Hello Ben,
It sounds like you're encountering a common issue where the Windows desktop does not load correctly. When this happens, it can be a bit alarming, but there are some steps you can take to try and resolve it.
Here are a few things you can try to troubleshoot and potentially fix the issue with your Windows 7 desktop not loading correctly:
1. Restart Explorer:
- As you mentioned, manually starting the Explorer process through Task Manager can sometimes help resolve the issue temporarily. You can also try restarting the Windows Explorer process without using Task Manager by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, then under the "Processes" tab, right-click on "Windows Explorer" and choose to "Restart".
2...