Just made a clean install or 17.1.
If I open a window (e.g., Firefox or chrome), and then close it, the Desktop is blank AND I cannot open ANY directories under Places.

Do I need to go back to 17.0?

Here are the results of inxi -Fzx:

System: Host: jack-TA785GE-128M Kernel: 3.13.0-48-generic i686 (32 bit gcc: 4.8.2)
Desktop: MATE 1.8.1 (Gtk 3.10.8~8+qiana) Distro: Linux Mint 17.1 Rebecca
Machine: Mobo: TAR model: TA785GE 128M Bios: American Megatrends v: 080015 date: 07/01/2010
CPU: Dual core AMD Phenom II X2 555 (-MCP-) cache: 1024 KB
flags: (lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4a svm) bmips: 12800
clock speeds: max: 3200 MHz 1: 800 MHz 2: 3200 MHz
Graphics: Card: NVIDIA G84GL [Quadro FX 1700] bus-ID: 01:00.0
Display Server: X.Org 1.15.1 drivers: nouveau (unloaded: fbdev,vesa)
Resolution: 1280x1024@60.0hz, 1280x1024@60.0hz
GLX Renderer: Gallium 0.4 on NV84 GLX Version: 3.0 Mesa 10.1.3 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio: Card Advanced Micro Devices [AMD/ATI] SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA) driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:14.2
Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k3.13.0-48-generic
Network: Card-1: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d800 bus-ID: 02:00.0
IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Card-2: D-Link System RTL8139 Ethernet driver: 8139too v: 0.9.28 port: e800 bus-ID: 03:05.0
IF: eth1 state: unknown speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives: HDD Total Size: 1136.3GB (38.6% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: Crucial_CT128MX1 size: 128.0GB
ID-2: USB /dev/sdc model: HD103SI size: 1000.2GB ID-3: USB /dev/sdb model: Flash_Disk size: 8.1GB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 78G used: 6.8G (10%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda2
ID-2: swap-1 size: 0.01GB used: 0.00GB (0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda3
RAID: No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors: None detected - is lm-sensors installed and configured?
Info: Processes: 156 Uptime: 1:57 Memory: 553.8/2014.4MB Init: Upstart runlevel: 2 Gcc sys: 4.8.2
Client: Shell (bash 4.3.111) inxi: 2.2.19

Hey Jack,

What you're probably seeing is a failure to redraw the screen. Their has to be coordination between the input devices and the active window and when you dump the web browser, the Xserver sounds like it's failing to redraw the screen. What you're actually looking at could just be a remnant of the prior redraw.
Of course, we're going to need to test that theory. If that's happening, we'll probably find some indication of that in the Xorg log (which on mint 17 is in /var/log/ if Mr Googles isn't lying to me again...)
A little helpful info on your Xorg log
This is handy because it let's you grep the log like this.
From the CLI as a user with rights to /var/log/
Take a look at what pops out and if you have any questions, post back.

Hey Jack

Sorry for posting again, but a better grep line is...

Thanks for your suggestion, but I have given up on 17.1?
I may try 17.2.

Jack