Windows 7 Sidebar Gadgets
Windows 7 gadgets can be a lot more than a pretty interface for your clock or news feed. Several Windows 7 gadgets exist solely as monitoring tools that show constantly updated data about your system resources like CPU, memory, hard drive, and network usage.
- Turn On Sidebar Windows 10
- Sidebar Gadgets For Windows 10
- Windows 7 Sidebar
- Gadget Windows 7 Free Download
- Free Windows 7 Sidebar Gadgets
- Windows 7 Desktop Gadget Gallery
- Windows 7 Sidebar Gadgets For Xp
- Windows 7 Sidebar Gadgets Download
Below are the best free Windows 7 gadgets (they work in Windows Vista, too) that can be used to help keep track of system resources:
Use gadgets in Windows 10 / 8.1 / 7 About 8GadgetPack. 8GadgetPack makes it possible to use gadgets on Windows 10 / 8.1 / 7. How-to FAQ Version history. First you need to download the installer (the link is on the top right of this page) and open it. Windows Desktop Gadgets (called Windows Sidebar in Windows Vista) is a discontinued widget engine for Microsoft Gadgets. It was introduced with Windows Vista, in which it features a sidebar anchored to the side of the desktop. Its widgets can perform various tasks, such as displaying the time and date. Free Desktop Gadgets For Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7 and Vista. The Weather Channel Sidebar Gadget. Free Desktop Gadgets For Windows 7. Download Windows 7 Sidebar. User-friendly sidebar that comes bundled with various widgets (for playing your favorite media files, checking out the weather conditions and more), supports different. Windows 7 already does have gadgets by default, but this program gives you an easy way to install many high-quality gadgets. It can also bring the gadgets back in case they were disabled or uninstalled. In case you don't like 8GadgetPack you can uninstall it and still use the gadgets provided by Windows 7. Why is there a sidebar?
Need Help? See How to Install a Windows Gadget for help getting your gadget installed in Windows 7 or Vista.
Microsoft no longer supports Windows Gadget development so that they can focus on native apps for Windows 8 and Windows 10. However, all of the gadgets below are still available, do work with both Windows 7 and Windows Vista, and are completely free to download.
CPU Meter Gadget
What We Like
Turn On Sidebar Windows 10
Displays CPU info in one place.
Simple to use.
Free to download.
The CPU Meter Windows gadget for Windows 7 displays two dials - one that tracks your system's CPU usage (the one on the left) and another that tracks physical memory usage, both in percentage format.
If you like to keep track of how much memory and CPU is being used at any given time, give the CPU Meter gadget a try.
This is a pretty basic Windows 7 gadget in that there are no fancy options, but it does what it does well.
DriveInfo Gadget
What We Like
Provides useful information.
Takes up little screen space.
Provides shortcuts to drives.
What We Don't Like
Can't customize drive layout.
Only works on older versions of Windows.
The DriveInfo Windows 7 gadget monitors the free space available on one or more of your PC's hard drives. It displays the free space in both GB and percentage, and works with local, removable, network, and/or media drives.
If you frequently check the free space available on your hard drives, the DriveInfo gadget will definitely save you some time.
The DriveInfo gadget is very easy to configure and is an especially attractive addition to your other Windows gadgets. Plus, you can customize the background and the icon theme set.
The DriveInfo gadget is available as a free download from Softpedia for your Windows 7 desktop or Windows Vista Sidebar.
System Control A1 Gadget
What We Like
Displays data for up to 8 cores.
Easy to use.
Free to download.
What We Don't Like
Can't be configured.
Shows gadget uptime rather than system uptime.
The System Control A1 gadget is a fantastic resource monitor gadget for Windows 7. It tracks CPU load and memory usage over the last 30 seconds, and even tell you how long it's been since your computer was last shut off.
The best thing about the System Control A1 gadget is that it supports up to eight CPU cores, making it fully compatible with the latest multi-core CPUs. The interface is superb as well which helps balance out the fact that there are absolutely no user options.
The System Control A1 gadget is freely available from the gadget developer.
Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor Gadget
What We Like
Creative radar design.
Great sound effects.
Customize with several skins.
