Install and Create Vista Sidebar in Windows XP
Fancy having a Windows Sidebar on your Windows XP desktop to display and run popular gadgets such as Live Clock, iTunes Songs, Outlook Info, MSN Video, Remote Desktop Gadget, Google-bar, Weather Forecasts, Calculator, Hangman and KEXP Now Playing, just like in Windows Vista? Windows Sidebar provides instant access to gadgets, mini-applications that deliver games, live webcams, traffic maps, weather information, RSS feeds and other interactive, and customizable utilities that offer information at a glance and provide easy access to frequently used tools, in a similar way to Apple’s Dashboard Widgets and Yahoo Widgets. Windows Sidebar is available only for Windows Vista, however, for Windows XP users, a ported version of XP side bar is available for free download.
MSTN has packaged all files and executables needed to install and run Windows Vista Sidebar in Windows XP properly into one setup file WindowsSidebarInstall.exe (alternative download location). Download and install WindowsSidebarInstall.exe. The installer will automatically create a sub folder Sidebar (can also be installed in “Windows Sidebar” folder) in the Program Files folder, and then copy all the necessary files, DLLs and executables (e.g. Sidebar.exe, xmlrw.dll and emu.dll) to the \Program Files\Sidebar (or \Program Files\Windows Sidebar folder if you choose so when prompted by setup) directory, with two more child folder “Default Parts” and “en-US”. Beside, the setup will also create a folder named “Parts” in the currently logged on user home directory (assuming you logon as Administrator, the Parts folder will be located in C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\ directory or accessible via %userprofile%\Parts command), with all the default gadgets (parts). This is the folder where all gadgets should be installed.
After finished copying the files, installer will automatically execute Windows Vista Sidebar Compatibility Patch which will patch Sidebar.exe so that the executable which originated from Windows Vista can be ran in Windows XP. Click Start and then click on OK when prompted with message that process succeeded with file successfully patched. Installation of Windows XP Sidebar is done.
To run XP side bar, click on Start and then Run. Type in the either one of the following commands, depending on your installation directory, in the Run box:
C:\Program Files\Sidebar\sidebar.exe
C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe
Click OK or press Enter when done. XP sidebar will launch, open and display the side bar to the right side of the XP desktop, with an icon on the notification area (system tray). By default, no parts or gadgets is loaded. Click on the plus sign (+) to select and add the gadgets (parts) to the Windows XP Sidebar. The default gadgets or parts are slideshow, analog clock, Internet search and RSS.
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Entries (RSS)
May 5th, 2009 17:16
only calender
digital clock
iweather
uptime
vista calculater
is working
no other gadgets are working
May 5th, 2009 17:00
the window slide bar is shown on desktop but gadgets are not seen
March 18th, 2009 01:01
Thanks!
But where to get extra things?
January 24th, 2009 07:31
missing dll file. fix it please
January 22nd, 2009 18:58
[...] Install and Create Vista Sidebar in Windows XP [...]
November 21st, 2008 09:53
Realmente este sidebar es el mejor, ya que puedes agregar gadgets de manera muy fácil. Yo lo tenía instalado, formateé la lap y ahora que quiero instalar de nuevo la sidebar pues según hace todo el proceso, sin ambargo cuando le doy doble click al sidebar no parace la barra,¿a que se podrá deber este asunto?, la única barra que me dejó instalar es la de Thoosje pero lo malo de esta otra sidebar es que no puedes agregar gadgets. Si alguien me puede decir como le hago para volver a tener la otra sidebar(la que si le puedes agregar los gadgets desde la página oficial). Gracias y saludos desde Puebla, México.
November 7th, 2008 00:22
Oops Lets try this corrected.
1. Download gadget to desktop or where ever you chose.
2. Open gadget file with WINRAR not sure if winzip works didn’t bother to try
3. Extract to gadget folder (c:/\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets) as (filename.Gadget)
You should now be able to add it via your add gadget window.
November 7th, 2008 00:20
Finally figured out how to install gadgets on windows sidebar in XP. Thought I would share it with all.
1. Download gadget to desktop or where ever you chose.
2. Open gadget file with WINRAR not sure if winzip works didn’t bother to try
3. Extract to gadget folder as
You should now be able to add it via your add gadget window.
October 8th, 2008 05:04
can i change .gadget to .part? i tried it but it doesnt appear in the add part window…any help needed..thanx
October 8th, 2008 04:47
wow thnx guys i woll never have to burden myself with Vista very high requirements…to hugh for my laptop….
September 14th, 2008 13:28
thanks
March 10th, 2008 08:35
hello – with such software can I then also download vista gadgets, like from http://www.gadgetsdownload.com
October 9th, 2007 22:12
WindowsSidebarInstall.exe. file contains Delf.ru trojan!!!
July 19th, 2007 07:21
And the sun fair
April 5th, 2007 12:20
Works but doesn’t look at good as vista’s one oh well.
February 27th, 2007 12:16
The Windows Sidebar described and linked to in this article is too old and comes from beta v6.0.5219. Vista RTM Gadgets are incompatible with it. To run the RTM version of Windows Sidebar (6.0.6000), you need to install VAIO. You can get it here:
http://www.fromvistatoxp.com/
Enjoy!
February 26th, 2007 14:12
This doesn’t seem to be compatible with the release version of Vista’s gadgets. Vista Release uses .gadget files and this uses .part files. They are both archives, but do not seem to be compatible. This is pretty useless if it doesn’t support gadgets written for Vista release.
February 8th, 2007 17:52
Adding new parts to the XP sidebar is as simple as copying the Gadget’s .part file to the Parts sub-directory in your user directory.
For example, if you’re logged in as username “user”.
C:\Documents and Settings\user\Parts
That directory contains files with the extension .part, which are the Gadgets that you currently have installed. To add a new Gadget, just put it’s .part file there.
A part file is just a Zip file, iwth the extension changed .part. The Zip file contains the XML, Javascript, HTML, and Image Files, and whatever else that make up the gadget.
Hope that helps,
illium
February 4th, 2007 17:26
Chris and Dany, did you find out how to add new parts to the XP sidebar? If so please share
January 13th, 2007 07:38
Why bother? I’ll tell ya. I’m a programmer and don’t want to have to install Vista, but, would also like to be able to produce gadgets for my software that Vista users can use with my product. This is perfect.
December 11th, 2006 14:42
same question as above
December 5th, 2006 18:15
How do u add more gadgets?
December 5th, 2006 07:21
cooooool, it’s really awesome but why the bother install Google Desktop gadgets and ur happy
December 5th, 2006 04:12
Found this article as well: http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/1089/make_xp_look_like_vista_longhorn_free inside you also get a guide how to instal a modified version of windows vista explorer in win xp, here is the pack he used http://www.deviantart.com/view/31184159/as he says in the end of the article.
December 5th, 2006 00:54
[...] Microsoft Gadgets or Desktop Gadgets are a minie widget applications that are designed to do variety of tasks or dedicated purpose, such as display clocks, show calendars, RSS notifiers, show at-a-glance view of online instant messaging contacts, provides easy way to control media player, games, calculators, sticky notes, search tools and more. Microsoft Gadgets can run on the Windows desktop and on the Windows Sidebar, which is the widget engine for Desktop Gadgets, and is a panel found in either the right side (default side) or the left side of the Windows desktop that organizes gadgets and makes them easy to access. Both features are integrated with the Windows Vista operating system and the upcoming version of Microsoft Windows and patches are available to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 to use the Sidebar and Gadget features. Windows Vista desktop with Windows Sidebar and some Sidebar gadgets. [...]