HelpWindows7.com

[IBM]

I have just installed my windows 7 on my computer. All the features are working except my windows Sidebar. What should I do?

[gabriel]

Windows 7 sidebar does not work if User Account Control is enabled.
Here is a fix
Replace With Windows Vista Sidebar Components
In order to enable windows 7 sidebar you have to use the Windows Sidebar components from Vista that supports Windows Sidebar that can be run even if User Account Control is turned off

Try the following steps to do this:

(1)Close all sidebar gadgets on Windows 7 desktop.
(2) You have to take ownership of the folder C:/Program Files/Windows Sidebar and grant administrator user group full control of the file.
Steps to take ownership of a file
· Open Windows Explorer window--> locate the files or folders that you want to take ownership and grant access permissions--> Right click on the file or directory-->Properties-->Security tab-->Advanced.
· In Advanced Security Settings click on “Owner” tab-->Edit--> Highlight your account name --> Apply--> Click the OK button 3 times leaving you at the file Properties box under Security tab where you started.
· Click Edit button-->highlight your user name and check the box “ Full Control “, press OK, then press YES.

(3)Make a backup of the files sidebar.exe, settings.ini and the folder en-us (sbdrop.dll.mui
Sidebar.exe.mui)
(4)Download Win7-Sidebar-Fix.zip.
http://www.ziddu.com/download/3042059/Win7-Sidebar-Fix.zip.html
(5)Extract and copy the contents of the ZIP file to sidebar folder, then rename or delete the existing files sidebar.exe, settings.ini.

[luke]

You can also fix this issue by editing windows 7 registry
Here are the steps to turn on UAC
(1)Click-->Start-->Run-->Type regedit and press Enter.
(2) Navigate to the following key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Sidebar\Settings
(3) Rt Click in right side of Registry editor.--> New -->DWORD(32 Bit Value)and set value as 1 for the field “AllowElevatedProcess”

(4) Close registry editor--> Rt click on desktop --> add desktop gadgets.

[felix]

For windows users, who do not want to edit the registry manually, download AllowElevatedProcess.reg and double click on it to automatically add the registry entry.

[kieran]

UAC is turned off by default because Microsoft wants to make sure windows users do not install any malicious unsigned gadget in windows 7.

[Stray_Mongrel]

I am having the identical problem, and activating the UAC is not fixing it. I even made the registry entry, and it still remains non-functional. It was working fine until today, and the only changes I made were using Windows Update.

Windows 7 has been a nightmare for me from day one.