With the release of new versions of Windows OS, many functions of the "seven" were undeservedly forgotten by users. Among these forgotten features are desktop gadgets.
Gadgets are special gadgets for the desktop in Windows 7. Their compactness allows you to place a large number of functions right on the main computer screen. They are used to quickly access certain functions, monitor system status, improve the appearance of the main screen, etc.
Adding gadgets is available even for novice users, their installation and configuration will not be difficult. Below we will analyze in more detail the features of launching and personalizing these program elements for a specific user.
First of all, the convenience of this tool is that it is actually always at hand at the user. You can open and install all gadgets available in the system as follows:
- To see all the elements available for adding, you just need to call the context menu with the right mouse button on an empty area of \u200b\u200bthe desktop. Here, among all the items, select "Gadgets".
- To install any gadget, right-click on it and select "Add".
On a note! The system will open a window with a set of gadgets currently installed on the computer. You can find and download new ones here using the corresponding function below.
- The selected gadget will appear on your desktop in the place where you clicked at the beginning.
- In the future, it can be dragged to any area of \u200b\u200bthe screen.
- You can also open a collection of gadgets by finding it in the list of programs in the main menu "Start".
- You can remove the gadget from the desktop just by clicking the "cross" in the upper right corner of the element itself.
On a note! In order to completely remove an unwanted gadget from your computer, without the possibility of re-placing it on the desktop, you need to reopen the collection of gadgets, and by right-clicking, select "Delete".
How to download additional gadgets
You can download and add new gadgets in addition to the preinstalled ones from various sources - or using the official gadgets store from Microsoft.
In order to download an item from the official gadget store from Microsoft, you need:
Further, the algorithm is as follows:
Read also useful and interesting information with two simple ways, in the article -
Customization and other manipulations with gadgets
Each gadget has its own set of settings for personalizing the display or setting functions, which can be opened by clicking the "Options" icon (images of a wrench) under the button to close the gadget.
However, there are also general basic settings for its position and display directly on the desktop. You can call this setup menu by right-clicking on the gadget already installed on the desktop.
Here you can:
An example of configuring custom parameters for a gadget that displays system status and performance.
Disable all gadgets on the computer
In some situations, gadgets can be dangerous to the computer, because they have vulnerabilities when connecting to the Internet and working in other types of networks.
If the user has concerns about the quality of protection of his device, the use of gadgets should be stopped, and the elements themselves should be completely deactivated to exclude threats.
In order to completely disable the use of any gadgets by the computer, you must:
- Call, using the combination "Win (OS icon) + R", the line "Run", and write "gpedit.msc" in it.
- A special window for editing group policy will open. Here we open the category "Administrative Templates", in it - "Windows Components". Choose Desktop Gadgets from all standard software components.
- A mini-window will open to configure various features and gadget access. Double-click the Disable Desktop Gadgets option.
- The system will launch another window in which you can activate this parameter by selecting the "Enable" item and clicking "OK". After that, installation and use of desktop gadgets will not be possible.
Recovering deleted gadgets
In other cases, it may be necessary to restore an accidentally or intentionally deleted gadget.
You can recover a lost gadget in this way:
Video - How to Install, Remove or Disable Gadgets in Windows 7
With the development of computer technologies and the emergence of new operating systems, developers began to come up with a large number of different programs and elements for them. The purpose of these programs and elements is to improve the quality and user experience of operating systems. Gadgets are a kind of small programs, the purpose of which depends on the characteristics of each individual gadget. Gadgets are mostly installed as programs and are displayed on the desktop anywhere or wherever the user wants. Many gadgets perform useful functions, such as showing the processor load, the used RAM, and displaying information from the Internet. There are also entertaining gadgets in the form of mini games and much more. You can download gadgets for windows from us, and for free and without registration on your desktop.
Gadgets are diverse in topics and functions, each gadget has a lot of settings that allow you to customize the gadget, as it is more convenient for you. We have collected a fairly large number of gadgets for Windows, which you can select and download, and completely free of charge, without registration and all sorts of stupid SMS and file sharing. Gadgets for Windows will give your desktop good functionality and a beautiful, stylish look. Gadgets are customizable in design and display, allowing them to be tailored to suit your chosen Windows theme or desktop background. In order for the gadgets to harmoniously fit into the interior of the monitor, we advise you to also download with them
28.12.2009 03:49
Gadgets (gadgets) 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, at least one browser must be installed on the system. The pre-installed (standard) gadgets of Windows 7 require Internet Explorer to work. Some gadgets (for example, "Weather") require an Internet connection, other gadgets can work autonomously (for example, "Clock").
