Is there any way to have Window's gadgets to load after a set period of time when you log onto your PC? I have a couple of instant messaging gadgets that come up before I can get logged onto the messaging service. As a result, the gadgets don't attach to the client. Once I have logged on, I have to remove then add the gadget to get them to show properly. I'm not sure it is worth the trouble.
When I log into Windows, I must put in my password for Simp - Secway Instant Messenger Privacy. It is a program that encrypts instant messaging. After I do that, Live Messenger comes up for me too enter my password. By the time I enter my password, Messenger Gadget has loaded and says I need to log on, however it will not connect to messenger after I do without exiting the gadget and opening it back up again. The same thing happens to my Skye gadget on occasion but not nearly as often. If I could set a timer to open my gadgets two minutes after I log onto my PC, it would give me time to log onto my messenger services and the gadgets would operate normally on startup.
I use WinPatrol to schedule the delayed starts. Sidebar is one example. Go to the Startup Programs button > right click on sidebar > Move to delayed start program list. Then go to the Delayed Start button > right click on sidebar > delay Start Options. There you can set the delay time. Works perfectly. WinPatrol has other (security) features. Read the documentation. It is highly recommended.
Last edited by whs; 20 Jan 2010 at 21:52.
You can either use something like Winpatrol, was mentioned, or Glary utilities to put it in the delayed start up, and specify the time delay.
Or you could create a task in task scheduler for it.
Just would have to use Autoruns, or go type msconfig in the start menu search, go to the Startup tab, and uncheck the sidebar.exe entry so the sidebar doesn't start at logon with Windows, but rather from your specified scheduled task.
Then create the task for C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe.
You could then specify the time delay, or times you want it to load, the specified account with logon, etc..
This tutorial outlines creating a basic task. Or you can just choose Create task.
Task Scheduler - Create New Task
I tried out Win Patrol. The good news is that it worked flawlessly. The bad news is I got a pop up that said "This Program doesn't want to be Delayed". It then states it can be put back into the startup normally or you can chose to disable it and Win Patrol will continuously remove it from the startup list. I'm not sure if that would be a good thing to do as it says it does not recommend doing this. What's up with that? Why doesn't it like to be delayed? I think it is playing hard to get along with!! lol
I haven't looked at Glary Utilities yet but wouldn't that basically do the same as the Win Patrol? As for the other suggestion, I'll look into it later today. I did look at the scheduler on an XP system but I didn't see anything to delay start. How would I go about that? Maybe Win 7 has more options. I'll check it out tonight when I get home.
The delayed start option is there under Create task. Probably not under Create basic task. Just use Create Task, gives you more options.
Well after taking sidebar out of the startup and configuring a schedule for it, I have completely different problems. The delay worked fine. Now however, I get a message on my messenger gadget that it doesn't like my 64 bit OS and my Skype gadget failed to run at all.
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