Desktop icons hangup

When I run IE9 a few times, my desktop icons become disabled.
That is, running the cursor over them does not make them highlight. Nor does clicking them cause anything to happen.
Additionally, right-clicking the desktop does not bring up a menu.
I notice that the task manager shows multiple copies of IE9 running.
When I "End Process" on all running copies, the desktop (and icons) start behaving properly.

But the problem is that whenever I run the IE9 program and serf the net, desktop things get messed up again.
Then I have to go and "End Processes" on IE9s in Task Manager again.
Any ideas on how to eliminate the problem permanently?

I have run Malwarebytes and now have zero events in a deep scan.
My antivirus is MS Essentials. Auto UPdates = enabled.
 

My Computer

What you're describing sounds to me like it could be a system resource issue.

A few questions:
  • Can you describe your system hardware specifications in detail (Make/model, CPU, RAM, HD size)? How much free HD space do you have right now?
  • Was IE9 just recently installed, or did you have it installed for a while without any problems?
  • Did this behavior start suddenly, or did it appear infrequently at first, to then suddenly start happening consistently?
  • Can you remember what was the last thing you did in your computer prior to the problem starting (like installing software, performing system specific activities like a recommended performance tip, visiting new websites, etc)?

(Incidentally, it's perfectly normal to see multiple instances of "iexplore.exe" running when IE9 is running--by default there are 2 and then each additional tab creates a separate process)
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavillion dv5t
    CPU
    Intel Core Duo 2.53GHz
    Memory
    4Gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia GeForce 9600M GT 512Mb
    Screen Resolution
    1280x800 32bit
    Hard Drives
    Seagate Momentus XT 500Gb
    Hitachi Travelstar HTS543225L9A300 250Gb
    Mouse
    Microsoft 4000
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