Desktop Issues?

Hi all, I'm new here and was referred from another forum to this one to see if someone can help me figure out wth I did to my computer. I'm pretty computer savvy but not when it comes to trying to fix things that may make my computer self destruct. I'm going to lay out what I did step by step and then maybe someone can tell me how to undo it (please be very basic with me).

I'm sure you'll need to know: I have a Dell Inspiron laptop and am running Vista (computer is 2 years old).

I tried to change my default download location from the Downloads folder in my user profile to my desktop (I had a shortcut on my desktop to the downloads folder but was trying to reduce # of icons -- I should've left it alone). I read online that to change it I right click on the Downloads folder --> Properties --> Location tab --> change the destination to Desktop. When I did that, all but a handful of icons disappeared off my desktop.

I went back to my user profile to right click on Downloads and change it back but the Location tab has disappeared. Somehow now there are 3 Downloads folders in my user profile.

Also in my user profile is a folder titled Desktop. (Basically what I see in Explore is Desktop --> User Profile name --> Desktop again, among other folders). In that Desktop folder in my user profile is 90% of what was on my desktop an hour ago - all my folders of photos, ancestry docs, etc. The only thing not on my desktop or in the Desktop folder that used to be there are programs I've installed recently: H&R Block Tax Cut, Photoshop Elements, Family Tree Maker, FinePix Viewer and my McAfee Icons.

I tried to drag and drop what's in the Desktop folder to the desktop and it lets me do this but all of the items on my desktop now show up in 2 of the download folders. The 3rd download folder is empty. I tested right clicking and saving a picture off the web and when the download thing opens it now shows the download location as Desktop instead of the Downloads folder but the picture does not show up on my desktop but in BOTH of the download folders that have stuff in them.

How do I fix this? As in how do I change it back to downloading to the downloads folder and I'll just put a shortcut back on the desktop? I don't want to delete all the stuff in the download folders for fear it will delete it from my desktop and be gone.

Is what I did clear? Can someone help me undo this?

P.S. Next task after fixing this is trying to figure out external hard drives and backing up my computer so I can screw up and not worry about a panic attack (I'll need help with that too).

 

You can do a system restore click>start>all programs>accessories>system tools>system restore, wait till the window opens, this can sometimes take a little while, it will then give you an option to restore to a point suggested by system restore itself, or if you read down a bit further it also gives you an option to choose a different restore point, choose a restore point to, before all this what you have done, and you'll be able to start again, with your project !