How To Uninstall Gadgets In Windows 7

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How To Uninstall Gadgets In Windows 7

Gadgets, which is just another word for small applications, have been improved in Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 7. Introduced in Windows Vista and restricted to a sidebar in the operating system they have been freed in Windows 7 from that restriction so that they can be placed anywhere on the screen.

Gadgets are installed just like other applications with the difference that they are added to the gadget listing and the desktop automatically.

The first question that may arise is about the save location. Where are gadgets stored?

There are, as usually, two answers to this. It depends if the gadget has been installed system wide or only for a specific user.

• Systemwide gadgets: All gadgets of this kind are usable and accessible by all system users. They are stored in the folders C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Shared Gadgets, C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets or for 64-bit systems in the folders C:\Program Files (x86! )\Windows Sidebar\Shared Gadgets and C:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets
• User specific gadgets are installed only for, and usually by, a user of the system. These gadgets are stored in the user folder, more precisely under C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets

Gadgets are stored as .gadget files which are basically zip archives that have been renamed.

How to uninstall gadgets

The best option is to uninstall them in the gadgets menu. A right-click on the desktop and the selection of Gadgets opens that menu. All installed gadgets are displayed and it is possible to activate them here or uninstall them. A right-click on a gadget opens a context menu with options to uninstall the selected gadget from ! the operating system.

A confirmation dialog is displayed with options to go ahead with the uninstallation or cancel it.

It can happen that a gadget cannot be uninstalled properly from the gadgets interface. Deleting the file in the gadgets directory is then an option to remove it from the operating system.

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Post tags: Gadgets, uninstall gadgets, windows 7 gadgets, windows 7 tips, windows sidebar

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