Windows 7 desktop gadgets not working.

[KhunHeineken]

I have done a bit of research and found that Microsoft discontinued service to these desktop gadgets quite a while ago, due to security vulnerabilities.

When the other gadgets I had stopped working, I found these gadgets in the link below and installed the currency meter, weather gadget and network meter. All of them worked great and were really handy. I would reference them everytime at start up.

http://addgadgets.com/

The currency meter and weather gadget have recently stopped working, but the network meter is still working.

I have done all of the trouble shooting advice on the webpage and have uninstalled and reinstalled, more than once. They are still not working.

I didn't realise how much I use these gadgets until they stopped.

I know I can get currency exchanges from websites such as www.xe.com and it's a good website, but it was handy to just have the gadget update when connected to the internet and the figures were there on the desktop.

Do any members have any advice how to fix these gadgets or any other similar gadgets that can be used, or anything else that does a similar job.

I emailed the administrators of the gadget webpage but didn't hear back from them. Maybe the problem is at their end.

I've been using desktop gadgets for years without any virus problems so I am not that worried about the security vulnerabilities with these gadgets.

[kkerry]

Where has my exchange gadget gone

[KhunHeineken]

Where has my exchange gadget gone

Thanks for your reply. I did see that thread. I had the same gadget that the OP in that thread had. It stopped working for me as well. When it stopped, I went to the currency meter from the addgadget website. Now, that has stopped working as well.

I'll check out some of the other options in that thread but was hoping to fix this problem once and for all, if that's possible, rather than keep testing and changing gadgets.

[kkerry]

I looked at a few options and couldn't find a replacement I liked. I especially miss the currency gadget. Now I simply use the XE website on my desktop. XE also have a very good Android smartphone app.

[KhunHeineken]

I looked at a few options and couldn't find a replacement I liked. I especially miss the currency gadget. Now I simply use the XE website on my desktop. XE also have a very good Android smartphone app.

When the old gadget shut down, I didn't have a problem with the currency meter by addgadget, but there was little other options available. Now it's shut down, there doesn't seem to be anything similar to replace it.

I have the XE Android App on my phone. It's a brilliant app. Does anyone know why there isn't a big variety of Windows 7 gadgets? There are a lot of Windows 7 machines around, and they will be around for a while to come.

[slipperylobster]

Rainmeter is free and full of gadgets. Just download it and install a skin. Fun eye candy, but I don't use it anymore. I write small programs with "Autoit". It speaks the exchange rate, newest headline and time whenever I press a hotkey. Can do it at intervals too.

[KhunHeineken]

Rainmeter is free and full of gadgets. Just download it and install a skin. Fun eye candy, but I don't use it anymore. I write small programs with "Autoit". It speaks the exchange rate, newest headline and time whenever I press a hotkey. Can do it at intervals too.

I had a look at their website.

http://rainmeter.net/

I don't see any information about a currency exchange gadget. Do they have one?

[KhunHeineken]

Just wanted to bump this thread up.

Are there no other third party gadgets available, either free, or you can buy?

Apps are hugely popular on phones. I'm sure there is a demand for gadgets that work the same way on Windows 7 desktops.

[Anthony5]

I looked at a few options and couldn't find a replacement I liked. I especially miss the currency gadget. Now I simply use the XE website on my desktop. XE also have a very good Android smartphone app.

When the old gadget shut down, I didn't have a problem with the currency meter by addgadget, but there was little other options available. Now it's shut down, there doesn't seem to be anything similar to replace it.

I have the XE Android App on my phone. It's a brilliant app. Does anyone know why there isn't a big variety of Windows 7 gadgets? There are a lot of Windows 7 machines around, and they will be around for a while to come.

I also switched to currency meter when the Windows exchange gadget stopped working, and I found it an improvement over the Windows gadget, but indeed it has stopped working.

I also notice that when you try to download it again, the AVG version link on the site doesn't respond when you click on it. I think it must be something on their side.

[kkerry]

Here's why you can no longer use gadgets

Microsoft urging customers to disable Windows gadgets

[lascetic]

Just wanted to bump this thread up.

Are there no other third party gadgets available, either free, or you can buy?

Apps are hugely popular on phones. I'm sure there is a demand for gadgets that work the same way on Windows 7 desktops.

I have posted some links to free substitutions, but my post was curiously deleted, which seems to happen a lot in this forum. If it is alright with the administrators I could re-post it, but they would have to confirm first that it is alright. Otherwise, anyone interested can PM me.

[KhunHeineken]

Just wanted to bump this thread up.

Are there no other third party gadgets available, either free, or you can buy?

