Vista sidebar gadget problem!

[HermitGuy]

Hello all
Here's my problem, when I try to download sidebar gadgets from the Microsoft site the download box comes up but when I click the open button the process seems to start then just disappears. If I click the save button the gadget downloads to my system but Vista does not seem to recognize the file type.
I know Vista is suppose recognize gadget files by default so what have I done to my Vista install that would explain this.
By the way, I use Vista home premium and gadget downloads worked fine up until recently. I can't pinpoint when they stopped working or what I might done to cause this. Other than this my Vista system is working well and sidebar with already installed gadgets is also working fine, so if anyone has any advice or can point me in the right direction I would be thankful.
I have googled this until my fingers have fallen off (I'm now typing with my toes ) and I haven't found any help at Microsoft sites either so help me please someone!!

 

[lxskllr]

If you download a gadget to your desktop or whatever, and then double click it, will it try to install to the sidebar?

 

[HermitGuy]

Thanks for the reply lxskllr,
If I double click the file it comes up with the same dialog box as when I try to download it, if I click open it just repeats its self.
Now I may have caused this, when trying to get windows to recognize the file type I pointed it to IE7 to try to open the file. Before that it was coming up with unknown file type, Sorry I realize I should have put this in my first post.

Thanks Hemitguy.

 

[lxskllr]

Go to your Start Menu, click Default Programs, the list will then be populated. Scroll down until you find the .gadget extension, click the Change Program button up top, then point it to Windows Sidebar. That should get it to open up right.

 

[HermitGuy]

Thanks lxskllr, I just gave that a try but unfortunately with the same results. I'm pretty sure I tried to point it to the sidebar before with no luck but I'm certainly willing to keep trying whatever is suggested to get this fixed.

Thanks Hermitguy

 

[lxskllr]

Hmm, I'm about out of ideas Try opening up the gadget manager(the + at the top of the sidebar) and try using the search box in the upper right corner to see if you can find and install the gadget that way.

 

[HermitGuy]

Well that didn't do it either, I'm also out of ideas I even went so far as to read the Vista sidebar help files but alas no luck. Thanks again for all your help lxskllr if you think of anything else please post it, I would hate to have to try a repair install for something that seems like it should not be that complicated to fix.


Thanks Hemitguy.

 

[lxskllr]

Alright, 1 last try before I put it down for awhile Try right clicking your downloaded gadget, and pick Open With in the context menu, then select Windows Sidebar. I'm thinking this won't work since you already tried setting it up in the default programs list, but it's worth a shot.

One other thing you can try is to go to the default programs list and try setting the sidebar to open gadgets again, then reboot your machine. You shouldn't have to reboot, but maybe that'll make it work.

 

[HermitGuy]

Unfortunately no luck here either, but I have a question. When I go into default programs list I have been going into the associate file type section to set the gadget file to sidebar but shouldn't the sidebar be listed in the set your default programs section?


Thanks Hemitguy.

 

[lxskllr]

Originally posted by: HermitGuy
Unfortunately no luck here either, but I have a question. When I go into default programs list I have been going into the associate file type section to set the gadget file to sidebar but shouldn't the sidebar be listed in the set your default programs section?


Thanks Hemitguy.

No, I don't think so. I guess MS figured there'd only be one sidebar to use, so there isn't a way to change the default, at least on my system.

 

[HermitGuy]

OK, I wanted to ask to make sure I wasn't missing anything. As I said thanks for all your help I'll keep watching this thread if you think of anything please point me to it. Also maybe someone else will have an idea.


Thanks Hemitguy.

 

[lxskllr]

How about trying a system restore to a earlier period? Pick your oldest restore point, and see if the sidebar works right then. If it does you can undo that restore and try a newer one to see if it works. It'll be a little time consuming, but you may be able to narrow it down without losing too many of the good changes you've made to your system.

 

[HermitGuy]

Good idea lxskllr that just might work but I'll have to try it tomorrow evening, its time to hit the sack now I have to be at work early in the morning. I'll post tomorrow night and let you know if it worked, and thanks for continuing to try and find a solution for this.



Thanks Hemitguy.

 

[HermitGuy]

Well I tried system restore to fix this and apparently my oldest restore point isn't old enough so I'm still at square one. Thanks anyway for the idea and help lxskllr if you think of anything else please let me know, meanwhile I'll keep searching for an answer and see what I come up with.
I'm thinking some registry entry got screwed up or deleted somehow but I can't find any details to give me a hint what to look for, everything I come across is on how to make gadgets not how to fix broken gadget file associations.

Thanks Hemitguy.

 

[lxskllr]

See if this page can help


Edit:
You could also try downloading the gadget, extract the contents using 7Zip then copy the directory that's created to C: (or where Vista's installed)/Users/YourName/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows Sidebar/Gadgets

Note that AppData is a hidden file, so you'll need to check show hidden files in the view tab of your directory. I haven't tested this yet, but I think it should work

Edit2:

I forgot 1 step After extracting the gadget using 7Zip(use right click context, and pick extract to "GadgetNameDirectory") rename the directory that was created with a .gadget extension. This worked for me installing a new gadget.

 

[HermitGuy]

That worked thanks lxskllr, you've given me a good work around plus a new zip program my old one still works well for most things but is getting long in the tooth and Doesn't work for gadget files. This will at least give me a way to install gadgets until I can figure out what's wrong with my Vista install.
I think I may have seen something about this method in my search for a sidebar fix, but since I was focused on finding out what's wrong with my sidebar I didn't stop to check it out, dumb of me sometimes I have a tendency to do that, miss something because it's not exactly what I'm looking for.
So yet again let me thank you for all your help, you've gone well beyond what I could have expected and I really appreciate it.

03:05 in the morning, get some sleep man.:Q



Hermitguy

 

[lxskllr]

WOOT!! I'm glad that worked for you. It's not an ideal solution, but installing gadgets isn't an every day activity, so it should be fairly painless. Maybe this'll hold you over until your next Windows install. If I run across the correct fix I'll bump this thread.

Your question got me interested in trying to get the Google NPR gadget working in the Vista sidebar. AmnestyGenerator will convert web gadgets to Vista, but not the stand alone desktop gadgets. I'm hoping I can get it converted over to the sidebar, and that also might make a good tutorial for creating my own gadgets :thumbsup:

 

[HermitGuy]

I'll keep my I on this thread and also post if I find the answer and maybe that way help someone else who needs it.

Good luck with your gadget project.


Hermitguy.