Double Screen - Windows Remain In Permanent Minimized State?

I purchased an HP desktop with windows 8 towards the end of 2012, and have been running into a recurring problem that has worsened recently. Originally, something would occasionally occur after my computer went to sleep. When I woke it up, there would be no desktop icons and although I could launch programs, their windows would remain in a permanent minimized state. A simple restart would fix it temporarily, but as of late a new issue has complicated things. Now, certain programs (web browsers and the occasional game) will be permanently minimized on the regular desktop screen, and will only be viewable on the 2nd screen. As you can Imagine, this makes performing tasks that require multiple programs very difficult, as there is no surefire way to switch from the regular desktop screen to the second one. I attempted to fix the issue by changing the sleep settings and performing a repair install, but both of these had no effect.