Windows 7: Gadgets don't function

Windows 7 Home Premium, 6.17600. I'm logged into the only user account on my home desktop computer.

I get this message when I try to enable gadgets on my desktop:
Settings.ini is being used by another process. Close the other program and click Retry, or click Cancel to exit. It has been like this since I installed 7.

I have read threads with others having this problem, but none have really been answered. Can anybody suggest what to do?

Thanks,
Rusty

Have a look in the settings.ini. It should say:

[Root]
SettingsVersion=00.00.00.02

I have about 8 of them. This one came from "C:\Documents and Settings\Rusty\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar":

[Root]
SettingsVersion="00.00.00.01"
SidebarShowState="Exploded"
SidebarDockedPartsOrder="0x1,0x2,"
SidebarAutoStart="false"
SidebarDockedPartsPage1="2"
OneTimeRemoveGadgetMessageShown="true"
PickerPosX="233"
PickerPosY="202"
SidebarDockSide="2"
SidebarAlwaysOnTop="true"
SidebarDockMonitor="0"
OneTimeHideMessageShown="true"
OneTimeCloseLastDockedMessageShown="true"
OneTimeExitMessageShown="true"
Section0="1"

They are all different.


Don't click the attachment below. I incorrectly uploaded it.

I opened the boot tab in Autoruns and unticked "Sidebar", rebooted, and now my gadgets are working.