Fix Gadgets Not Working or Showing When UAC Is Set To Not Notify or Disabled in Windows 7 Beta

When the UAC (User Account Control) in Windows 7 Beta is disabled or set to no notify, the gadgets stop working (happens in at least build 6956 and 7000). Other error symptom is that when right click on Desktop to select “Gadgets” won’t bring up dialog window with list of gadgets, and any added gadgets won’t be showing or displaying, even after restarting or rebooting computer.

Suicide Solution on My Digital Life Forum has managed to develop a fix that allows various gadgets to be used on desktop even when UAC is turned off. The trick is to make use of Windows Sidebar components from Windows Vista, which supports original style of Windows Sidebar (pin to the side of desktop together with gadgets) that can be run even if UAC is disabled or turned off.

Follow these steps to perform the hack:

  1. Close all gadgets on desktop.
  2. Take ownership and grant full control permissions for Administrators user group of the following files located in C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar folder:

    settings.ini
    sidebar.exe

    And inside the en-US Folder:

    sbdrop.dll.mui
    Sidebar.exe.mui

  3. Rename to backup the 4 files listed above.
  4. Download Win7-Sidebar-Fix.zip.
  5. Extract and copy the contents of the ZIP file to their corresponding folders in C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar folder, overwrite and replace existing files if applicable.
  6. Re-add gadgets to desktop.

Tip: There is better trick to disable UAC while allowing gadgets to continue working without replacing any files.

When using Windows Sidebar from Windows Vista, the sidebar bar will be shown on the left or right side of desktop as in Windows Vista. Users who prefer to have everything relate to Windows 7 can try to use Windows Sidebar modules from Windows 7 Build 6801 (download Win7-7801-Sidebar.zip) instead. However, in our testing, it’s not working too.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 at 1:57 am and is filed under Operating Systems. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to “Fix Gadgets Not Working or Showing When UAC Is Set To Not Notify or Disabled in Windows 7 Beta”

  1. abdullahahmed
    October 25th, 2009 02:00
    7

    hi i havent slide bar or gadgets at all on my win7 cuz i download a lite versin -not original- it works but not the all windows programs is exist

  2. Chris
    January 27th, 2009 05:46
    6

    Works perfectly.

  3. Edy
    January 15th, 2009 01:35
    5

    Guys, i need your help!

    After installing this fix, i decided to remove it and revert to the original sidebar with UAC on. The problem is that when i want to select gadgets to install, the window opens, show for a second the available gadgets then hide them!
    If i create another account, everything works fine.
    how to fix this?
    PS:
    I deleted the above installed files and restored original ones.

  4. d0od
    December 30th, 2008 08:34
    4

    I have UAC turned off/not notify and all my gadgets run fine in the 7000 build.

  5. Mark
    December 30th, 2008 05:08
    3

    The gadgets from Windows 7 build 6801 works.

    To start the gadget, run the following:
    “%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe” /showgadgets

    Double clicking sidebar.exe will NOT run the sidebar!!!

  6. Workaround to Run Windows Vista Bar Style Sidebar in Windows 7 » My Digital Life
    December 30th, 2008 02:02
    2

    [...] into Windows 7, replacing the new version of sidebar component, as similar with resolution to fix gadget not working when UAC is turned off in Windows 7. After the hack found as found by Suicide Solution, Windows 7 gadget will have to run [...]

  7. Workaround to Run Windows Vista Bar Style Sidebar in Windows 7 » My Digital Life
    December 30th, 2008 02:02
    1

    [...] into Windows 7, replacing the new version of sidebar component, as similar with resolution to fix gadget not working when UAC is turned off in Windows 7. After the hack found as found by Suicide Solution, Windows 7 gadget will have to run [...]

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