directs new windows to which ever desktop you placed a program on the last run.

The drawback is the programs are constantly running.