Windows 7: Are Desktop Gadgets Gone Forever?

Hello all.

I am a big time user of desktop gadets. I used the side bar a lot when I had Vista. However, I am seeing that Microsoft no longer supports gadgets, nor allows access to download them. Have gadgets "retired", as posted on Microsoft's web page, or has something new come about to replace gadgets?

If you type "windows sidebar" into the start search menu, you will find a button saying add gadgets to the desktop and from there can proceed to download online,to be honest I have never seen anything about gadgets becoming "retired"

Just to ensure you have the gadget platform enabled press windows+r to open run, type appwiz.cpl, hit enter and at the side of the window which appears select "turn windows features on or off," Scroll to windows gadget platform and ensure it is enabled

Just google for Windows live gallery, they are going away.

Looking for gadgets? - Downloads - Microsoft Windows

It would appear I have been proven wrong, although, I can still download gadgets for myself via the method I detail above

I personally won't miss gadgets when they're gone.

Yeah, neither will I. Always found they just cluttered my desktop, and certainly stole some resources. At the end of the day, 95% of the time I don't care about seeing my CPU usage, or memory consumption. In times when I do care, I can check other tools.

Well some people like them as they did serve a purpose to some. Anyway I'm a person who loves a clean desktop, but others are in love with desktop shortcuts.... to each their own I say.

BTW I saw the samething about Gadgets going away. I guess there just wasn't enough interest for Microsoft to continue supporting them. I'm sure however that a Google search would net a lot of stuff out there.

With the new Metro GUI in Win 8 with it's "live" tiles, the functions performed by gadgets can probably be developed into Metro apps.

I use the gadgets. Although for many they are useless, they did a great service to me. It appears you can still download some, but no where as many as you could before. Thank you all for your input and opinions on this.

-Kori