Comments (7) to “Desktop Gadgets”. Installing widgets on the desktop in Windows OS How to install gadgets for Windows 7



The Windows 7 operating system has a unique built-in ability to add gadgets to the desktop without using various third-party software.

Desktop gadgets similar to widgets on mobile phones running Android. They install in a similar way and perform similar functions. For example, you don’t have to open an Internet browser to find out the weather forecast for tomorrow - this information is displayed in gadgets. But not all of them work without an Internet connection.

Gadgets for Windows 7 really reduce the time spent searching for information, and also allow you to get many other information indicators about the operation of your PC, turn it off and restart it, and much more.
To add gadgets to your desktop you need to:

1. Open " Control Panel».


2. Set your view to " Small icons».


3. Next, find the function “ Desktop gadgets" Click on it.


4. The dialog box “ Gadgets collection", which contains a list of gadgets available to you to place on your desktop.


As you can see in the image above, by default, I have 4 pages of different gadgets installed, any of which can be placed on the desktop. Select the one you need and double-click on it with the left mouse button and it will be added to the desktop, or right-click on it and in the context menu click “ Add».


You can also find a gadget using the search bar or download the missing one using the " Find gadgets on the Internet».


Let's add two gadgets as an example: Clock and Calculator. This is how they will look on the desktop.

Gadgets- This small applications that reside and operate directly on the desktop. Their functions can be completely different: quick access to settings or functions of other programs (notes, mounting disks into virtual drives), convenient display of data (clock, weather forecast), entertainment (mini-games, slides) and so on.

They first appeared in Windows Vista and are present in Seven. This article describes Job with gadgets and installation similar mini-applications in Windows 7. The capabilities of XP, 8 and 10 are also briefly discussed.

Display on desktop

Windows 7 has several standard gadgets that are in the system from the moment of installation. You can at any time secure them on your desktop or put away from him:

You can move program across the screen using the mouse, like a regular window. If the application is no longer needed, move the cursor over it and click on the cross icon that appears.

Many gadgets allow you to customize their appearance and functionality. To do this, click on the “ Configurations", which looks like a wrench.

Installing new gadgets in Windows 7

If the standard set does not suit you, you can always download new gadgets from various directory sites. It is recommended to download applications carefully so as not to “catch” any virus. Don't forget to check your downloaded files using antivirus.

There are 2 ways to install gadgets:

  • If you downloaded just one file with the .gadget extension - just run him and please allow me to make changes into the operation of the system. After this, it will immediately appear on your Desktop.
  • If an entire folder with multiple files was downloaded, it is required postpone to the catalog " C:\\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets" After this, you can install the application on your desktop through the context menu, as described in the previous section.

If you want to completely remove any gadget from your personal computer, you just need to add to cart the file responsible for it.

Installation on Windows XP

If you are still using the operating system Windows XP and do not plan to upgrade to more modern versions, you will need a special utility to use gadgets. It is called Windows Sidebar and is developed by Microsoft specifically for Windows XP. Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to download it from the official website, but you can easily download it from various third-party resources.

After installing the application, you will be able to work with gadgets in Windows XP, as in version 7: install new, post them on the desktop, tune and so on.

Installation on Windows 8.1 and 10

Starting with the G8, Microsoft decided to stop using gadgets. Therefore, their operation also requires installing additional software. You can use both the official solution from Microsoft and third-party programs.

In the first case, you will need to go to http://mfi.webs.com/ and download the package MFI for your version of Windows (8 or 10). Mount the downloaded ISO image (in “Ten” you can do this without third-party applications) and in the panel that opens, select “ Gadgets».

An alternative option is to install the application from Gadgets Revived. It can be downloaded from the official website of the developer http://gadgetsrevived.com/download-sidebar/. Detailed instructions are also provided there. Just install the program and you will be able to work with gadgets, just like in Windows 7.

