I want my sidebar back!!!!

[johngalt]

No, this thread is from November of 2008 - back in the days of builds prior to the first beta.

The sidebar is well and functional in W7 now.

 

[foxontherock]

Functional? I just installed Win 7 final (the RTM available from technet, not the RC) and there is no sidebar, only desktop gadgets with always-on-top option. Is there a very special secret option to activate to see the sidebar? The only way I was able to see it was from copying the vista sidebar files, I did not found any way to see the sidebar from the original win 7 installation (ultimate) without any special hack.

 

[Antman]

 

[Airbot]

Functional? I just installed Win 7 final (the RTM available from technet, not the RC) and there is no sidebar, only desktop gadgets with always-on-top option. Is there a very special secret option to activate to see the sidebar? The only way I was able to see it was from copying the vista sidebar files, I did not found any way to see the sidebar from the original win 7 installation (ultimate) without any special hack.

The gadget sidebar like it was in Vista isn't implemented in Windows 7, never has been. Only the sidebar.exe process is left and runs for the gadgets in Win 7. The whole desktop now serves as the sidebar did really. The only way to get the sidebar like it was in Vista I believe, is to do it this way.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/587-vista-windows-sidebar-reinstate-windows-7-a.html

 

[foxontherock]

Only the sidebar.exe process is left and runs for the gadgets in Win 7. The whole desktop now serves as the sidebar did really. The only way to get the sidebar like it was in Vista I believe, is to do it this way.

This is what I realised after installing Win 7. I really think that this move from Microsoft will really decrease the gadgets usability. The sidebar was a good product for those who were using it. It can't be replaced by the desktop gadgets. The desktop gadgets are a great idea, you may want some gadgets always visible, on the bar (not always on top like 7 offer), and some other only on the desktop.

But they do not offer us to choose, they decided that the sidebar must die. So, I decided that the MS GAdgets will die and I changed all my gadgets to the Google desktop ones. And hopefully, my XM Online Radio player that was available as an MS gadget is also available as a google desktop gadget! So, even if I really like Win7, this disapoints me a lot.

Bye Bye MS Gadgets, hello to Google Desktop Gadgets.

 

[Zidane24]

Only the sidebar.exe process is left and runs for the gadgets in Win 7. The whole desktop now serves as the sidebar did really. The only way to get the sidebar like it was in Vista I believe, is to do it this way.

This is what I realised after installing Win 7. I really think that this move from Microsoft will really decrease the gadgets usability. The sidebar was a good product for those who were using it. It can't be replaced by the desktop gadgets. The desktop gadgets are a great idea, you may want some gadgets always visible, on the bar (not always on top like 7 offer), and some other only on the desktop.

But they do not offer us to choose, they decided that the sidebar must die. So, I decided that the MS GAdgets will die and I changed all my gadgets to the Google desktop ones. And hopefully, my XM Online Radio player that was available as an MS gadget is also available as a google desktop gadget! So, even if I really like Win7, this disapoints me a lot.

Bye Bye MS Gadgets, hello to Google Desktop Gadgets.

Except the point here is that the Sidebar was removed so you can have Gadgets anywhere on the desktop...it was a much better move on their part

 

[johngalt]

The actual bar is removed but the functionality of the sidebar is not.

Try adding gadgets and you'll immediately see what I mean.

They add themselves to an invisible bar on the right side of your primary monitor (by default) and then when you run out of room start going across the bottom of the screen, then up the left side....ad nauseum.

Other than that it is the same - you can leave the gadgets where they are when you add the, change their positions....or move them off the side so they float independently of the invisible bar. Which you could do in Vista, IIRC.

Hence my statement.

 

[Zidane24]

The actual bar is removed but the functionality of the sidebar is not.

Try adding gadgets and you'll immediately see what I mean.

They add themselves to an invisible bar on the right side of your primary monitor (by default) and then when you run out of room start going across the bottom of the screen, then up the left side....ad nauseum.

Other than that it is the same - you can leave the gadgets where they are when you add the, change their positions....or move them off the side so they float independently of the invisible bar. Which you could do in Vista, IIRC.

