annoying XFCE keyboard shortcuts problem

[simon_irl]

Particularly annoying because I haven't noticed a pattern as to what causes it. My XFCE keyboard shortcuts work perfectly well most of the time...but every now and then, for no obvious reason, they all stop working. Then, once I've launched *any* application from the panel menu, they work again. It's as though something has grabbed the keyboard focus (although system-wide keyboard events like CTRL-ALT-Fn tty switching still work) and launching an app releases it again. Mouse-clicking on the desktop, or even on the panel, does nothing: the keyboard shortcuts have no effect until I've used the mouse to launch something from the panel menu. Then they work again...sometimes for days.

Any ideas?

[simon_irl]

Well, with nearly 3.000 views and no replies, I hope a bump can be forgiven. This problem persists after many world updates, and I still have no idea how to go about fixing it. Does the fact that launching any app from the panel menu fixes it instantly (yet clicking on the panel itself does nothing) not give anyone any ideas as to what may be stopping the keyboard shortcuts from working? What it is about launching an application from the panel menu that could be fixing the problem?