Video on the topic

28.12.2009 03:49

Gadgets (mini-applications) are small programs that display a variety of information on the Windows 7 desktop.

How gadgets work in Windows 7

A gadget, like a web page, consists of graphics and files written in HTML, JavaScript and CSS. Therefore, to display gadgets, it is necessary that at least one browser is installed on the system. To use pre-installed (standard) Windows 7 gadgets, you must have the Internet Explorer browser. Some gadgets (for example, Weather) require an Internet connection, while other gadgets can work offline (for example, Clock).

The installation file of the widget is a regular zip archive with the extension .gadget. For a gadget to be displayed on the desktop, it must be installed and running.

To install the widget, double-click on the gadget's installation package. The widget will then be added to your gadget collection, from where you can add it to your desktop.

The Desktop Gadgets Gallery is a panel that displays all installed gadgets. This panel is powered by the application sidebar.exe located in the folder %ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar.

To open the Desktop Gadget Collection, right-click on the desktop and select from the context menu that appears Gadgets.

Adding gadgets to your desktop

2. Double-click one of the suggested gadgets.

Gadget menu

When you hover your mouse over a gadget, a small menu appears to the right of it.

Depending on the features of the gadget, this menu may contain buttons Close(removes the gadget from the Windows desktop), Options(displays additional settings), Size, Moving.

Removing a gadget

1. To remove a gadget from the collection, right-click on the desktop and select Gadgets.

2. Right-click on the widget you want to remove and select Delete.

After this, the widget will no longer be available in the Gadget Collection.

Recovering deleted gadgets

To restore all standard Windows 7 gadgets:

1. Open the Control Panel, set the view to “Category”.

2. Click .

3. In the section Desktop gadgets click Recovering desktop gadgets installed by Windows.

To restore a deleted third-party widget, simply install it again.

Turn Gadgets on or off

By default, gadgets are enabled in Windows 7. You can disable the installation, viewing, and adding of gadgets to your desktop by using Windows Features in Control Panel and by using the Local Group Policy Editor (Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, and Windows 7 Enterprise only).

  • Turn gadgets on or off using Control Panel

1. Open Control Panel (Large Icons View) > Programs and Features.

2. From the left menu, select Turn Windows features on or off.

3. To turn off the Gadgets feature, uncheck the Windows gadget platform. To enable Gadgets, select this checkbox.

4. Restart your computer.

  • Enable or disable gadgets using the Local Group Policy Editor

1. Open the Start menu, type in the search bar and press Enter.

2. Perform the required action:

  • To disable the Gadgets feature for your account, in the left menu of the Local Group Policy Editor, open Local Computer Policy > User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Desktop Gadgets .
  • To disable the gadgets feature for all users on the computer, in the left menu of the Local Group Policy Editor, open Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Desktop Gadgets, on the right side of the Local Group Policy Editor window, double-click the option Disable desktop gadgets.

3. Select Turn on and press OK.

If this setting is enabled, desktop gadgets will be disabled. If this option is disabled or not specified, desktop widgets will be enabled.

4. Restart your computer.

Creating your own gadgets for Windows

If you're familiar with programming languages ​​like HTML and JavaScript, as well as CSS, you might want to check out Donavan West's Windows Gadgets tutorial. The manual has been translated into Russian. Although this guide is focused on creating gadgets for Windows Vista, it covers the general principles of creating widgets that are necessary to understand the process.

1. Gadgets in Windows 7 can be freely moved with the left mouse button within the desktop. To move widgets closer together, press and hold the Shift key while moving the gadget.

2. To always display the gadget on top of all open windows, right-click on it and select from the context menu that appears On top of other windows.

3. To hide all active gadgets, right-click on the Windows 7 desktop, select View and uncheck Show desktop gadgets. To make gadgets appear again, check this box.

