Should I Be Concerned and Extra Cautious  

It is a set of 6 blue tiles, Apps, Settings, Documents, Photos, Music, and Web and has a search box with the instructions to start typing to search for...

Give me a minute

Are you in Tablet Mode?

It is a thing like the Cortana box at the bottom, I think. Is it a needed part of setup to finish up?

I don't think so. Click on the desktop and see if it goes away

Now it is a long icon or box that reads "search the web and Windows"

Clicking on the desktop opens a drop down menu starting with View, Sort By...

I don't want to hang things at this point, so await instructions...

does it look anything like this




Left click on the desktop. It sounds like you right clicked

It did, but now it is a long box-icon instead. Did I minimize it somehow? It says 'search the web and windows'

I keep losing full display of the thread and if I display something like your image file this compose box goes blank..

I can't send images right now because this machine is foreign, as is its 'photoshop' and it would take too much time....

Left clicking the desktop does nothing. Left clicking the 'icon' I describe restores the tiles...