Windows Update KB4019990 broke my Desktop Gadgets

[Blake81]

So, just had to install KB4019990 (to play XCOM: Chimera Squad, otherwise it didn't launch), but after I restarted my PC, half of my Desktop Gadgets now look like a bunch of magenta squares. I tried reinstalling them, but nothing changed.

Curiously, it wasn't all of them; my Icons Gadget (the one on the right) still works fine.

Does anyone know if there's any fix for this? I've been using those Gadgets for almost ten years now, and I'd hate to see them go...

Thanks in advance.

 

[Snick]

Hi Blake81,

Check you DPI setting sometimes the update changes the setting to high see if that's it, you need 100%
DPI Display Size Settings - Change

Gadgets broken Solved - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

[Blake81]

That's... weird. I've had my display on 125% since forever, and it's still on 125%. That said tho- I DID try changing it to 100%, and they remained the same.

 

[Snick]

Blake81,

Was worth a look, yes.
Maybe another member has idea/solutions?

 

[Blake81]

I've started to wonder if it's due to how old they are; been using those Gadgets since my very first Win7 machine (back on 2011... when XP was still cool, and when Vista was crying in a corner). Maybe something changed that they can no longer render themselves.

The one on the right side, however, is much newer (2015-ish), and it's been working fine. Problem is, finding a place to download those Gadgets nowadays is like trying to find a VHS Store...

They're called "All CPU Meter", "Network Drive Meter" and "Drives Meter"

 

[Blake81]

OK, so I've been looking deeper into this, and it seems like this Update came bundled with IE11, and apparently, that's the responsible for messing up my gadgets.

Is there any way to roll back that update to a previous one? I have no idea of what IE I had before (because I haven't used IE since Mozilla became a thing) so I'm not too sure of what to do...

 

[Snick]

Blake81

How to downgrade IE 11 to IE 10 to IE9

 

[Blake81]

OK, I reverted back to IE8... and something quite strange happened.

They still all open purple, but two of them, CPU and Drives, if I click on the little "settings" wrench, they go back to normal...-ish.

They get their aspect back, but no matter what I do in their options, they'll revert to default as soon as I close the settings window, and if I restart the PC, they vanish from the desktop and turn into purple squares again if I try adding them back. Also, can't change their opacity; I try setting it to 20% but nothing happens.

The Network one still doesn't work. But still, I can't make heads or tails of what's happening....