Two Questions

[FloridaFringe]

1. As pointed out in the post above your answer is given in the FAQ:

Q: How do I get my Persona Bar to open when I first log in?

A: Custom windows like Personabar often do not save their settings unless you manually move them and tweak them via the "Window Settings" dialog.

2. It absolutely has to do with window settings. Window Opacity should be set to the far left for AutoFade to kick in after a few seconds. Once the window fades it will reappear once new chat comes in but will autofade again after a minute or so.