After login, get black screen/explorer window

[Rile]

Vista Home Premium
HP Pavillion dv6500
2 GB RAM

After logging into my laptop, it shows one explorer window into "My
Documents" and no desktop. I've tried the Ctrl+Alt+Del solution many a time,
but I always have to do it again when I reboot.

My registry entry for Shell under Winlogon is "explorer.exe" and always has
been. Can anybody help me?

 

[Rile]

Yes that's what I do as well and is what I meant by "Ctrl+Alt+Del" solution.
But it is, as you said, only a temporary fix. And if I want to keep my
desktop on when I come back I have to put my laptop into hibernate mode.

But when I have to restart my laptop, be it from installing something new or
just a random shutdown due to updating, it doesn't stay.