How to Customize Existing Windows 7 Gadgets
The question having been asked in the "post your seven desktop" thread, i thought it was maybe interesting to deepen that with a new and clear post...
So, the subject here is how to change icons and type/color of font in a windows gadget
rb: to make it match better with your own style...IMPORTANT NOTE : If you wanna follow these steps, remember that it's for personal use ONLY, please never share a customized gadget without the owner/creator permission!!! Thanks...
I could not be responsible for any exceed due to the use of this tutorial...
For the icons change, i choose the "BandwidthMeter" gadget, credits for this are for "RolRain".
For the font change, i used "PrestoHDMonitor_1.54" gadget, credits to "Preston Hunt" for the gadget and "SFKilla" for styles and graphics.
So here we go! First : how to change icon(s)...
Note : my system is in French but i'll explain with English terms, really easy to follow...
You need to have "7-zip" installed for these operations, Winrar doesn't show needed actions in the contextual menu...
So we're gonna make "up" become "down"
1- Create a new folder and name it as your original gadget.
To make it more distinctive, add something to the name...
My original is "BandwidthMeter" and i just added "2" :
2- Copy your original gadget in this folder (always back up the original, of course...), then right clic the gadget file > 7-zip > extract here
You obtain all the folders contained in your gadget.
You can delete the original now, we won't need it anymore.
3- Find the "images" folder and then the icon(s) you wanna change and check the size.
I made here a red selection of two icons, they are the icon of the gadget and the icon for the gadget management window (the one with all your installed gadgets)
4- Choose now new icon(s), with the same size (! - if needed, cut & resize with any image editor you want) and rename them as the original ones
As you can see, i had to copy my choosen icon twice...
5 - Replace the original icons by the new ones
6- To have the new name of the gadget after installation, you have to change it in the "xml" file, so right clic on it > modify
then change the name, close the windows and accept the modification
7- We have now to re-pack all the files;
So, select all of them, right clic > 7-zip > add to "BandwidthMeter2.zip"
Finally, rename the extension "zip" to "gadget" (to make appear the extension, go to "folder options" and uncheck "Hide extensions for known file types")
And that's it; you have now a new personal custom ready-to-use gadget!
Related Tutorials
- How to Add or Remove Desktop Gadgets in Windows 7
- How to Reinstate the Vista Sidebar on Windows 7
- How to Hide or Show Desktop Gadgets in Windows 7
- How to Enable or Disable Gadgets in Windows 7
- How to Turn Windows 7 Gadgets Feature On or Off
- How to Allow or Prevent User Installed Gadgets in Windows 7
- How to Allow or Prevent Installation of Unsigned Gadgets in Windows 7
- How to Restore the Default Windows 7 Gadgets
- Trick to Moving Gadgets in Windows 7 Closer Together
- How to Create a Gadgets Shortcut in Windows 7
- How to Change the "Get more gadgets online" Link in Windows 7
- How to Fix Gadgets not Displaying Correctly in Windows 7
- How to Add or Remove "Gadgets" from Desktop Context Menu in Windows
Last edited by a moderator:
