application accidentally on desktop

somehow system preferences and word2004 are on the desktop and I can't get rid of them. I can't drag them to the task bar. If I put them in the trash then the applications will not work. Note: Both of these have shortcuts on the taskbar already.

Are they the actual applications or an alias? In other words does the icon have a small arrow in it? If it's an alias it can be dragged to the Trash. Also check your Applications folder to see if the System Preferences and Office 2004 apps are there. Additionally open the Office 2004 folder in applications to make sure Word is there.

Right click on them and select Show Package Contents. If that isn't selectable they aren't the apps themselves, but a shortcut. If it is the app itself, just drag it back to the applications folder. It'll tell if it is already there.

Your Mac's "taskbar" is called the Dock. It's strange that you can't put a shortcut in the Dock by dragging the icon there. Remember, applications on the left, folders (aka Stacks) on the right. Now, I've never tried to create a shortcut in the Dock for something that already has one. I'll have to test that...