Desktop gadgets were useful widgets that could be added to the Windows Vista and Windows 7 desktop to improve productivity. They’re long gone, but don’t worry—you can add desktop widgets to Windows 10 using these third-party tools.
Hold On, What Are Windows Gadgets?
It might seem difficult to appreciate ten years later, but desktop gadgets were popular at the time. Capable of displaying the time, weather, sticky notes, and even CPU speed, these widgets were essentially mini apps that could be positioned around the desktop (mostly down the right-hand side, however). They would also hide behind your main apps, acting as if part of the desktop background.
Pretty useful, right?
Unfortunately, with the arrival of Windows 8, these widgets were abandoned. Suddenly, you couldn’t instantly see what time it was in your Hong Kong office, or get RSS feeds on the desktop. Instead, this sort of information was combined into live tiles on Windows 8, and to a lesser extent, Windows 10.
Fortunately, with the return to a dominant desktop on Windows 10 (as opposed to the Start Screen-first approach of Windows 8), gadgets and similar tools can be restored.
Oct 11, 2018 You’ll see that gadgets have been added to Control Panel Appearance and Personalization (see our guide to Windows 10 settings How to Control Windows 10: The Settings Guide for more information on personalization settings), and you can add them to the desktop by clicking-and-dragging them into place. Jun 04, 2017 Weather Forecast Application Windows 10 How to display weather forecast from my location or from any city. How to display two or more weather forecast on start menu. Weather App for Windows 10. Mar 10, 2018 BEST GUIDE: Add Desktop Gadgets and Widgets to Windows 10. If the issue is with your Computer or a Laptop you should try using Reimage Plus which can scan the repositories and replace corrupt and missing files. This works in most cases, where the issue is originated due to a. Sep 26, 2016 Does MS Windows 10 back in a comfortable thing as gadgets for desktop? I need a clock, calendar and weather on desktop. They are lacking!!!.Post moved by the moderator to the appropriate forum category.
Security Vulnerabilities Killed Windows Gadgets
A key reason why Microsoft opted to drop Gadgets from later versions of Windows was security related.
In 2012, Microsoft announced that vulnerabilities in its Gadgets could allow the running of Remote Code Execution, in which a remote attacker can gain access to your PC. They noted that:
Using both of these attacks, the hacker could run code under your account profile (potentially opening backdoors for other malware) or even hijack your entire PC. A fix was released to disable the Windows Sidebar and the Gadgets in Windows Vista and Windows 7. A few weeks later, Windows 8 was released, and the Gadgets were no more.
There’s no reason to let hackers limit your productivity, however. It’s time to bring some new widgets onto your Windows 10 desktop.
Get New Gadgets in Windows 10 With Widgets HD
Available from the Microsoft Store, Widgets HD lets you put widgets on the Windows 10 desktop. Simply install the app, run it, and click the widget that you want to see. Once loaded, widgets can be repositioned on the Windows 10 desktop, and the main app “closed” (although it remains in your system tray).
As with the Windows Vista widgets, hovering your mouse over the widgets reveals an X button to close it. You may even see a Settings cog, for making customizations. For instance, the weather and clock widgets let you select your location; the weather widget also lets you choose Fahrenheit or Celcius.
While free, the app offers in-app purchases of additional widget types. These include a news feed, picture gallery, internet speed test, and more.
(Note that earlier versions of the app didn’t allow individual widgets to be placed on the desktop, accounting for some poor review scores.)
Download: Widgets HD (Free, with in-app purchases)
Windows Desktop Gadgets
Probably my favorite solution, if only because it is so straightforward and light on resources, is Windows Desktop Gadgets. This solution is designed to work with multiple languages, which can be added in the installation wizard.
The DesktopgadgetsRevived-2.0.exe must be extracted from the downloaded ZIP file before running, and once installed, traditional Windows Vista/7 style gadgets can be accessed by right-clicking your desktop and selecting Gadgets.
You’ll see that gadgets have been added to Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization (see our guide to Windows 10 settingsThe Windows 10 Settings Guide: How to Do Anything and EverythingThe Windows 10 Settings Guide: How to Do Anything and EverythingDo you know your way around the Settings app in Windows 10? Here's everything you need to know.Read More for more information on personalization settings), and you can add them to the desktop by clicking-and-dragging them into place.
Once installed, you’ll see that this is essentially a replacement for the original gadgets. As you’d expect, clicking the cog icon in the corner accesses settings, enabling you to resize and configure each gadget. It’s essentially the original Windows Desktop Gadgets, repackaged to run with Windows 10 (and Windows 8).
Download: Windows Desktop Gadgets (Free)
8GadgetPack
Another lightweight option, 8GadgetPack is free and enables users to run gadgets in Windows 8.x and Windows 10.
To use 8GadgetPack, visit the link and download the MSI file via the link on the right-side of the page, and install it. Once open, simply click the + button to open the list of gadgets and drag these to your desktop. Although a Windows Vista-style sidebar is included, the gadgets are not limited to this location.
Again, each gadget features an options screen. Here, you can set colors, location, and other data to configure the gadget to your purposes. Once you’re done, you should end up with a selection of useful gadgets to boost your productivity!
Download: 8GadgetPack (Free)
Get Contemporary Desktop Gadgets With Rainmeter
If those screenshots of the old-style desktop gadgets aren’t exactly floating your boat, you have another option. Rainmeter is a tool for customizing the Windows desktopHow to Customize Windows 10: The Complete GuideHow to Customize Windows 10: The Complete GuideYou decorate your office – why not your computer? Find out how to make Windows look just the way you want. Make your computer your own, with free tools.Read More.
