How do I keep windows the way I want them in Windows 7?

How do I keep overlapping windows to stay as I want them in Windows 7? When I have one window open and I try to open another one, often times the computer will kick me back to my previous window while the new window is loading. Likewise, the computer will randomly switch between window to window on its own. I found that if I click minimize instead of just opening a new window that usually helps, but not all the time. Any ideas?