4. To move all active gadgets to the front, press the Windows key + G key combination.

5. To adjust the transparency of a gadget, right-click on it and set the opacity level.

Pre-installed Windows 7 gadgets

Windows 7 comes with nine pre-installed gadgets (mini-applications):

  • Windows Media Center

This gadget is a convenient, customizable Windows Media Center launcher.

  • Currency

When connected to the Internet, the Currency gadget displays the value of the user's selected currencies, according to MSN Money providers. In total, the gadget can display from 2 to 4 currencies. This widget requires an Internet connection to work.

To add currency, click + in the lower right corner of the gadget. To remove currency, hover your mouse over it and click the red cross in the upper right corner.

To change currency, click its name and select the desired currency in the list that appears.

  • Puzzle

Gadget "Puzzle" is a mosaic game. An Internet connection is not required for the gadget to operate.

To view the picture you need to collect, click the “?” at the top of the widget.

To automatically assemble or shuffle the mosaic, click the arrow icon in the upper right corner of the gadget.

The timer can be paused by clicking on the clock in the upper left corner of the gadget.

To change the picture, right-click the widget and select Options.

  • Web channel news headlines

This gadget allows you to view news headlines from web channels (RSS feeds) without launching a browser (however, an Internet connection is required). The gadget displays news only from those sites whose RSS feeds are added to the Internet Explorer browser. To view or change the list of RSS feeds, open Internet Explorer > Favorites > Channels Tab.

Any RSS feed added to Internet Explorer will become available for display in the Feed News Headlines gadget. For example, you can add our web feed to always know when a new article appears on our site. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Launch Internet Explorer browser.

2. Enter the address of our RSS feed in the address bar: http://www.site/feed/ and press Enter.

  • CPU indicator

The CPU Indicator gadget displays the load on RAM (right) and processor (left) in real time. It has no additional settings. An Internet connection is not required for the widget to work.

  • Calendar

Options and use the “…” button to specify the desired folder.

Here you can adjust the speed of changing the picture and select one of the transition effects from one image to another.

By default, images follow each other in the order in which they are sorted in the folder. The sequence of changing images in the gadget can be changed to random by checking the “Images in random order” checkbox.

The Clock gadget can display the time in any time zone known to the Windows operating system. To make the Clock gadget display a time other than the default time selected in OS settings, right-click the widget and select Options. On the gadget settings page, select the desired time zone and click OK.

To display the time in multiple time zones on your desktop (like in Mission Control), launch the Clock gadget the required number of times and configure the desired time zone in each.

Also on the settings page, you can choose the appearance of the “Clock” gadget and even assign a name to the clock that will be displayed on the watch face.

Download gadgets for Windows 7

There are many sites on the Internet that offer gadget downloads. Since Windows 7 is a new operating system, as of this writing, many of the gadgets available for download are written for Windows Vista. Most of them work quite well under Windows 7, but their functionality may change. At the same time, gadgets written for Windows 7 may be incompatible with Vista.

When downloading gadgets from third-party developers, you should pay attention to the bit depth and availability. Gadgets created for 32-bit Windows 7 may not work in 64-bit Windows 7. Gadgets without a digital signature may not install or work correctly in Windows 7. In addition, unscrupulous publishers distribute viruses and other malware under the guise of gadgets. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you download gadgets only from trusted sites.

Windows 7 components


Gadgets (Widgets) are one of the most controversial features in a windowed OS. Some users install them and don’t even imagine how they can fully use their PC without their help. Others don’t even know what it is, and cope quite successfully. Are there gadgets for Windows 10, what are they and how to install them? We will discuss the answer to these questions in detail later in the article.

Why did widgets disappear from Windows 10?

With the arrival of first 8 and then the tenth version, this issue was resolved because Microsoft decided to completely remove the function from the system for some reasons:

  • As unnecessary. A big emphasis in the new systems has been on live tiles, which, in some ways, work the same way as widgets. They display useful information, update in real time, and look more relevant;
  • For security reasons. Here the developers, rather, said without any particular reason. Because it is hard to imagine that such a small component of the system as a widget can greatly influence security, and parts of its code can be used by attackers. Although this may have affected performance. You can check this by returning the functionality and .

