Windows 7

How to Install New Gadgets With Windows 7

After reading the last article about adding gadgets to Windows 7, you’re probably wondering, “How do I get new gadgets, and how do you install them?”. There are a few different places and ways to acquire gadgets, but your best bet is the official Microsoft site.  Here is a quick and easy How-To on where to get Windows 7 gadgets, and also how to install Windows 7 gadgets.

How to Install New Gadgets in Windows 7

How to Install new gadgets in Windows 7

1.  Following the instructions from the previous article will bring you to the Gadgets window.  At the bottom right of the Gadgets window you will see a clickable linkClick the Get more gadgets online link.

how to get more gadgets with windows 7

2.  The link will take you to the Microsoft site, which will display all of their Official gadgets.  You’ll notice that there aren’t too many listed here, for more, go ahead and Click the Get more desktop gadgets… link.

get more desktop gadgets button on the windows site

3.  Your browser should have opened to the Live Gallery site.  From here, you can select which gadgets you would like to install.  When you have found one you like just Click the Download button below the gadget.  For this example, we’ll use the Speed Test gadget.

Editors Note: With the introduction of Windows 8, gadgets have been discontinued. 

browse the windows live gallery to find more gadgets

4.  After clicking Download, you’ll be prompted with a warning if the gadget was not made directly by Microsoft.  This will happen nearly every time since Microsoft has actually made very few of the gadgets available in the gallery.  Click Install to continue.

unverified submission warning from how to add more gadgets to windows 7

5.  Next, the File Download will pop up; for gadgets, I prefer to just Click Open.  The installation file is not needed later, so storing it in temporary memory makes cleanup easy.  Once downloaded, Click Install on the Desktop Gadgets window that appears.

open the file instead of saving it to the hard drive when dealing with gadgets  Install the gadget if you want to use it with windows 7

All done!  Now, if you go back to your Gadgets window, you’ll see the gadget you just installed appears on the page.

the new gadget appears in the windows 7 gadget window

6 Comments

6 Comments

  1. BondJamesBond

    September 5, 2009 at 10:58 pm

    I liked how at the end of the video he showed how to uninstall the windows 7 gadgets. Microsoft did a waaaaay better job with this with 7 than they did for Vista.

  2. billmurray

    December 7, 2009 at 4:04 am

    Nice article! I found some good gadgets at http://www.uniquewg.com. The music player is great.

  3. cisco

    August 5, 2010 at 7:04 am

    i hope you can help….

    when i right click on the desktop then open gadgets i receive a window that windows cannot find sidebar.exe. i have looked searched but nothing.

    cisco

  4. grooveDexter

    August 5, 2010 at 10:25 am

    Take a look in C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe
    That is the location of the 32-bit sidebar, assuming you are running 64-bit of course…

    If you want to find the 64-bit version, or if you are running a 32-bit operating system the location would be nearly the same, except without the (x86). i.e.
    C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe

    If it’s not there, then there may be something wrong with your operating system.

  5. pandora bijoux

    November 23, 2011 at 1:10 am

    I cherished up to you will obtain carried out right here. The cartoon is attractive, your authored subject matter stylish. nevertheless, you command get got an edginess over that you would like be turning in the following. ill definitely come more in the past again since precisely the same nearly a lot often inside of case you protect this hike.

  6. sadegh

    March 26, 2012 at 10:39 pm

    when i click the download in microsoft page, my IDM download the gadget butis is not an *.*gadget file, it is a zip file!
    then i cant instal them!
    what should i do?
    thanks

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