Free to download.
What We Don't Like
Takes up a large amount of screen space.
Distracting graphics.
The best thing about the Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor gadget for Windows 7 is that it looks cool. You can see available wireless network connections, verify wireless coverage, and lots more in a unique interface.
Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor packs a lot of useful information into a single gadget, maybe too much. For me, the Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor gadget seems a bit 'heavy' with the radar display running all the time and the huge Xirrus logo. Still, it's powerful gadget and you might find it really useful.
The Xirrus Wi-Fi Monitor gadget is a free download from Xirrus.
margu-NotebookInfo2 Gadget
What We Like
CPU data for up to 2 cores.
Displays multiple system information.
Highly customizable.
Lots of information in a small space.
What We Don't Like
Some system information is not monitored.
Buggy on Windows 7.
The margu-NotebookInfo2 Windows gadget has a funny name but it's serious about packing a lot of system monitoring into a single gadget.
With the margu-NotebookInfo2 gadget, you can track system uptime, CPU and RAM use, wireless network strength, battery level, and much more.
A lot can be customized in this gadget but the great thing is that you don't have to make those changes if you don't want to. For example, while it's useful to be able to change which wireless and wired interfaces are to display, and whether to use GHz or MHZ, you can also enable/disable the built-in clock and calendar.
margu-NotebookInfo2 is put together very well and should be an excellent addition to any Windows 7 or Windows Vista PC.
iPhone Battery Gadget
What We Like
Creative design.
Accurate battery reading.
Customizable with multiple skins.
What We Don't Like
Somewhat outdated design.
Difficult to configure.
The iPhone Battery Windows 7 gadget has to be one of the coolest gadgets around. The battery indicator is an excellent knock-off of the glowing battery level indicator on the iPhone, and looks great on a Windows desktop.
With the iPhone Battery gadget, you can also mimic an antique meter, a Duracell® battery, and a sphere battery, among other cool things.
If you're on a laptop or other portable Windows 7 device, the iPhone Battery gadget should definitely help you keep a closer eye on your available power.
The iPhone Battery gadget is free from Softpedia and installs on your Windows 7 desktop or Windows Vista Sidebar.
Network Meter Gadget
What We Like
Provides detailed network information.
Customize colors and size.
Streams live data.
Sidebar Gadgets For Windows 10
What We Don't Like
Doesn't show wired and wireless at once.
Can't monitor multiple IP addresses.
The Network Meter Windows 7 gadget provides all kinds of useful information about your wired or wireless network connection like current internal and external IP address, current upload and download speed, total bandwidth usage, SSID, signal quality, and more.
There are several useful configurations available with Network Meter including background color, bandwidth scaling, network interface card selection, and more.
If you're troubleshooting a local network issue or are always checking your external IP, the Network Meter gadget could be very useful.
The Network Meter gadget is a free download from AddGadget and installs on your Windows 7 desktop or Windows Vista Sidebar.
All CPU Meter Gadget
What We Like
Data for up to 24 CPUs.
Fast data updates.
2 minute graphs for historical data.
What We Don't Like
CPU temperature requires 3rd party app.
Can be buggy on Windows 10.
The All CPU Meter gadget keeps track of CPU usage and your used and available memory. What makes ALL CPU Meter stand out from the crowd is its support for as many as eight CPU cores!
There are only a few options but background color is one of them. That might seem like a small advantage, but if you're a regular user of Windows 7 gadgets, you know that making it fit with your desktop scheme is an important factor.
I also like the quick one second update time and well designed graph in All CPU Meter.
The All CPU Meter gadget is available for free from AddGadget for your Windows 7 desktop or Windows Vista Sidebar.
Memeter Gadget
What We Like
Simple, yet informative interface.
Customize color scheme.
Uses little system resources.
What We Don't Like
Can't resize the gadget.
Support for only 2 cores.
The Memeter Windows 7 gadget monitors all sorts of things about your CPU, RAM, and battery life. It's a great gadget to use to keep track of the major hardware resources currently being used by Windows.
If your memory, CPU, or battery usage is something you need (or like) to watch, the Memeter gadget will really come in handy.