The gadget installation file is a regular zip archive with the extension .gadget... For the gadget to appear on the desktop, it must be installed and running.
To install the gadget, double-click on the gadget installation package. This will add the gadget to your gadgets collection, from where you can add it to your desktop.
The Desktop Gadgets Collection is a panel that displays all installed gadgets. The operation of this panel is provided by the application sidebar.exelocated in the folder % ProgramFiles% \\ Windows Sidebar.
To open the Desktop Gadgets Gallery, right-click on the desktop and from the context menu that appears, select Gadgets.
Adding gadgets to the desktop
2. Double click on one of the offered gadgets.
Gadget menu
When you hover 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 on the screen), The size, Moving.
Removing a gadget
1. To remove a gadget from the collection, right-click on the desktop and select Gadgets.
2. Right-click the gadget you want to uninstall and select Delete.
After that, the gadget will not be available in the Gadgets 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 recover a deleted third-party gadget, simply install it again.
Enabling and disabling the Gadgets feature
By default, Windows 7 gadgets are enabled. You can disable the installation, viewing, and adding of gadgets to the desktop by using Windows Components in Control Panel and using Local Group Policy Editor (Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, and Windows 7 Enterprise only).
Turning gadgets on and off using the control panel
1. Open Control Panel (Large Icons View)\u003e Programs and Features.
2. In the left menu select Turn Windows features on or off.
3. To turn off the Gadgets function, uncheck the Windows Gadgets Platform... To enable Gadgets, select this check box.
4. Restart your computer.
Enabling and disabling gadgets using the Local Group Policy Editor
1. Open the Start menu, type in the search bar and press Enter.
2. Take the desired action:
- To disable the gadgets feature for your account, in the left menu of the Local Group Policy Editor, open Local Computer Policy\u003e User Configuration\u003e Administrative Templates\u003e Windows Components\u003e Desktop Gadgets .
- To disable the "gadgets" function for all computer users, in the left menu of the local group policy editor, open Local Computer Policy\u003e Computer Configuration\u003e Administrative Templates\u003e Windows Components\u003e Desktop Gadgets, on the right side of the Local Group Policy Editor window, double-click the setting Disable Desktop Gadgets.
3. Select Enable and press OK.
If enabled, desktop gadgets are disabled. If disabled or not configured, desktop gadgets will be enabled.
4. Restart your computer.
Building your own Windows gadgets
If you are familiar with programming languages \u200b\u200bsuch as HTML and JavaScript, and CSS cascading style sheets, then you can check out Donavan West's Guide to Building Windows Gadgets. The manual has been translated into Russian. While this guide focuses on creating gadgets for Windows Vista, it covers the general principles of building gadgets 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 to each other, 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 in the context menu that appears, select Over the rest of the windows.
3. To hide all active gadgets, right-click on the Windows 7 desktop, select View and uncheck Display desktop gadgets... To display the gadgets again, select this check box.
4. Press Windows Key + G to bring all active gadgets to the front.
5. To adjust the transparency of the gadget, right-click on it and set the opacity.
Preinstalled Windows 7 gadgets
Windows 7 contains nine preinstalled gadgets (gadgets):
Windows Media Center
This gadget is a handy, customizable Windows Media Center launcher.
Currency
If you have an Internet connection, the Currency gadget displays the value of the currencies selected by the user, according to the data of MSN Money providers. In total, the gadget can display from 2 to 4 currencies. This gadget requires an internet connection to work.
To add currency, click + in the lower right corner of the gadget. To remove currency, move the mouse pointer over it and click the red cross in the upper right corner.
To change currency, click its name and select the required currency in the list that appears.
Puzzle
The Puzzle Gadget is a puzzle game. Internet connection is not required for the gadget to work.
To view the picture you want to collect, click the "?" at the top of the gadget.
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 on the gadget and select Options.
Web feed news headlines
This gadget allows you to view news headlines in web feeds (RSS feeds) without launching your browser (internet connection is required, however). The gadget displays news only for those sites whose RSS feeds are added to the Internet Explorer browser. To view or change the list of RSS feeds, open Internet Explorer\u003e Favorites\u003e Channels Tab.
Any RSS feed you add to Internet Explorer will be available for display in the Feed News Headers gadget. For example, you can add our feed so you 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.
3. Click Subscribe to this channel.
CPU indicator
The gadget "CPU Indicator" displays the load of the RAM (right) and processor (left) in real time. It has no additional settings. Internet connection is not required for the widget to work.
