When I boot my computer in the default configuration the panel toolbar, typically at the bottom of the screen, does not appear. When I restart it, before shutting down a message appears asking me if I want to kill the Panel program which is not responding. Curiously, the panel appears when I boot in the pae configuration. I am not really sure what is the pae configuration or why it would work then.

I am running on a Lenovo x61 laptop with OpenSuse 11.3, completely updated with all the most recent bug fixes and patches.

On a possibly unrelated note, the battery just died on my laptop, as in it will no longer charge and discharge, and I am running on pure AC power. The tool in the panel insists that the battery is there and fully charged. Is it possible that the panel is not starting because sometimes it is waiting for a response from my dead battery?

Thanks for any help.