Apps are hugely popular on phones. I'm sure there is a demand for gadgets that work the same way on Windows 7 desktops.

I have posted some links to free substitutions, but my post was curiously deleted, which seems to happen a lot in this forum. If it is alright with the administrators I could re-post it, but they would have to confirm first that it is alright. Otherwise, anyone interested can PM me.

I have no idea why your post would have been deleted. Please post again. I also sent you a PM.

[KhunHeineken]

Here's why you can no longer use gadgets

Microsoft urging customers to disable Windows gadgets

I read your link. All I can say is I have been using them for years, with a decent paid version of antivirus, and have never had a problem.

It makes me a little suspicious that Microsoft discontinued them to push people from Windows 7 to Windows 8, which is full of tiles,widgets, gadgets etc, as are smartphones.

There's probably a demand out there and it's surprising you can't buy them in a similar way you can buy an app for your phone.

I know Windows 7 will not be around forever, but it will be around for several years to come.

[NanLaew]

I had a fair few of addgadget's 'gadgets' on my laptop but over the years, they have all slowly gone bad, deaf or just don't work at all. Re-installations invariably fail. Apart from the fact that the worlds leading software doesn't support them any more, I think they started failing over subsequent upgrades to third-party video drivers, graphics and what have you. Addgadgets never, ever respond to questions as they probably know they are flogging a dead horse already. There's better things for a Bangalore coding shop to come up with.

Although they could be described as 'handy' they never really were an invaulable tool for work or play, just some flashy desktop eye candy IMHO.

RIP

[smedly]

Desktop Ticker - is an RSS application you can use instead which shows streaming news and exchange rates (using yahoo finance GBPTHB=X) you can add as many as you like and stream them across the top of your screen

as for weather - this one is still live http://win7gadgets.com/weather/the_weather_channel_vista_sidebar_gadget.html

glad I could help

sorry was being lazy here is the link http://www.battware.co.uk/

[smedly]

I had a fair few of addgadget's 'gadgets' on my laptop but over the years, they have all slowly gone bad, deaf or just don't work at all. Re-installations invariably fail. Apart from the fact that the worlds leading software doesn't support them any more, I think they started failing over subsequent upgrades to third-party video drivers, graphics and what have you. Addgadgets never, ever respond to questions as they probably know they are flogging a dead horse already. There's better things for a Bangalore coding shop to come up with.

Although they could be described as 'handy' they never really were an invaulable tool for work or play, just some flashy desktop eye candy IMHO.

RIP

gadgets with data require a data source to stay live more often than not provided by the author having a server that the look up or had an account to a source to look up - once that source is gone then the data will no longer be available

[NanLaew]

I had a fair few of addgadget's 'gadgets' on my laptop but over the years, they have all slowly gone bad, deaf or just don't work at all. Re-installations invariably fail. Apart from the fact that the worlds leading software doesn't support them any more, I think they started failing over subsequent upgrades to third-party video drivers, graphics and what have you. Addgadgets never, ever respond to questions as they probably know they are flogging a dead horse already. There's better things for a Bangalore coding shop to come up with.

Although they could be described as 'handy' they never really were an invaulable tool for work or play, just some flashy desktop eye candy IMHO.

RIP

gadgets with data require a data source to stay live more often than not provided by the author having a server that the look up or had an account to a source to look up - once that source is gone then the data will no longer be available

Not a case of gadgets opening but not displaying data. It's a case of gadgets that start freezing, inactive setup buttons, don't load properly or don't display anything recognizable after a re-install.

Don't miss them at all now.

[smedly]

I had a fair few of addgadget's 'gadgets' on my laptop but over the years, they have all slowly gone bad, deaf or just don't work at all. Re-installations invariably fail. Apart from the fact that the worlds leading software doesn't support them any more, I think they started failing over subsequent upgrades to third-party video drivers, graphics and what have you. Addgadgets never, ever respond to questions as they probably know they are flogging a dead horse already. There's better things for a Bangalore coding shop to come up with.

Although they could be described as 'handy' they never really were an invaulable tool for work or play, just some flashy desktop eye candy IMHO.

RIP

gadgets with data require a data source to stay live more often than not provided by the author having a server that the look up or had an account to a source to look up - once that source is gone then the data will no longer be available

Not a case of gadgets opening but not displaying data. It's a case of gadgets that start freezing, inactive setup buttons, don't load properly or don't display anything recognizable after a re-install.

Don't miss them at all now.

why even bother with that reply, I clearly stated above it is the data source that has gone not the gadget, you have also removed half of my earlier post offering people a working viable alternative

what is the point of your reply ? I wonder if people just like to hear themselves on here.

