Okay, go into System Settings, then click on the Advanced tab, now click on Session manager. Now go down to the 'on login' choices and click on 'Start with an empty Session'
Also select either the 'switch off' or the 'restart' then click on Apply.
Now do a full restart of your computer, then when you log in your desktop should now be empty. So re-select any widgets or apps that you want on your desktop, or on the taskbar, for any icons, right click on the desktop and select 'configure desktop' there you can select 'No icons' if you don't want them cluttering up the desktop.
So arrange your desktop as you want it.
Then return to System Settings> Advanced>Session Manager, then back to 'on login' and this time select the 'Restore My Manually Saved Settings.' You can leave the default setting on Restart or Shutdown as it gives you the choice of what you want to do anyway. Then press 'Apply'
Now when you Start, restart etc, the desktop
should remain as you set it up.
Please post back if this works or not.
TG