This may not be the same problem at all...but,
Sometimes my sys-tray goes wonky on me and what brings it back for me is right-clicking on the taskbar [click properties [then select "auto-hide the taskbar" [click "apply" [when it disappears, move your mouse down where it was and when it pops back up, see if it fixed it.
Either way, unclick "auto-hide taskbar" and then "apply" to bring the 'bar back up.
I may be preaching to the choir, I don't know your computer experience, (mine is almost nil)....but...hope it helps.
