Sidebar for Windows XP
In the slightly outdated, but still peppy and beloved by many Windows XP, gadgets can also be used, albeit in a somewhat limited version. The limitation refers to the impossibility of using scaling gadgets that have similar functionality. For many, this does not become too weighty an argument, if you are one of them, then this manual is for you.
Installing the Windows Sidebar
To start working with gadgets in Windows XP, first of all, you need to install a special software module Windows Sidebarported from the "seven". In fact, this is the same gadget panel with some addition in the form of a sidebar. So, first of all, you need to download the Windows Sidebar distribution. After downloading, run and, if we receive a message about the need to install .Net Framework 2.0+, then you will additionally have to download and install this package, select the desired file depending on the bitness of your OS version. The procedure for installing Sidebar is extremely simple, you have to click the “Next” button that everyone loves a couple of times. Ready? Let's go further.
Gadget Dashboard - Getting Started
The module is most likely installed along the path " C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar”, go into this folder and look for the panel launcher file called sidebar . We launch it and on the Windows XP desktop a sidebar appears on the right with a standard set of pre-installed gadgets, in the tray we can notice a well-recognized icon called " Windows Sidebar". If you right-click on it, a context menu with settings will open, and the item " Add mini apps..."will open access to a familiar panel with all available gadgets. The same effect can be achieved by clicking on the plus button at the top of the sidebar.
Managing a collection of gadgets with this method is no different from working in Windows 7, you can drag, delete, go into the settings of each of them. The sidebar is easily hidden using the context menu that appears when you right-click at the top of the sidebar itself, and the item "Close sidebar". For most users of the "seven", of course, the free positioning of gadgets on the Windows Desktop is more familiar, not limited to a vertical column.
Installing new gadgets
By analogy with the reference material about Windows 8, we cannot but talk about the procedure for adding new gadgets. In this case, the process is somewhat complicated by adding manual actions. So, go to and download two random gadgets, let them be - VAtch and Yandex Weather. Each of them is a zip archive with auxiliary files and the gadget file itself, recognizable by the *.gadget extension. Let's take a look at adding a new gadget to Windows XP point by point using the Vatch gadget as an example:
- Rename the VAtch.gadget file to VAtch.zip
- Unpack the resulting archive, get the Vatch folder
- Rename the VAtch folder to VAtch.Gadget
- We go to " C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets» and copy VAtch.Gadget here
- Opening the Widget Collection using the tray icon
- On the second page, the Vatch gadget became available for use
- We do the same with the second test subject, then drag both of them to the Desktop. Checking everything is ok!
Last fly in the ointment
It should be noted that this way of working with gadgets in Windows XP has its drawbacks. Firstly, this is the unfortunate lack of a zoom button on each of the gadgets, and secondly, as many people say, not all new widgets are able to work with the ported panel. During testing, we did not notice this, but there are too many comments on this subject in Runet. In the end, Windows XP has already become obsolete for the last 1-2 years, now it has caught up in popularity with Windows 8 and is gradually slowing down, so the hour is not even when this manual is no longer needed. We are all for! If our users have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments, we will deal with the problems that have arisen together.
A simple and pleasant alternative
We recommend our guests, and especially owners of Windows XP and 8-ki, to work with gadgets xWidget program. It supports all versions of Windows, is devoid of many of the problems of the standard version, and is being actively developed not only thanks to developers, but also to third-party users. For this tool, a separate category has been created on the site, in which the most interesting widgets are published.
Sidebar - sidebar, was a nice innovation in the OS Windows Vista. However, it practically did not have any functionality, but it was a platform for placing miniature applications - gadgets.
Today, there are several options for sidebars that can be added to newer versions of Windows. These panels are developed by enthusiastic developers.
In my opinion, the best, most interesting and functional of all solutions is the 7 Sidebar program.
This sidebar has a small size, an interface that has been translated into several languages, including Russian, and, what is very important, is available for free.
It is noteworthy that the 7 Sidebar installation file for Windows 7 has the .gadget extension, that is, the module is represented by a simple gadget, so its installation is very simple. After downloading, you only need to double-click on the 7 Sidebar icon and click "install" in the window that appears.
After that, the sidebar for Windows 7 will be launched automatically.
And if suddenly you don’t like the panel, then removing it is also not difficult. Open the desktop menu, select the "gadgets" section and in the window that appears, delete this item:
7 Sidebar can do everything that the sidebar in Windows Vista could do, but unlike it, it has a lot of settings.
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