James
Many thanks for your detailed reply. I really appreciate the trouble you went to. Learnt so much in a few well written words.
As I want my desktop to come up when I first turn on the computer I tried the method in paragraph 3 of your email and it was set at AIX CDE 1.0. Even so, I did a list, highlighted  AIX CDE 1.0 hit enter and smit told me it was already set at this. Followed through on what you said and did a shutdown -r and on start up it got to my desktop. Swapped back and forth between root and harry(actually me as an ordinary user) and it did not miss a beat getting to the desk top. Did a few complete shutdowns and restarts and all seems okay although from the time it shows the light blue window starting CDE, 1 to 1.5 minutes elapses before the desk top appears. Since I installed Netscape Communicator 4.75i and got hooked up to my router lots of things have slowed down quite  a bit. The CDE problem I was having must have been a glitch on my HD !
Going back to your step by step instructions and pages like this I found 
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/db2help/index.jsp?topic=/com.ibm.db2.udb.doc/start/t0006751.htm 
I was wondering how you learnt AIX. Is there any step by step tutorials on the web in a similar fashion.
My AIX is 4.3.3.0 and I have this update to do to get to ver 11 but the instructions jump so many steps they are too advanced for me.
https://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/mlfixes/43/11/00to11.html 
I also have to install clamav anti virus and update Netscape to 4.8(read CDE bugs in 4.75i) which means unzipping files and running programs. Pity smit does not have an unzipper.
James, please do not get me wrong, I am not expecting a lot of spoon feeding nor wish to take up a lot of your time, just wish to know how best to learn AIX at home.
Heck I am on my 37th re-install of AIX after freezing up installations trying to install printers, hard drivers, CDrom's, tape drives routers man files etc etc. And will probably have a few more reinstalls to go before I get reasonably competent.
Have a second RS/6000(7012-320) with AIX 4.2.1.0 and video card and monitor but only installed to command line stage, no GUI, for testing commands before I hit my main RS/6000(7011-250) AIX 4.3.3 computer. Got 7012-320 on the router too the other day, and they can ping one another. Boy was I glad when I got the second monitor and video card for 7012-320 to get of the terminal emulator on a W98SE machine.
Regards
Basil