Now gadgets for Windows 10 cannot be found on the official website.

However, there are no more widgets and the reasons are given. Most users simply agreed and started using tiles, but there are also those who do not want to deprive themselves of such a convenient opportunity and wondered how to install gadgets on Windows 10. For their sake, third-party developers have tried, creating software that copies the functionality of widgets as closely as possible and tells you how to install gadgets on your desktop in Windows 10.

How to install gadgets on the Windows 10 desktop using programs

8GadgetPack

  • Media center;
  • Movie Maker;
  • .NetFramework;
  • DirectX 9 versions and much more.

It is likely that, by rummaging around on the Internet, you can find other lesser-known solutions, but is this necessary, given that the ones described above allow you to return the functionality that was in 7 and even more.

If you are looking for ways to remove gadgets on Windows 10, then this is done by adding them to the OS.

We continue to make your Windows 7 system more beautiful and interesting. It's time to get acquainted with Windows 7 gadgets. From this article you will learn what Windows 7 gadgets are, where to download them and how to install gadgets for Windows 7.

What are Windows 7 gadgets

GadgetsWindows 7– small programs that appear on the desktop. As a rule, such programs perform a few simple operations (calculator, media player) or simply display information (processor load, time, weather). Another name for gadgets is widgets.

There are a large number of gadgets that perform various tasks. With their help, you can have many useful functions on your desktop and make working at the computer more convenient. Windows gadgets automatically launch when the system starts. Due to their simplicity, many gadgets consume few system resources.

You should not install too many gadgets. They slow down the system boot time (especially if you have a weak computer) and take up space on the desktop (it will be inconvenient to open shortcuts). But you won’t feel any inconvenience from installing several gadgets. So install gadgets, but without much fanaticism.

Where to download Windows 7 gadgets

As with Windows 7 themes, Windows 7 gadgets can be downloaded from the official Microsoft Windows website or other sources. But, unfortunately, with the release of Windows 8, gadgets can no longer be downloaded from the Microsoft Windows website.

So download gadgets from any site dedicated to this topic. There are a lot of them on the Internet. Just enter the query “Download gadgets for Windows 7” or “Windows 7 gadgets” into the search engine.

How to install the gadget

Let's assume that you find a gadget you like and download it. Open the folder where you downloaded the gadget. Click on the gadget 2 times with the left mouse button to start installing it on your computer.

A window will appear where you will need to confirm that you want to install the gadget. Click “Install”.

Now minimize all windows so that the desktop is visible. After some time, a new gadget will appear on it.

Gadgets install very quickly. Gadgets appear in the upper right corner of the screen. New gadgets will be located below the already installed ones.

Gadget management

If you hover your mouse over a gadget, several buttons will appear on the right side of the gadget.

A cross removes a gadget from the desktop, an arrow makes the gadget larger or smaller, and several dots allow you to move the gadget. Many gadgets have their own settings. Such gadgets will have a button with a wrench icon. Clicking on this icon will open the gadget settings.

Windows 7 has a special window for managing gadgets. Right-click on your desktop and select “Gadgets.”

A window will open in which you will see all the gadgets that are installed on your computer. Windows 7 comes pre-installed with some gadgets. Click on any gadget 2 times with the left mouse button and it will appear on the desktop.

When you close a gadget (by clicking on the cross), you do not delete it, but simply make it inactive and remove it from the desktop. You can always reactivate it in the gadget management window. Through the same panel, you can completely remove an unnecessary gadget from your computer.

Conclusion

Windows gadgets are quite interesting and convenient programs. With their help, you can listen to music and watch movies, monitor the weather and read the news. Installing gadgets for Windows 7 is easy and quick. Remember that you should not install too many gadgets, especially on weak computers.

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