The only thing you can customize is the theme color to make it yellow, purple, cyan, black, etc.
The Memeter gadget is also freely available from Softpedia.
GPU Observer Gadget
What We Like
Simple display.
Many GPU cards supported.
No 3rd party software required.
What We Don't Like
Can't resize app.
Shows only one card at a time.
The GPU Observer gadget for Windows 7 gives you a constant look at your video card's temperature, fan speed, and more.
GPU Observer shows the GPU temperature and, if reported by your card, the PCB temperature, fan speed, GPU load, VPU load, memory load, and system clocks.
Most NVIDIA and ATI desktop cards are supported by GPU Observer, plus some NVIDIA mobile cards. No Intel, S3, or Matrox GPUs are supported.
Multiple cards are supported but not simultaneously. You'll have to choose which video card you'd like stats displayed for in the GPU Observer options.
If keeping tabs on your GPU is important, as it is to most serious gamers, then you'll love GPU Observer.
CPU Meter III Gadget
What We Like
Very simple and clean gadget.
Red values alert you to potential problems.
CPU, HDD, and RAM stats in single window.
What We Don't Like
Limited functionality.
Very basic gadget.
CPU Meter III is, you guessed it, a CPU resource meter gadget for Windows 7. In addition to tracking CPU usage, CPU Meter III also tracks memory usage.
There's nothing that special about CPU Meter III - it only tracks one CPU and the meter display isn't quite as polished as other similar gadgets.
However, there is one redeeming feature - it's responsive. Very responsive! It appears to be live and not a one or two-second update like other gadgets. This, we love.
The other thing we like is how big the gadget is. Some CPU meter gadgets are so small it's hard to see what's going on.
Definitely try CPU Meter III out. We think you'll like it.
Drive Activity Gadget
What We Like
Lots of information in a small space.
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Useful realtime graphs.
Ejects removable drives.
What We Don't Like
Requires 3rd party app for drive temperature.
Manual switch between physical and logical drives.
The Drive Activity gadget for Windows 7 graphs the workload of your hard drives. Seeing how hard your hard disks are working could be useful in determining where you might have performance issues.
There are a few options in the Drive Activity gadget - you can choose the type of graph to display (polygon or lines) and also which of your hard drives to include in the display (you can choose more than one).
My biggest issue with this Windows gadget is the inability to change colors. Blue on black is unlikely to satisfy many users.. personally, we find it hard to see.
The Drive Activity gadget is a free download from Sascha Katzner.
AlertCon Gadget
What We Like
Free to use.
Provides live limit warnings.
Displays site security levels.
What We Don't Like
Updates are only 60 minutes.
Hasn't been updated in many years.
The AlertCon gadget is a unique one. AlertCon provides a visual representation of the current state of security across the internet. Large scale issues like fast spreading malware and major security holes would prompt an increase in the threat level.
IBM's Internet Security Systems group operates the AlertCon system.
If you'd like a DEFCON-style representation of internet-wide issues right on your desktop, the AlertCon gadget fits the bill. Just don't expect it to swing up and down regularly - the internet as a whole isn't typically under serious threats.
Windows 7 Sidebar
The AlertCon gadget is a free download from Softpedia and installs on your Windows 7 desktop or Windows Vista Sidebar.
This gadget installed fine the last time we tried but it did not display anything. It's left here for you to try because you might have better luck.
Windows Vista's sidebar, showing analog clock, picture slideshow, and current weather of Redmond, WA. | |
| Developer(s) | Microsoft |
|---|---|
| Included with | |
| Replaces | Active Desktop |
| Replaced by | Start screen in Windows 8 |
| Type | Desktop widget engine |
Windows Desktop Gadgets (called Windows Sidebar in Windows Vista) is a discontinued widget engine for Microsoft Gadgets. It was introduced with Windows Vista, in which it features a sidebar anchored to the side of the desktop. Its widgets can perform various tasks, such as displaying the time and date. In Windows Vista, the widgets are restricted to a sidebar but in Windows 7, they can be freely moved anywhere on the desktop.
