FAQ

  • Is it free?
    Yes, completely
  • I didn't really use gadgets previously. Is it really worth installing these?
    You should try it. The gadgets included are really useful when working with the PC. Unlike Metro-Apps gadgets can access useful system-information. The included Clipboard-Manager gadget for example will highly improve your productivity. With the Sidebar gadget, you can make the gadgets visible while working with maximized windows. Monitoring network traffic, setting the volume with one click and having an analog clock visible all the time are things you don't want to give up once you get used to it.
  • Windows updated and automatically uninstalled GadgetPack!
    Look for a shortcut "Restore gadgets" on the desktop. Open it to reenable gadgets. If there is no shortcut, right-click on the desktop and select Gadgets. Alternatively just reinstall the current version and everything should work. Windows might say that GadgetPack is not compatible with the current version of Windows anymore, but you can disregard that message (I do not know how to disable that message). If it keeps appearing, you might need to disable the Program Compatibility Assistant. To do so, press Win+R, type Services.msc in the search box. When the services utility opens scroll down the list of services and double click the "Program Compatibility Assistant" service and select "Start up type" and choose "disabled" to stop it.
  • Win+G on Windows is assigned to the game bar. Can I use the keyboard to access the gadgets?
    Yes! Press Win+Shift+G to show the gadgets and to switch between them. Use Tab to switch between gadgets that are docked to a sidebar. Open GadgetPack Tools if you would like to use Win+G and override the gamebar hotkey.
  • Is this English-Only?
    The installer and website are available only in English, but many of the gadgets have many localizations.
  • The connected WIFI doesn't show up in Network Gadgets. How to fix this?
    On Windows 11 24H2 and later versions, you need to grant Location permission in Windows Settings so that gadgets get access to the connected WIFI information (I know it's stupid). Here is how to do this:
    - Open Settings.
    - Go to Privacy & Security > Location.
    - Toggle Location services to On.
    - Scroll down to Let apps access your location, and ensure this is also set to On.
    - Restart gadgets.
  • Some gadgets look blurry, especially on screens with high resolutions. How to fix this?
    Most gadgets that are included with GadgetPack should not have this issue (because I adjusted them). Some gadgets however do not automatically scale with the DPI settings, and are automatically scaled by GadgetPack. You can try to fix those gadgets yourself if you know JavaScript (google for <autoscaleDPI>true</autoscaleDPI> and look into the code of gadgets that support high dpi).
  • Can I adjust the size of the gadgets?
    Open GadgetPack Tools and use the scale option there or configure a custom scaling by using the registry files found in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\8GadgetPack".
  • What are the requirements?
    This works on 64-bit versions of Windows 7 / 8.1 / 10 / 11. Administrative rights are required to install.
  • Does it work on Windows 7?
    Yes! 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 GadgetPack you can uninstall it and still use the gadgets provided by Windows 7.
  • Why is there a sidebar? Windows 7 didn't have one.
    This is actually just a gadget to help you keeping the gadgets organized and visible. You can right-click on it and select "close sidebar" to do so. Even with the sidebar open the gadgets can still be moved onto the desktop as you like. Or you can even add more sidebars by adding the gadget "7 Sidebar". This is especially useful when working with multiple monitors. You can also make the sidebar appear automatically when touching the border and customize its design. Right-click on it and select options to do so.
  • Will GadgetPack install some crap on my PC?
    No, the installer will only install the original Microsoft files and set the neccessary registry entries to make the gadgets work again. The only addition is a tool (GadgetPack Tools) which fixes several bugs and allows you to change various settings. There is also an uninstaller included which removes everything the installer added. I could make quite some money by adding adware to the installer, but I'm sure you appreciate it that this installer is clean.
  • Aren't gadgets unsafe? Afterall, didn't Microsoft remove them for a reason?
    Gadgets can contain viruses like any other software. Despite the warning when installing a gadget people seemed to think that it is safe to run any gadget (e.g. like it is to view a website). That is not the case. Opening a gadget is as dangerous as it is to run an .exe file. But this is not a security hole. If an attacker wanted to access your computer, he'd need to convince you to open his prepared .gadget file. As long as you trust the source of the gadgets you install and you use anti-virus software you should be safe.
    Quote from Microsofts official statement to this: "How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability? An attacker would have to convince a user to install and enable a vulnerable Gadget." (source)
  • Will I be able to install gadgets other than the ones included?
    Yes, when GadgetPack is installed you can open and install .gadget files made for Windows Vista or Windows 7. But be careful, gadgets can contain, just like other programs, viruses or trojans.
  • Will all gadgets work that worked on Windows 7?
    No, some gadgets don't work or are unreliable on Windows 8 / 10 / 11. This is mostly because of Internet Explorer 11 which the gadgets internally rely on. GadgetPack already uses some tricks to workaround some problems but if you have issues with a gadget you better contact the author of the gadget and ask him to fix it. There are also some gadgets that work on Windows 7 / 8, but not on 10, most notably Network monitoring gadgets (but the ones in GadgetPack all work).
  • I already installed an older version of GadgetPack / 8GadgetPack. What do I have to do to upgrade?
    Simply download the current installer and run it. It will update your installation and even update outdated gadgets automatically. You don't have to uninstall first. All gadget settings should remain.
  • There appears some error message in the installer.
    First, try to download the installer again and check if the error still appears.
