it all depends on the theme. if the theme you're using already has desktop icons and quick launch, then follow goats advice. if not, then you'll need to download and configure a desktop icon module. same thing for quick launch.
also, when you're naming a thread, why don't you try using something at least SOMEWHAT descriptive? "total newbie" usually tells us that the person hasn't read anything on litestep (which we don't like very much!).