Comment 54 for bug 439448

DGMcCloud is completely right. Ubuntu is a perfect os, but it has these "small" problems, that scare new users and they go back to the "good old" Windows. This issue is far more important than it seems.

However I see 2 comfortable ways how to handle it, until it's solved:

1. remove tho notification area and add it again, which will correct the problem. --However, sometimes even other icons are concerned, not just the notification area ones, so:

2. run "killall gnome-panel", which reloads the panel already correctly (as the problem happens only at startup). U can save this command to a file on ur desktop and make the file executable and u just run the file when it happens.

P.S. It's not an Ubuntu bug, the same happens in other gnome-based distros too. It has nothing in common with any graphics drivers, it's a gnome-panel bug. (Or rather one of many.)