The calendar
Parameters and using the "..." button specify the required 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 box "Images in random order".
The Clock gadget can display the time in any time zone known to the Windows operating system. To have the Clock gadget display a time other than the default time 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 on the desktop in several time zones (as in the flight control center), launch the Clock gadget as many times as necessary and set the required time zone in each.
Also on the settings page, you can choose the appearance of the "Clock" gadget and even give the watch a name that will be displayed on the dial.
Download gadgets for Windows 7
There are many sites on the Internet offering gadget downloads. Since Windows 7 is a new operating system, at the time of this writing, many of the gadgets available for download are written for Windows Vista. Most of them work fine under Windows 7, however, their functionality may change. At the same time, gadgets written for Windows 7 may be incompatible with Vista.
When downloading third-party gadgets, you should pay attention to the bit depth and availability. Gadgets designed for 32-bit Windows 7 may not work in 64-bit Windows 7. Gadgets without a digital signature may fail to install or work incorrectly in Windows 7. In addition, unscrupulous publishers distribute viruses and other malware under the guise of gadgets. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you only download gadgets from trusted sites.
Windows 7 components
For newer versions of Windows, small programs have become available that can display any information directly on the computer desktop. Such a program is called a "gadget", sometimes the word "widget" appears. They originated in Windows Vista, but users fell in love with them so much that they eventually migrated to XP. With their help, you can significantly facilitate the use of a PC. For example, place a convenient clock or display the latest news anywhere on your desktop.
However, it is impossible to use gadgets in the official assembly of the system without additional programs. Therefore, special applications have been invented that allow you to install them from newer systems.
How to start them
For gadgets to work on Windows XP, you need to download special programs. They are needed to install the so-called sidebar on the system. There are various applications, but only two of them are worth considering.
WinSidebar
The Windows Sidebar application is a gadget bar ported from Windows 7. To use this program, you need to download and install it, following the instructions of the installer. After launch, you may need to install additional software in the form of Net.Framework 2.0 or higher.
The application may not create a shortcut on the Desktop, so you need to find where it was installed (as a rule, you can find the folder with it in Program Files) and run the sidebar.exe file. And after that, a panel will immediately appear on the side of the Desktop, on which the gadgets available in the program will be located. They can be removed from the sidebar and positioned as desired.
The base program has its own set of widgets ported from Windows 7. To install new gadgets, you have to do a few manipulations:
- Download any widget you like for Windows 7 (almost all of them are compatible with WinSidebar). As a rule, an archive is downloaded, in which there will be several files - auxiliary and the gadget itself (has the * .gadget extension).
- The file with the * .gadget extension must be zipped in * .zip. To do this, right-click on the file, select the "Compressed ZIP folder" item in the "Send" drop-down menu.
- The resulting folder "GadgetName" should be renamed to "GadgetName.Gadget".
- After that, you need to go to the Windows Sidebar location, find the Gadgets folder there and copy the resulting ZIP file there.
- After that, the widget is available for use in the WinSidebar.
Unfortunately, this app also has its drawbacks. Gadgets installed in Windows XP using it cannot be scaled. They will have a strictly fixed size. Another drawback is that not all new widgets can be installed this way. They just won't work.
xWidget
A more modern alternative to Windows Sidebar that does away with its shortcomings. Actively developed to this day, it is capable of supporting all versions of Windows starting from XP.
It is downloaded and installed in the same way as its predecessor. The only thing is that you should be careful not to miss the offer to install third-party software. It is necessary to refuse this - it does not bring any benefit, but the computer can slow down.
As soon as the program is installed, three random gadgets from those available by default will be displayed on the Desktop. Differences with Windows Sidebar are immediately noticeable:
- Presence of settings. You can change the exact positioning on the screen by coordinates, transparency and clickability of gadgets.
- Scaling. Strictly graded, but it is there. A total of ten variations are available - from 10 to 100% of the original size.
- Widget editor. A nice bonus that will allow you to customize gadgets for yourself or even create completely new ones.
You need to download gadgets for use with this program from xwidget.com. They are installed as follows:
- Unpack the downloaded archive. From it you need to extract and run the file of the gadget itself.
- Then in the tray (the place where the application icons are located on the taskbar, next to the clock), you need to find the xWidget icon and right-click on it.
- Click on "Manage Widgets", then on the "All" tab.
Find the downloaded gadget and double-click on it. After that, the widget is installed in Windows XP and you can safely use it.
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