Heads up for Gadget users

[Wandering one]

I went to MS site to check upgrade just for the heck of it and all gadgets are gone. Tried reinstall and not only did I have to be admin, which I am, I was told to go and beg "trusted installer" for permission .
System restore to the rescue. They are all back.
Art.

 

[HarriePateman]

Gadgets have been discontinued for a few months now.

 

[HarriePateman]

Sorry i didnt mean to come across snappy

 

[LMiller7]

Microsoft has discontinued support for desktop gadgets due to security vulnerabilities and recommends that they not be used. These vulnerabilities will not be fixed.
Gadgets have been discontinued - Microsoft Windows

 

[baumgrenze]

Avast Uses a Gadget ?

It seems strange that Avast should still be using a gadget. At least I found one when I Right-Clicked on my Desktop and selected Gadgets.

Perhaps it is being addressed as i write but it seems paradoxical for an antivirus to run via software that introduces vulnerabilities.

Perhaps I don't really understand?

thanks,

baumgrenze

 

[LMiller7]

Perhaps it is being addressed as i write but it seems paradoxical for an antivirus to run via software that introduces vulnerabilities.

It is not that the gadgets themselves introduce vulnerabilities although that is certainly possible. The way in which vulnerabilities can be introduced is virtually endless. The issue is that the system infrastructure that supports gadgets is unsafe. When this was designed security was rather less a problem than it is today. It is very possible that the security issues could not be fixed without breaking functionality that gadgets rely on. Apps in Windows 8 by design run only with limited privileges and thus the possibility for them doing harm is very limited.

 

[baumgrenze]

I should have been more explicit. I have no expectation that Microsoft will make changes to Gadgets. I was addressing the embarrassing position Avast now occupies. Has anyone heard what they intend to do?

 

[Stephanie]

I went to MS site to check upgrade just for the heck of it and all gadgets are gone. Tried reinstall and not only did I have to be admin, which I am, I was told to go and beg "trusted installer" for permission .
System restore to the rescue. They are all back.


Art.

Quite a few Here

 

[DocBrown]

I am still running a bunch of them, ever since the Win7 Beta test days.

 

[HarriePateman]

I am still running a bunch of them, ever since the Win7 Beta test days.

Im loving tha Lady on your desktop Docc

 

[Stephanie]

Nice collection Doc

 

[A Guy]

MS has not disabled gadgets, just stopped hosting a site with them, and say they are insecure. Gadgets are still supported unless you explicitly disabled them (or have a problem ). I too still use gadgets. A Guy

 

[HarriePateman]

Gadgets "were" cool, however i think RainMeter has taken over them

 

[Indianatone]

I use gadgets and also Yahoo Widgets on my machines. You can still get updated gadgets from Most Wanted Windows Desktop Gadgets - Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista
I would wager there are no security issues with them they just don't fit the metro idea. Addgadgets have a bunch of cool gadgets.
How do you know rainmeter is secure?

 

[HarriePateman]

Secure as in?....

Its not like i type my back details in rain-meter?

 

[Indianatone]

Generally you don't type bank details in widgets either. But you are running a program on top of windows so how do any off us know what is reporting back to whatever. Remember there is no such thing as something for nothing. (or a free lunch).

 

[HarriePateman]

Generally you don't type bank details in widgets either. But you are running a program on top of windows so how do any off us know what is reporting back to whatever. Remember there is no such thing as something for nothing. (or a free lunch).

We take that risk every time we turn on our computer

 

[gemhunter]

There is a mirror of the old Microsoft Live gadget gallery here:

Windows Sidebar Gadget Gallery

It is noted there that to find an old gadget, this method is used:

"No problem. Just replace gallery.live.com with gallery-live.com. For example Gadgets have been discontinued - Microsoft Windows becomes English Pong - Windows Sidebar Gadget Gallery"

I'm still running a single gadget, the Weatherunderground weather gadget. I've been using that for many years.

Al

 

[A Guy]

Welcome to Seven Forums gemhunter. Interesting find

A Guy

 

[ThrashZone]

I suppose all of these customizations are necessary for users like rainmaker.... I just never saw the real need for it,
Most everything I need is on my homepage so I don't really care if my desktop has anything special on it because I rarely see it,
Even with two monitors I still rarely see it :/

One odd thing I've found in win-8 calling a gadget an app is really just weird