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.