First, where: By "splash page", do you mean the "root" at https://habitablezone.com/? Which control panel are you referencing in the title?

But I don't follow the sequence of events: click on a link to another site, go there, return...you'd return to a forum page, not the root/splash page. Are the legends in the top menu bar disappearing on forum pages too?

Who's on first? Your OS is first, and yep, clinging to an antique and unsupported Windows XP can bring you a world of hurt. How old is your browser? (Because the limitations of XP may limit how far you can update your browser, and disappearing links could be a browser fail.)

ProTip: Make your links open a new browser tab by including 'target="_blank"' in the thingie. That way you never unload your HZ page, so likely nothing will be disturbed.