I bought Windows 8 pro but have not yet installed it. I was using Windows 8 RP until it expired on 16th January last week. I installed the Windows Sidebar(Vista Sidebar) on Windows 8 RP and it worked. I did this by copying the Windows Sidebar program file from my Windows Vista computer into Programs on C drive in Windows 8 RP. I also did the same thing on my Windows 7. So I thought that you could just copy both the Windows Sidebar program file from both Windows 7 and Windows Vista into the programs file(on C drive,) on Windows 8 pro and that would work. It worked on all of the Beta versions of Windows 8,so I would have thought that way would work on Windows 8 Pro. As most Windows XP and Windows Vista software such as Windows Mail and Windows Movie Maker 6 and 2.1 work on both Windows 7 and Windows 8. If you transfer the program files from a Windows Vista or Windows XP computer. Can we not do the same thing to get both the Vista Sidebar and Windows 7 gadgets working on Windows 8 Pro?
Andrea: The technically sweet solution to obtaining Sidebar on Windows 8 is '8GadgePack' by Helmut Buhler — link below. His installer has just been updated to the 5th version. So far as I can tell on three 8 systems it works (and updates!) flawlessly. It is particularly notable that, unlike some early hacks, his package also correctly installs and registers the 32-bit component of Sidebar for x64 systems. Thus, for example, Nero's DiscCopy can be made to work in Windows 8, which is a special joy because it remains the coolest gadget ever built. Buhler distributes this package freely, but I do recommend that you make a 'Donation' to reward his brilliance and devotion. Just copy and paste the following URL: 8gadgetpack.bplaced.net
If people would actually read through the forum pages instead of repeating the same link over and over again, that would be awesome. Both S1ave77 and myself have given the link out a couple times....
Well Windows XP does not come with gadgets or a sidebar either. There programs that you can download to give you both sidebars and gadgets on Windows XP as there is on Windows 8. But I would rather have the Microsoft sidebar from Windows Vista or Windows 7. The problem is that the Vista Sidebar depends on Windows gadgets to work on Windows 7.So the programs feature needs to be turned on,otherwise you only get the sidebar with no gadgets.So it's possible that if Windows gadgets has been removed on Windows 8 Pro,the Vista Sidebar won't work. But as I have not installed Windows 8 Pro yet,I don't know if this is the case or not. When I do install it,I will copy the Windows Sidebar program files from both Windows Vista and Windows 7 onto Windows 8 and see if that works.
Could perhaps anybody reupload "Windows Sidebar/Gadgets for Windows 8 RTM 64bit Version" because the links on first page are down and I don't want to install 8GadgetPackSetup50. Windows Sidebar/Gadgets for Windows 8 RTM 32bit Version was working fine. Thank you in advance!
Had a new clean install with latest gadget pack all working fine the 1 day alter without adding any more programs etc this appears at start-up when gadget try to load.