After the update I got the desktop empty from apps and task panels (kernel 4.10.0-38). If I on reboot go back to the earlier kernel 4.4.0-104 everything is OK. Any ideas where to start looking for solutions?
bewas_bgw

I wouldn't think that the kernel would cause problems with a desktop. If it was a system update, then much more would have been updated than just the kernel. It would be helpful if you would mention which desktop you are using. Mint has several.

Might be, that your /home/<you> is not mounted. The System then creates a new one on "/" which lacks of course your Settings, Icons etc. Have a look at "cat /etc/mtab" on a console.

I agree, it would be unusual for the kernel to be causing this, but if that's what's happening, then that's what's happening.

The latest kernel supported by Mint 18.3 at the time of writing is 4.13.0-21. I would update to that if I were you, using the Update Manager (View->Linux Kernels then click on the selected kernel), and see how it goes.

It is Linux Mint 18.3 Cinnamon 32 bit.

Response:
bgw@travelmate ~/Desktop $ cat /etc/mtab
sysfs /sys sysfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime 0 0
proc /proc proc rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime 0 0
udev /dev devtmpfs rw,nosuid,relatime,size=1493016k,nr_inodes=206032,mode=755 0 0
devpts /dev/pts devpts rw,nosuid,noexec,relatime,gid=5,mode=620,ptmxmode=000 0 0
tmpfs /run tmpfs rw,nosuid,noexec,relatime,size=302904k,mode=755 0 0
/dev/sda1 / ext4 rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered 0 0
securityfs /sys/kernel/security securityfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime 0 0
tmpfs /dev/shm tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev 0 0
tmpfs /run/lock tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,size=5120k 0 0
tmpfs /sys/fs/cgroup tmpfs rw,mode=755 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/systemd cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,xattr,release_agent=/lib/systemd/systemd-cgroups-agent,name=systemd 0 0
pstore /sys/fs/pstore pstore rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/hugetlb cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,hugetlb,release_agent=/run/cgmanager/agents/cgm-release-agent.hugetlb 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/cpuset cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,cpuset,clone_children 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/pids cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,pids,release_agent=/run/cgmanager/agents/cgm-release-agent.pids 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/perf_event cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,perf_event,release_agent=/run/cgmanager/agents/cgm-release-agent.perf_event 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/cpu,cpuacct cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,cpu,cpuacct 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/freezer cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,freezer 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/net_cls,net_prio cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,net_cls,net_prio 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/blkio cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,blkio 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/memory cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,memory 0 0
cgroup /sys/fs/cgroup/devices cgroup rw,nosuid,nodev,noexec,relatime,devices 0 0
systemd-1 /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc autofs rw,relatime,fd=24,pgrp=1,timeout=0,minproto=5,maxproto=5,direct,pipe_ino=1012 0 0
hugetlbfs /dev/hugepages hugetlbfs rw,relatime 0 0
mqueue /dev/mqueue mqueue rw,relatime 0 0
debugfs /sys/kernel/debug debugfs rw,relatime 0 0
fusectl /sys/fs/fuse/connections fusectl rw,relatime 0 0
/dev/sda3 /data fuseblk rw,relatime,user_id=0,group_id=0,allow_other,blksize=4096 0 0
binfmt_misc /proc/sys/fs/binfmt_misc binfmt_misc rw,relatime 0 0
cgmfs /run/cgmanager/fs tmpfs rw,relatime,size=100k,mode=755 0 0
tmpfs /run/user/1000 tmpfs rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,size=302904k,mode=700,uid=1000,gid=1000 0 0
gvfsd-fuse /run/user/1000/gvfs fuse.gvfsd-fuse rw,nosuid,nodev,relatime,user_id=1000,group_id=1000 0 0
bgw@travelmate ~/Desktop $

So you don't have /home on a separate Partition (i.e. your /home resides below "/"). Is this the same Situation as it was before the update? Then this is a dead end...

Correct.

Try running the commandIt won't show all those rubbish cgroups stuff - just the user mounts.

bgw@travelmate ~/Desktop $ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
udev 1,5G 0 1,5G 0% /dev
tmpfs 296M 5,3M 291M 2% /run
/dev/sda1 192G 66G 117G 36% /
tmpfs 1,5G 828K 1,5G 1% /dev/shm
tmpfs 5,0M 4,0K 5,0M 1% /run/lock
tmpfs 1,5G 0 1,5G 0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/sda3 501G 60G 442G 12% /data
cgmfs 100K 0 100K 0% /run/cgmanager/fs
tmpfs 296M 32K 296M 1% /run/user/1000
bgw@travelmate ~/Desktop $

I have the same problem after using the Synaptic 18.3 Cinnamon Mint 64bit update . . . a blank desktop with new wallpaper, but the auto-hide panels icons are there. Cycling thru the 4 workspaces (I only use one), they are all blank too.
My system:

Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
udev 3.4G 0 3.4G 0% /dev
tmpfs 691M 9.5M 681M 2% /run
/dev/sda7 37G 31G 4.4G 88% /
tmpfs 3.4G 55M 3.4G 2% /dev/shm
tmpfs 5.0M 4.0K 5.0M 1% /run/lock
tmpfs 3.4G 0 3.4G 0% /sys/fs/cgroup
cgmfs 100K 0 100K 0% /run/cgmanager/fs
tmpfs 691M 88K 691M 1% /run/user/1000
/dev/sdb1 3.8G 3.0G 802M 79% /media/robc/4GB-WH2FFLY
/dev/sdc1 60G 34G 27G 56% /media/robc/64GB-sdxc

@CycleRob - your /dev/sda7 is very large for a / partition.
31G used out of 37G indicates that there might be a /home sub-directory in there somewhere!

Out of interest, how did you upgrade Linux Mint through Synaptic and what version did you upgrade from? Such upgrades are usually done via Mint's Update Manager. Unless of course it was just a run-of-the-mill update you carried out (in which case, please open Update Manager, look at View->History of Updates and list here the series of updates that you installed that caused the problem).

Did you try updating the kernel as I suggested?

Just a Hint:

Desktop environments have a bug for several years.

Try with a fresh user with a clean home directory. If it works than, you have just to sort out your existing home directory. I also had to several times to remove older config files for different desktop environments in my home directory. use midnight commander for that task or something which shows you hidden files.

And there is a big mess on config files in past years in the home directory.

--

I updated a few days ago from linux mint 17 to 18.3.
Well i did a complete fresh virgin install, as it is just a notebook for playing cards.
Drastic measure: mint is problematic, you may be better off with backup your data and a fresh virgin install.