Windows 7 - gadgets disappeared

I'm using the weather gadget on my desktop, and today out of the blue it disappeared! but not completely, there's a (i) icon there and you can see the close button (X) when you move the mouse over it...

How can I get it back?

WTF

Alex

Posted 2011-04-18T14:47:46.567

Reputation: 951

Have you tried removing and re-adding the gadget? – ephilip – 2011-04-18T14:50:18.450

yes... like 20 times :( – Alex – 2011-04-18T14:53:31.727

Is it limited to just the weather gadget or do they all do this? – Supercereal – 2011-04-18T14:54:20.633

all of them besides that kaspersky widget.. which I don't know what it does because I don't use it, but it seems it's the only one that shows up – Alex – 2011-04-18T14:55:25.000

hmmm... the Kaspersky gadget could have something to do with this... http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/140358-gadgets-not-displaying-correctly-windows-7-fix.html?ltr=G

– Supercereal – 2011-04-18T14:58:43.653

This actually sounds exactly like what is happening to you... however it happened after uninstalling:http://www.sevenforums.com/gadgets/152293-weather-desktop-gadget-problem.html

– Supercereal – 2011-04-18T14:59:56.163

@Alex No Problem :D – Supercereal – 2011-04-18T15:05:53.550

Answers

Try going to control panel in category view (in the top right you can set the view). Click on appearance and personalization once under the category select: "restore desktop gadgets installed with Windows". This seems like the easiest option for fixing this.

This fix seems to have worked, all credit to Shawn on the Windows 7 forums.

1. Open a elevated command prompt (right click - Run as administrator)

2. In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste each command below and press Enter one at a time. After each time your press Enter, you will need to click on OK before doing the next command.

    taskkill /im sidebar.exe /f
    regsvr32 msxml3.dll
    regsvr32 scrrun.dll
    regsvr32 jscript.dll
    regsvr32 atl.dll
    Regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\sbdrop.dll"
    Regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\wlsrvc.dll"
    Code:

    reg delete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones" /f

    NOTE: This command will reset the security zones in Internet Explorer back to the default settings.
    "C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe"
    NOTE: If your Windows 7 is not displayed as the C: drive in Computer, then substitute C: in the command above with your drive letter instead.

3. Restart the computer to apply.

4. Check to see if the gadgets on your desktop are displaying correctly now. If not, then try uninstalling and reinstalling the still bad gadget, or do a System Restore using a restore point dated before the problem.

Supercereal

Posted 2011-04-18T14:47:46.567

Reputation: 8 643

tx, I opened this and they showed up: http://www.sevenforums.com/attachments/tutorials/142609d1299668768-gadgets-not-displaying-correctly-windows-7-fix-reset_gadgets.bat

– Alex – 2011-04-18T15:04:48.313

The above is a BAT file that does the same thing... Just an FYI for everybody. – Supercereal – 2011-04-18T15:07:44.143

-1

Several times when I've lost my gadgets I use the desktop context menu View -> Show Desktop Gadgets two times, uncheck it and then check it again. After a startup pause they all come back.

Mark

Posted 2011-04-18T14:47:46.567

Reputation: 1

This does not provide an answer to the question. To critique or request clarification from an author, leave a comment below their post - you can always comment on your own posts, and once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post.

– Ramhound – 2015-07-17T14:28:10.130