Fix Vista Sidebar Weather Gadget Service Not Available with Patched wlsrvc.dll Download
Windows Vista comes with a built-in weather gadget for Windows Sidebar, which display local temperature and weather condition directly on desktop. However, since the RTM of Windows Vista, even after release of Windows Vista SP1 and beta availability of Windows Vista SP2, the weather gadget does not work on system installed with non-US locale or location.
When Windows Vista is configured with non-US or non-North America location, or using non-English (US) language locale, weather gadget will display “Service Not Available” error message. The issue happens because wlsrvc.dll file will check the location setting. If the location of the system set to India or China, the DLL file will return status 1506, indicating weather service is not available in your language or region.
Ironically, the weather gadget works before the RTM of Windows Vista, i.e. in Windows Vista betas and RC builds. Thus, to solve and fix the weather gadget not working problem in Windows Vista Sidebar, resolution is pretty simple – just use the wlsrvc.dll from the pre-RTM builds of Windows Vista. You no need to download the old unstable beta or RC builds again, as the file has been extracted and hosted for free download. In fact, the wlsrvc.dll version 6.0.6000.16386 from Windows Vista RTM has been patched in order to work to provide weather service across the world.
- Close and exit Windows Sidebar.
- Open Windows Explorer.
- Browse to C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar folder.
- Take ownership and grant full permission to you on wlsrvc.dll file.
- Rename wlsrvc.dll to wlsrvc.dll.old.
- Download the patched wlsrvc.dll (contains inside the wlsrvc.zip).
- Copy the patched wlsrvc.dll into the Windows Sidebar folder.
- Run the sidebar.exe to restart Windows Sidebar.
Related posts:
- Vista Sidebar Weather Gadget Service Not Available
- Systran Translator and Dictionary for Vista Sidebar Gadget
- Windows Self Shot! Vista Sidebar Gadget
- Move Vista Desktop Recycle Bin to Sidebar with RecycleBin Gadget
- Logitech Motion Detector and QuickCapture Vista Sidebar Gadget
You know, there is an easier answer to this problem that everyone seems to have overlooked.
Microsoft's weather service is horrible and goes down all the time (several times a week on average). All you have to do is wait a while, and it will start working again all by itself once Microsoft resets their server that the gadget connects to.
It's exactly for this reason I switched to the Wuderground gadget from Weather Underground. It's got a very similar look/feel/style as the Microsoft weather gadget and their servers are up 99.9999%, unlike MS's. Not to mention it's got handy extras that are uncluttered and unobtrusive.
Don't mean to sound like I'm plugging the alternative. I love(ed) the Microsoft gadget for it's raw functional simplicity. But it doesn't do anyone any good when their service is down all the time.
thank you!!
It worked on my windows 7 ultimate, too!!
I'm so happy, I had a lot of problems with this!!!
^^
Excelente! Me anduvo en Win 7 Pro
great, 10x
it worked with win 7 enterprice
The zip link is not working :/
No changes in Windows 7 ultimate. It doasn't work.
Thnx!!
It worked in windows 7 ultimate also!!!
help!!! I can't copy the patched file to the folder because of security reasons like "you need permission to do this step" please help
Thank you! Worked for Windows 7 too.
It was a little messy the permissions and security stuff but after a while I could delete the original (backed-up) and paste the fixed .dll.
TY!!!!
Excellent! It worked!! Wonderful tutorial. Congratulations!
Changing the proxy settings in IE7IE8 fixed the problem! Thanks!make sure e browser is not on a proxy go to tools/internet options/connection/lan setting and auto detect setting is check not proxy.it works for me i am using windows7 and firefox and did not relize i was on a proxy with ie8
Changing the proxy settings in IE7/IE8 fixed the problem! Thanks!I have windows 7 and use firefox and did not relize the browser was on proxy go to tools/internet options/connection/lan setting and make sure auto detect settings is check.try if that work
i'm using win-xp and install the thoosje sidebar and everytime the sidebar activated there's always a message appear "Zip Code Error,its not a valid zip code" is there anyone could help me,with this problem?
Thanks a lot. It really works.
Can't take owner ship of the file extention, as ticking the 'allow' row in the file properties is not even an option. any solution?
vista is useless.. completely useless!
I can not change the permisions of the dll
it is very nice trick..thanks
AWESOME!!! Thanks ALOT!!!
I wonder if the dll file from Windows 7 works…
I use Vista X64. Per your suggestion I put patched wlsrvc.dll in Program Files (x86)Windows Sidebar folder, but it didn't work either. It keeps saying Getting data.. and Currency gadget says Service not available. Anyone found a resolution to this?
For those who uses Vista 64, the patched wlsrvc.dll is for 32 bit Vista only, so copy it to your Program Files (x86)windows sidebar, and try again.
This fix works perfectly. No special notes here.
Thankyou very much for this fix.
It is a shame that microsoft leave these fixes for other users that don´t have nothing to do with microsoft programmers team lol
Thanks! Worked perfectly!!
I can not change the permisions of the dll
It worked for me,3ks a lot
Surprising it dint work for me either… can u please give me some other suggestion
Any idea why the temperature and weather graphic indicator would not change? I can tell its night or day, but all other information simply never changes (it's been clear and 23 degrees for two months now).
Thanks!
Worked for me, THANKS
suprisingly it didn't work
[...] For users who need to use non-English as system language or locale, there is a hack to make weather gadget works everywhere. [...]