    Try to download and run this removal tool. It is a small program I made that can remove broken installations, and also removes all gadgets and gadget settings.
    If it's still not working, do the following to create a log file during installation: Press Win+R. Type in cmd and press Enter. Navigate with cd to the folder where you downloaded the installer. Start the installer with: msiexec /i GadgetPackSetup.msi /l*v install.log
    Then contact me with the log and don't forget to mention the error message.
  • The uninstaller doesn't work!
    Please download and start this removal tool to fix this. (Also check the question above)
  • Some error message appears when I try to open gadgets!
    Some gadgets require the .NET Framework to be installed. Try this: Press Win+X, select control panel, search for "Turn Windows features on or off" and select everything with ".NET" in its name. Press OK.
  • For some monitoring gadget, I get a WMI error!
    Please follow these instructions.
  • I am running AVG anti-virus and gadgets don't start or there appear errors!
    The Identity protection sometimes blocks this software without even notifying. You can verify that GadgetPack doesn't contain any viruses on VirusTotal and then follow these steps to add an exception for GadgetPack:
    1. Double-click on the AVG anti-virus tray icon in the bottom right area.
    2. Select "Options", then "Advanced settings...".
    3. Select "Exceptions"
    4. Click on the "Add Exception" button.
    5. Click the "Exception Type" drop-down menu and select "Application or File".
    6. Copy and paste the following text into the textbox and press "OK".
        C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\8GadgetPack.exe
    7. Repeat the steps 4-6 with the following texts:
        C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe
        C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\8GadgetPack.exe
        C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe
    8. Click "OK" to apply the new setting. Click "Yes" if Windows asks permission to save the change.
    (Note: The entries for the x86 version are neccessary even if you only use the 64-bit version.)
  • A gadget doesn't seem to be working. What can I do?
    The best choice is to contact the author of the gadget. I fixed some bugs in the gadgets that are included in GadgetPack, but I do not have the time to do this for all the gadgets out there.
  • Is there a way to do a silent install?
    Yes. First download the installer and save it under C:. Open a Command Promt as Admin (Right-click on the startbutton and select it). Then type the following:
    msiexec.exe /i "C:\GadgetPackSetup.msi" /qn /norestart
    You can close the Command Promt then. After a while the gadgets option will appear in the desktop right-click menu.
    The installer will allow every user on the computer to use gadgets, but the gadgets are not actually shown for a user until they are selected from the desktop context-menu.
  • I have a gadget that requires the 32-bit version of the sidebar. What do I do?
    Gadgets that require 32-bit are no longer supported. Previous versions however still supported this. You can install Version v37.0 from here. It will install both 32 and 64-bit version of sidebar.exe on 64-bit Windows. You simply need to run C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe to run the 32-bit version.
  • Is it possible to put the sidebar horizontal on top or bottom?
    No, sorry. It is often requested, but an implementation would have many problems.
  • How can I backup my gadgets and settings, transfer them between PCs or delete them all together?
    To access the directory where the gadgets are stored, press Win+R and paste the following text: "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets" and hit Enter. Each folder there contains a gadget and you can do with them whatever you like. Most gadget settings are stored one folder above in: "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\settings.ini". If you screw up, select "Reset all gadgets" in the Gadgetpack Tools.
  • I just want to have a clock gadget on my desktop and not all this stuff that comes with GadgetPack. Is there some "light version"?
    Sorry, the installer system I use doesn't allow this. But you can easily delete all extra gadgets after the installation by going to the folder mentioned 1 question above and deleting all folders inside of it. You save about 40MB on your harddrive this way.
  • How do I uninstall/reinstall a gadget?
    Right-click on desktop, select Gadgets, right-click on the desired gadget and select Uninstall. To reinstall, download the .gadget file and open it after Uninstall.
  • How do I install a gadget?
    Double-click on the .gadget file. If that doesn't work, try to reinstall GadgetPack.
  • Gadgets don't run at startup. What to do?
    Go to start, select GadgetPack Tools and disable and then enable Autorun there. If that doesn't work, try to reinstall GadgetPack.
  • Can I choose the installation directory?
    No, due to technical reasons GadgetPack will always install in these directories: (assuming C: is the system-drive)
    64-bit installation: "C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar"
    32-bit installation: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar"
    Non-Microsoft Gadgets: "%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets"
    On Windows 7 the existing files in these directories are not touched by the installer and will also remain after uninstall.
  • I want to have multiple rows of gadgets. Is that possible?
    Yes! Simply add the gadget "7 Sidebar" multiple times and arrange the gadgets however you like.
  • Is there a way to position the gadgets just where I like them on the sidebar?
    Yes, you can hold Shift while positioning them to keep the sidebar from automatically aligning them.
  • The sidebar.exe process is using a lot of CPU time. What can I do?
    This most likely depends on the gadgets that you are using. You can try out the following steps to find out which gadgets are responsible:
    First make sure you have the latest version of GadgetPack installed and have 7 Sidebar open. Hold shift and right-click on an empty area in 7 Sidebar. Select "Show Gadget CPU Usage". A window opens that shows how much CPU time each gadget is using. You can then close the gadgets that are using too much CPU time or bug their authors to make them faster.
  • On the desktop of Windows 11, I don't see a context menu entry for Gadgets!
    Right now, the Gadgets context menu only appears in the legacy menu that appears when you click on "Show more options". Adding this to the new context menu would cost too much money (yes, Microsoft wants money for this).