Weather Channel App For Windows 10 Deskt…
Among its features is the ability to introduce information to the desktop, such as a clock, live hardware statistics, current and forecast weather, and more. You can basically use Rainmeter to display everything that gadgets do, but with considerable style.
Now, if you’re happy with the gadgets options above, then by all means stick with them. Rainmeter opens a whole new world of stuff to install and tweak, and if you’re purely looking for gadgets to improve productivity you need to be aware. Configuring Rainmeter can be a massive time sink, so keep things as simple as possible.
You can start with our guide on installing and using RainmeterGeeking Out Your Windows Desktop The Non-Geeky Way With RainmeterGeeking Out Your Windows Desktop The Non-Geeky Way With RainmeterThis 'less geeky version of GeekTool' for Windows allows its users to add and display a variety of modules on the desktop such as a clock, the date, CPU load, RSS feeds, and more.Read More. If you’re looking for results as in the image above, however, you’re in luck. Rainmeter installs with a default theme, illustro, which gives you those widgets and a few more.
Download: Rainmeter for Windows 10 (Free)
Will You Use These New Desktop Gadget Apps?
Each of these solutions is worth trying and can help improve productivity. For instance, using a clock set to a foreign time zone can be invaluable when collaborating with people overseas, or just checking that your aunt in New Zealand is awake before you call.
So, desktop gadgets can still be added to Windows 10. Who knew? It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, though. Various “lost” features can be reinstated thanks to third-party apps. For example, the Aero Glass software brings restores the glass effect in Windows 10. Want more customizations? Find out how to set animated backgrounds in Windows 10.
And if you feel like your desktop looks a bit clutteredThe 7 Best Free Alternatives to Fences for Windows Desktop ManagementThe 7 Best Free Alternatives to Fences for Windows Desktop ManagementIs your Windows desktop a little messy? Here are free desktop management apps that can help you organize your virtual clutter.Read More, look into this tool:
Explore more about: Windows 10, Windows Customization, Windows Tricks.
If you are new to Windows OS and its latest version, Windows 10, you’ll need to learn some basics so that you can finish the tasks on your PC easily and more effectively. In this post, we are going to show you how to create desktop shortcuts in Windows 10.
For those who are using Windows for years, this is pretty basic, but it may be super useful for those who are new to this OS. By creating a desktop shortcut, you will be able to access your favorite apps, programs, files, folders, and even websites – with ease. Just place the shortcut on the desktop, click on it, and voila.
There is also an option to pin apps and programs to the taskbar. This is ideal for the things you are using every day for several times, such as File Explorer, internet browser, Skype, etc. For some other things you love, there is also a solution for easy access, and that is creating of desktop shortcuts.
We are going to show you all – how to create desktop shortcuts for apps and programs, for files, folders, and websites.
See also: How To Run Windows Defender Offline In Windows 10 Creators Update
Weather Channel Desktop Windows 10How to create desktop shortcuts in Windows 10 the easy way
Windows 10 made many things a lot simpler, including the way in which you can create desktop shortcuts and access your favorite apps and programs. There is no need to search for the .exe file from your desktop. Here is what you need to do.
Click on the Start button. Browse through the list of apps and programs, and find the one for which you want to create a shortcut.
Now that you find it, left-click on it and drag it to your desktop. Just one note, drag it right away because if you wait once you click, the app or program will open.
For instance, I want to create a desktop shortcut for the Netflix app. This is what you’ll see when you left click on the app and start dragging process.
Just keep dragging it towards the desktop.
When you reach the desktop area, release the button on your mouse. That’s it. The shortcut is made! You can now drag the icon and place it exactly where you want on your desktop.
How to create desktop shortcuts in Windows 10: Live tiles
If there is a live tile for which you want to create a desktop shortcut, the steps are the same.
Click on the start button. Find the live tile for which you want to create a shortcut. For instance, you can place the shortcut for weather. Left-click on it, and as soon as you click, drag it towards the desktop. This is how it will look like when you start dragging it.
When you reach the desktop area, release the button. There you go – the weather shortcut is on your desktop.
How to create desktop shortcuts in Windows 10: Files and folders
As you can see, creating desktop shortcuts for apps and programs is super simple, But, you can create desktop shortcuts for files and folders as well. Let’s see how to do that.
Go to your desktop and right-click on the empty area. Next, click New > Shortcut.
In the new window, click browse so that you can find the location of your file or folder.
Select the file or folder and then click OK.
When the location is added, click Next. Now you need to name the shortcut. Add the name and click Finish.
Add Weather To Desktop Windows 10
A desktop shortcut is now created.
How to create desktop shortcuts in Windows 10: Websites
One more thing. If there is a website you love and want to create a desktop shortcut for it for the easy access, we are going to show you how to do just that.
Again, go to your desktop, right-click on the empty area, choose New > Shortcut. In the next window, type the address in the box. For instance: www.technobezz.com.
Click next. Now add the name, and click Finish. That’s it. The shortcut was made!
Time And Temp On Desktop
Now you know how to create desktop shortcuts in Windows 10. We have covered it all, shortcuts for apps and programs, live tiles, file and folders, and even websites. Follow our guide and place your favorites on the desktop for the easy access.
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