I'm using the auto restart built into PWB. I'm going to experiment again with AutoRestart, and hopefully I'll get a better result.
The double clicking effect actually happens in the two xp machines in which I have replicated the problem. These are older machine running windows xp professional, with HideGUI hiding the start button, the task bar, and the notification area. I use gpedit.msc and followed
these instructions to hide the desktop and drives.
The trick someone found also functions like this: with autorestart set in PWB, hit alt-f4 to close PWB. As PWB closes and restarts, and right before it reaches full screen, double click on the desktop. If you catch it just right, the start menu pops up sure enough, and you have access. I just don't know how to stop it.