Windows 10: Is Microsoft restoring Windows 7 Gadgets feature in Windows 11?

Microsoft introduced support for gadgets, small apps that ran directly on the desktop, in Windows Vista. Gadgets were limited to a sidebar in Windows Vista and unlocked in Windows 7, so that users could place them everywhere on the desktop.

Microsoft did retire gadgets in Windows 8, stating that they were security risks. A report by Windows Central suggests that Microsoft is working on bringing the prime Windows 7 gadgets functionality back in some way.

Windows 11 features a Widgets panel that users may activate to display news, weather information, stock market news, sports scores and now also third-party widgets. All widgets are limited to a place in the widgets panel currently, but this could change soon.

According to Windows Central, Microsoft considers adding an option to Windows 11's Widgets feature to pin widgets to the desktop. Users would be able to pin their favorite widgets to the desktop, so that they are displayed all the time on the desktop. Widgets pinned this way may be placed everywhere on the desktop according to the report.

Microsoft hopes, according to Windows Central, that the new option to pin widgets improves the engagement with widgets.

Microsoft has not confirmed the feature nor has it been introduced in any of the Insider builds that are available currently. The change could improve the visibility of Widgets, considering that information is then displayed on the desktop, which removes the need to activate the Widgets panel.

Gadgets were popular on Windows 7 especially. Gadgets would display hardware information, music player controls, photos, and other bits on the desktop directly.

It would be ironic if Microsoft would launch the feature in the near future and remove the entire Widgets interface again in Windows 12 or another upcoming version of Windows 11.

Closing Words

Widgets is a controversial feature in Windows 11. Some users like it, especially the weather information on the taskbar, others have no use for it. The icon can be removed easily from the Windows 11 taskbar.

The change has not been confirmed yet by Microsoft and needs to be considered a rumor for now. It would make sense though to improve the functionality of Widgets further and fits right into other Widgets changes that Microsoft is testing or has introduced already.

Now You: do you use Widgets? What is your take on the desktop pinning feature?

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Windows 7 top feature request list leaked to the public

With Windows still managing to find its way to over 95 percent of the desktop computers sold each year, it's not surprising that one can find plenty of people interested in giving their feedback about what future versions of Windows should be able to do.

A few years ago, before Windows Vista had even shipped, Microsoft sent out a wish list form asking people what features they would like to see in the next version of Windows, currently code-named Windows 7. The top wished-for features in this list were recently leaked to the public and have popped up at various sites (e.g., Neowin). While anonymous sources at Microsoft tell us that they bear no relationship to the actual feature set Microsoft is currently writing for Windows 7, the list does provide interesting insight into what the Windows-using public most wants from Windows.

The features are listed in no particular order, but they break down into various categories depending on what part of Windows the feature request falls under. Many requests for improvements in Internet Explorer, such as a session restore function, are fairly obvious wishes for features that already exist in competitive products such as Firefox and Opera. Other suggestions, such as a tabbed Windows Explorer, look for features from web browsers to migrate into the general user interface.





Some of the feature requests are clearly unrealistic, such as the desire to "back up" Xbox 360 games to the PC (yeah, I don't think Microsoft will be doing that one). Others are minor user interface enhancements that would be nice additions but wouldn't really change the Windows experience, such as a progress bar when hibernating the system. However, there are a few that make good sense and would be welcome additions to the operating system, such as a built-in video and audio codec manager.

A Windows 7 insider who wishes to remain anonymous told Ars that the leaked feature list was gathered before any real development on Windows 7 was started, and readers should not expect to see requests from the list necessarily implemented in Microsoft’s next major Windows release.

 

Issue with Windows 7 Gadgets

For some strange reason, my Windows 7 gadgets (Weather, GMail, etc) can no longer connect to the internet and update themselves. I have added both sidebar exe files (C : \Program Files and C : \Program Files x86) to the Windows Firewall Exceptions list. It is the same issue even when UAC is enabled. What could be causing this? Thanks for any help.

I also just realized that my Windows Update is not working as well, so that may be a related issue.