[a99az]

Easy solution get a Mac

[lascetic]

Like I said earlier, there are few alternatives, but my post where I mentioned them was deleted. Please PM me if you want to know them.

[NanLaew]

I had a fair few of addgadget's 'gadgets' on my laptop but over the years, they have all slowly gone bad, deaf or just don't work at all. Re-installations invariably fail. Apart from the fact that the worlds leading software doesn't support them any more, I think they started failing over subsequent upgrades to third-party video drivers, graphics and what have you. Addgadgets never, ever respond to questions as they probably know they are flogging a dead horse already. There's better things for a Bangalore coding shop to come up with.

Although they could be described as 'handy' they never really were an invaulable tool for work or play, just some flashy desktop eye candy IMHO.

RIP

gadgets with data require a data source to stay live more often than not provided by the author having a server that the look up or had an account to a source to look up - once that source is gone then the data will no longer be available

Not a case of gadgets opening but not displaying data. It's a case of gadgets that start freezing, inactive setup buttons, don't load properly or don't display anything recognizable after a re-install.

Don't miss them at all now.

why even bother with that reply, I clearly stated above it is the data source that has gone not the gadget, you have also removed half of my earlier post offering people a working viable alternative

what is the point of your reply ? I wonder if people just like to hear themselves on here.

I was responding to your 2-line post and haven't removed anything from any of your posts and done nothing to edit your 'working viable alternative'. As far as I can see, that post still stands but maybe a Mod has removed something else. I am not a Mod.

You have clearly misunderstood the issues that I experienced with widgets. You assumed that they load up properly and just don't update as if the data stream has disappeared. This is probably your experience.

I refer to them loading but the 'Options' button no longer working or, after uninstalling, downloading the newest version and installing that, the widget doesn't even display correctly and usually looks like a small pink square with absolutely no graphics. That is my experience.

Let me know if this is a (still) problem for you.

[Anthony5]

For those who like the Currency meter gadget, which stopped working, here is a work around.

http://win7gadgets.com/tools-utillities/currency_meter.html

[smedly]

gadgets with data require a data source to stay live more often than not provided by the author having a server that the look up or had an account to a source to look up - once that source is gone then the data will no longer be available

Not a case of gadgets opening but not displaying data. It's a case of gadgets that start freezing, inactive setup buttons, don't load properly or don't display anything recognizable after a re-install.

Don't miss them at all now.

why even bother with that reply, I clearly stated above it is the data source that has gone not the gadget, you have also removed half of my earlier post offering people a working viable alternative

what is the point of your reply ? I wonder if people just like to hear themselves on here.

I was responding to your 2-line post and haven't removed anything from any of your posts and done nothing to edit your 'working viable alternative'. As far as I can see, that post still stands but maybe a Mod has removed something else. I am not a Mod.

You have clearly misunderstood the issues that I experienced with widgets. You assumed that they load up properly and just don't update as if the data stream has disappeared. This is probably your experience.

I refer to them loading but the 'Options' button no longer working or, after uninstalling, downloading the newest version and installing that, the widget doesn't even display correctly and usually looks like a small pink square with absolutely no graphics. That is my experience.

Let me know if this is a (still) problem for you.

yes sorry about that you do indeed seem to have another issue that being the case - if the widget doesn't even open as opposed to just not showing data or showing server error, using the stock meter as suggested above instead of currency meter works fine....... GBPTHB=X will display currency

[KhunHeineken]

Could someone tell me why their Stock Meter works but their weather and currency gadgets don't?

[MikeWill]

Thank you Anthony5

[KhunHeineken]

A quick update.

I checked the Add Gadget website today and found a new version of the Currency Meter had been released. "Last updated 2nd April 2015"

http://addgadgets.com/

I installed it and it works.

I then installed the weather gadget and it's working again as well.

[MikeWill]

What is the version number of that new version of the Currency Meter?

[KhunHeineken]

What is the version number of that new version of the Currency Meter?

It says Version 1.3.

It's says, "NEW!" next to "Last Updated."

[MikeWill]

Sorry KhunHeineken, you're right. The Currency Meter was updated, but we are here speaking about Stock Meter. It's implementation for use as a Currency Meter.

[lascetic]

A quick update.

I checked the Add Gadget website today and found a new version of the Currency Meter had been released. "Last updated 2nd April 2015"

http://addgadgets.com/

I installed it and it works.

I then installed the weather gadget and it's working again as well.

Thanks a lot for the update. Nothing like old good currency meter.