Windows Desktop Gadgets was discontinued in Windows 8. The Windows 8 Live Tiles can perform a similar function, but they are only visible when the Start menu is visible. They run in a more restrictive environment, making them less risky, but also less useful for some purposes, like system monitoring.
History[edit]
Gadget Windows 7 Free Download
Windows Sidebar originated in a Microsoft Research project called Sideshow (not to be confused with Windows SideShow.) It was developed in the summer of 2000, and was used internally at Microsoft.[1] It included a clock, traffic reports, and IM integration.
Windows Sidebar appeared in build 3683 of Windows Vista circa September 2002 and was originally intended to replace the notification area and Quick Launch toolbar in Windows, but these plans were scrapped after the development reset in mid-2004.[2] Windows Sidebar was rebuilt and began to appear in Windows Vista builds in the second half of 2005. Some reviewers and Macintosh enthusiasts have pointed out the Sidebar's similarities in form and function to Konfabulator (now Yahoo! Widget Engine), which appeared several years previously, and the Dashboard widget engine first included with Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X v10.4, which had been released a few months earlier.
In Windows 7, Windows Sidebar was renamed Windows Desktop Gadgets, and the sidebar itself is not included in Windows 7.
Windows Desktop Gadgets was included in all beta releases of Windows 8 but did not make it to the final release. Instead, on 10 July 2012 (which is in the intervening time between the last beta of Windows 8 and its final release), Microsoft issued security advisory to disable Sidebar and Desktop Gadgets on Windows Vista and 7 because of a security vulnerability that could allow remote code execution.[3]
Free Windows 7 Sidebar Gadgets
Overview[edit]
Windows Desktop Gadgets is a feature of Windows Vista and Windows 7 (excluding the Windows Server family of the operating system). It hosts mini-applications or 'gadgets' which are a combination of scripts and HTML code. Their use cases include displaying system time, downloading and displaying RSS feeds, or controlling other software such as Windows Media Player. In Windows Vista, gadgets can run 'docked' in the sidebar. In Windows 7, they can 'float' anywhere on the desktop. It is also possible to run multiple instances of a gadget simultaneously. Windows Vista and 7 sidebar also works on Windows XP.[4]
Windows Vista ships with eleven gadgets: Calendar, Clock, Contacts, CPU Meter, Currency Conversion, Feed Headlines, Notes, Picture Puzzle, Slide Show, Stocks, and Weather. Several other gadgets available during the Vista beta such as App Launcher, Feed Viewer, Number Puzzle, Recycle Bin and Egg Timer never made it to the final release of Windows Vista. Windows 7 adds a Media Center gadget and removes the Contacts, Notes and Stocks gadgets.
Originally, Microsoft provided a link to a web site called Windows Live Gallery where additional Sidebar gadgets that have been created by third-party developers could be downloaded. The site was officially retired on October 1, 2011.[5][6]
See also[edit]
- Windows SideShow for Device Gadgets
References[edit]
- ^'A Brief History of Windows Desktop Gadgets'. Microsoft. September 15, 2005. Archived from the original on 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2007-06-03.
- ^Thurrott, Paul (2002-11-13). ''Longhorn' Alpha Preview'. Windows SuperSite. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^Microsoft Security Advisory (2719662): Vulnerabilities in Gadgets Could Allow Remote Code Execution. Technet.microsoft.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-21.
- ^'Windows Sidebar'. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 2008-09-18.
- ^Looking for gadgets?
- ^'Desktop Gadgets'. Microsoft. Retrieved 2013-04-23.
Further reading[edit]
Windows 7 Desktop Gadget Gallery
- Gralla, Preston (2007). '2: Hacking the Interface: by John Moscarillo'. Big Book of Windows Hacks. O'Reilly Media. ISBN978-0-596-55913-7.
- Shaktov, Mickey; Kohlenberg, Toby (14 July 2012). 'We have you by the gadgets: A Security Analysis of the Microsoft Windows Sidebar Gadget Platform'(PDF). Black Hat. UBM.
External links[edit]
Windows 7 Sidebar Gadgets For Xp
- Gadget Corner — official Windows Sidebar and Microsoft Gadgets team blog
- Windows Sidebar Reference on MSDN