Hence my statement.

I agree...I think people miss having an actual bar that sits over there and emphasizes the gadgets...

 

[Airbot]

I see what you're saying, but not exactly. The sidebar like it was in Vista has had several different changes in 7 from Vista, including some functions taken away, which makes it no longer a sidebar container on the right hand side. I think the gadgets filling in on the right hand side by default like in the Vista sidebar is coincidental or just left that way. This explains the changes out from Vista to 7 better than I can. A nice little read all the way down.

Introduction to the Gadget Platform (Windows)

 

[Zidane24]

I see what you're saying, but not exactly. The sidebar like it was in Vista has had several different changes in 7 from Vista, including some functions taken away, which makes it no longer a sidebar container on the right hand side. This explains the changes out from Vista to 7 better than I can. A nice little read all the way down.

Introduction to the Gadget Platform (Windows)

Indeed it is...one of the big things seems to be the dockable events which have to be done differently than in Windows Vista

 

[Mark]

Actually I found a way to have the gadgets on the desktop on Vista the same as they are on Windows 7, all you had to do was drag them off the sidebar and then close it and you could position them anywhere and unlike Windows 7 they don't snap to certain position when placed near another gadget (something that really annoys me).

The only real benefit to the gadgets as they are now is when you select show desktop the gadgets are there to see, although even that's buggy sometimes and some gadgets will disappear from the desktop and the only way to get them back is to kill the sidebar and open it again.

Personally I think they should have left the option to have the sidebar if you desire to use it as many have found they do and even though there is a work around for this problem there have been some gadgets that will still not function properly when the Vista Sidebar is reinstated.

I think there have been plenty of new innovations implemented in Windows 7 but in an effort o distance itself from Vista they seemed to have crippled many of the good working features that Vista and even XP had before it, I can only hope they will bring some of these features back with the next service pack but I suspect we wont see any big changes now untill Microsofts next OS.

 

[Airbot]

On your one note of the the gadgets snapping to fixed wells in 7, if you hold down the SHIFT key while moving a gadget, you can get them as close as you want, and they should stay there.

 

[Zidane24]

On your one note of the the gadgets snapping to fixed wells in 7, if you hold down the SHIFT key while moving a gadget, you can get them as close as you want, and they should stay there.

About to mention that myself

 

[Mark]

On your one note of the the gadgets snapping to fixed wells in 7, if you hold down the SHIFT key while moving a gadget, you can get them as close as you want, and they should stay there.

Thanks Aaron, how come I have never heard that mentioned before.

 

[Zidane24]

On your one note of the the gadgets snapping to fixed wells in 7, if you hold down the SHIFT key while moving a gadget, you can get them as close as you want, and they should stay there.

Thanks Aaron, how come I have never heard that mentioned before.

I guess people forget that one...eventhough it is an essential thing for gadgets

 

[Airbot]

I'll make a tut for it right now then.

 

[Mark]

Sounds like a good plan mate.

 

[Airbot]

Done.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24531-gadgets-how-move-them-closer-together.html

 

[foxontherock]

My point with the sidebar is that it got a reserved place on the window, that was not occupied by my working window when I maximize them. My windows fit on the remaining space on the left side of the the bar, and I still can see my gadgets when I work, that is what I liked.

I don't want to do minimize my windows to see my gadgets, or I do not want my gadgets to be always on top over my working applications. The sidebar was good, and it's gone. That do not mean that gadgets on the desktop is bad, but sidebar has its utility and I can't use it anymore.

So, I chose a solution that included a sidebar AND a desktop solution, the one from Google. If Google can do it, why MS can't? That's exactly the same kind of application.

 

[johngalt]

I understand where you are going with this, now. There are a whole slew of such posts / request all over the Internet - unfortunately, according to Windows 7 help:

What happened to Windows Sidebar?


Windows Sidebar isn't included in this version of Windows. Instead, you can display gadgets on your desktop. For more information, see Desktop gadgets: frequently asked questions.

The only thing I can see is to try to figure out how to get the sidebar.exe from Vista installed and working on your Windows 7 install.