how do you get IE to desplay on the desktop in vista?

OK If you mean that the IE is deleted or disappear from your desktop you can get it back by following the below steps:
1. Start registry
editor by clicking on Start button, then select “Run”. Type in “regedit” in the Open text box and hit “OK” or press “Enter”.
2. Navigate to the following registry key:[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\NewStartPanel]If you’re using classic theme or scheme, browse to the following registry location instead:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\
Explorer\HideDesktopIcons\ClassicStartMenu]

If the above key doesn’t exist, create a new key.
3. Edit or create a DWORD (32-bit) value named {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D} and set it with value of 0 (dword:00000000).
4. Refresh Windows Vista desktop by pressing F5 or right click on desktop and click “Refresh”.
You will see the IE or IE7 icon has been put back on Vista desktop.

There is also an easy way if you want to follow
copy and paste the below code to a text file and save it as a file name with .reg extension. Then double click on the file to merge the data to the registry. After refreshing desktop, IE7 desktop icon will be back on view.


[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HideDeskt
opIcons\NewStartPanel]
"{871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}"=dword:00000000