W98SE Startup

Don't shut the computer down with the c drive folder open.
OR
Try this to troubleshoot your problem:
Go to start-> run -> type: msconfig
In the first tab you should be able to check selective startup.  uncheck all the items.  Now reboot.  go back into msconfig and recheck one item, then reboot.  If the C drive folder appears when you reboot then that file is whats causing your problem.  If it didn't appear then go back into msconfig and check another item and reboot.  Keep doing this until all items are checked again or until the problem occurs.
Once you have discovered which file is causing the problem, open it with notepad and rem out the line.  If you don't feel comfortable doing this, let me know and I can walk you through it after you found which file is causing the problem
 

You may want to try this before you try my other solution first

you may want to go into msconfig and select the tab on the far right and look for anything that may be checked which might open you c drive folder.  Uncheck it and reboot.
Leaving this item unchecked shouldn't be a problem and can be left as is.

Your problem with Windows Explorer showing the root folder may be explained by this:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;228502
Windows Explorer Starts When You Start Your Computer

Your question about the Show Desktop icon should actually count as a separate question, but I'll give you the answer for that too:

http://home.earthlink.net/~leetutor/FixWin/DeskTask/lostshow.htm

In future, before attempting fiddles with registry, back-up registry to floppy.

From dos prompt:

c:\windows

attrib -r -s -h system.da?
attrib -r -s -h user.da?

copy system.da? a:\
copy user.da? a:\

attrib +r +s +h system da?
attrib +r +s +h user.da?

I guess you want your right-click send to desktop rather than your desktop icon...?

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;191882

I had trouble figuring out how to "half-size it", but finally got it to work.  Thanks.

thanks ......you can put almost anything in the 'send to' menu like that.....

as for your other problem well I know how but I've forgotten lol so maybe you could try this app it's excellent for many startup probs

http://www.mlin.net/StartupCPL.shtml

That's the trouble with asking 2 questions in 1, if you don't know how to split points.  So now you have the Send To Desktop one answered (and in my fast reading of your question, I misinterpreted it as wanting to know how to regenerate a lost Show Desktop icon! Sorry.), and although drcspy's answer works perfectly OK, Kingsize gave you the correct way according to Microsoft...

But what about the more major problem: why is your root folder of C: drive opening at startup?  Have you looked at the comment I made?

Yes, thanks.  I didn't  know how to split the points and when I went back in, I couldn't do it, but your suggestion worked fine.  I still don't know why it opened that way in the first place.  If there is a way for me to give you the points, let me know so I can do it.  I'm going to ask another question about backing up the registry to floppy--will do it as a new question and maybe you can answer that so I can give you the points.

I cant remember how many points I got for this question but if you like to tell me I'll post a 'question' for LeeTutor and offer half them back ok

I agree, the windoz answer is a bit long-winded...

I hope this rewrite of the site comes along soon (supposed to be sometime this month.)  Among the many improvement, they are going to make it easier to split points.  Mizscarlett5, as you have already awarded this question to drcspy, the only way of awarding points to me for the other half of the question is to create a new question called "Points for LeeTutor" (you may have seen other questions like that with the names of other experts in them; that's the way points are split.)  When I give a comment to that question, accept my comment as answer and you'll be done.  Thanks.