Fig 1.0 Left click on the PROPERTIES menu-item to bring up..... |
Fig 1.1 .....the Properties window of the Windows Sidebar. |
| WINDOWS SIDEBAR |
Windows Sidebar is a window that sits on either the left-side or right-side of the desktop and acts like
a toolbar. However. Unlike a toolbar, where it has pre-defined tools on it, Windows Sidebar allows you
to download/install ready-made tools (known as Gadgets) onto it. Gadgets are more than tools. They can
be Games, Utilities, Information and so on.
Before you start downloading/installing Gadgets to put onto the sidebar you first need to make sure the
sidebar properties (settings) are the way you want them. This is acheived by right-clicking on the
sidebar's icon, in the Notification Area (next to the Clock), to bring up its Options menu and then
left-clicking on the PROPERTIES menu-item.
|
Fig 1.0 Left click on the PROPERTIES menu-item to bring up..... |
Fig 1.1 .....the Properties window of the Windows Sidebar. |
In the above example (Fig 1.0) the sidebar is solid grey. This is because I have the SIDEBAR IS ALWAYS
ON TOP OF OTHER WINDOWS setting ticked which means the sidebar will be on top of all other windows,
as the sidebar is also a window, and therefore will always be the topmost window. By unticking
SIDEBAR IS ALWAYS ON TOP OF OTHER WINDOWS (Fig 1.1) the sidebar will be more transparent (Fig 1.2 below)
but this will also mean any window can hide the sidebar when it is on top of the sidebar.
When you untick the SIDEBAR IS ALWAYS ON TOP OF OTHER WINDOWS setting, for example, the APPLY button
becomes available. However. If you are changing settings in general and then want to APPLY those changes
it is better to click on the OK button instead - It will APPLY the changes you have made and then exit
the Properties window. The only other setting of interest here is the START SIDEBAR WHEN WINDOWS STARTS
setting which tells Windows Vista to launch the Windows Sidebar when it goes through its startup process,
when you start/restart the computer. The LEFT and RIGHT radio (circle) buttons allow you to decide
which side of the desktop you want the sidebar on.
With the sidebar properties (settings) out of the way the next thing to do is get rid of any gadgets you do not want on the sidebar and to change, if necessary, the options of the gadgets you do want on the sidebar. Windows Vista by default puts the Clock, Slide Show and Feed Headlines gadgets onto the sidebar. If you do not want one, or more, of these gadgets simply right click on each one in turn to bring up its Options menu and then left click on its CLOSE GADGET menu-item. Alternatively. Hover over each one in turn, so that its X becomes available, and left click on that X. The X means close/remove the gadget.
Fig 1.2 Hover over a gadget and then left click on its X..... |
Fig 1.3 .....Or right click over a gadget and then select CLOSE GADGET |
In the above example I closed/removed all of the default gadgets except the Clock gadget and then added the Calendar gadget.
To add a gadget to the sidebar you first need to see what gadgets you have available/installed by either right clicking in an empty area of the sidebar or by right clicking over a gadget. This will bring up an Options menu where you then left click on the ADD GADGETS menu-item. This in turn will bring up the Gadgets window.
Fig 1.4 Right click over sidebar - Select ADD GADGETS |
Fig 1.5 The Gadgets window will appear after selecting ADD GADGETS |
With the Gadgets window open (Fig 1.5 above) simply double click on a gadget to put it on the sidebar. In this example I double clicked on the Calendar gadget. When you have finished adding gadgets close the gadgets window by clicking on its, red, X (Close) button.
Fig 1.6 Drag & Drop (move) a gadget into position |
Fig 1.7 Click on top of the Calendar to open it |
Fig 1.8 View MAY 2009 |
When a gadget is first added to the sidebar it will appear on the top of all other gadgets, but it can
be moved. In this example the Calendar gadget was on top of the Clock gadget (Fig 1.6 above) but by
using the Drag & Drop technique it is possible to move the Calendar below the Clock.
Drag & Drop - Place the mouse pointer towards the top or bottom of a gadget, depending on the gadget,
and then left click on that spot. Hold the click (keep the left mouse button pressed down on that spot)
while you move (drag) the mouse pointer downwards. When the gadget is in position, underneath one or
more other gadgets, simply let go of the left mouse button (drop/release the gadget).
In Fig 1.7 above, after moving the Calendar gadget underneath the Clock gadget, I clicked near JULY
2008 to display the calendar (July 2008) dates. To close the calendar dates all I need to do is click
on today's date (number 26). And If I want to go backwards and forwards between Months/Years I can
click on the month/year heading (Jul 2008) and then use the Back (Left) Arrow and Forward (Right)
Arrow for navigation.
Although gadgets have common elements they are also different from each other, especially in the way
they operate (display, set options and so on). This is purely because they have different tasks to do.
For example. If I want the Clock to have more transparency I simply right click over it, to bring up
its Options menu, and then select OPACITY at 80% (Fig 1.11 below). However. If I want to change its
settings I either have to click on its Spanner (Settings) icon (Fig 1.9 below) or right click over it
and then select its OPTIONS menu-item (Fig 1.10 below). The settings for the Clock allow you to change
its Name, Time Zone (using the TIME ZONE drop-down menu) and Face (using the Left/Right Arrows) with
the option of having a Seconds Hand.
Fig 1.9 Click on the Spanner (Settings) button,..... |
Fig 1.10 .....or right click over the gadget and select OPTIONS, to change its settings. |
Fig 1.11 Select OPACITY and then 80% for more transparency |
Fig 1.12 Click on the OK button to apply any changes |
In Fig 1.12 above I gave the Clock a name of UK and set its time zone to GMT. The beauty of Windows Sidebar is that you can add the same gadget type but with different settings. This next example shows how this could be useful.
| DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL GADGETS |
To get the best out of the Windows Sidebar visit the Windows Vista Gallery (http://vista.gallery.microsoft.com/vista/SideBar.aspx?mkt=en-gb),
for some really useful/excelent/time saving/money saving gadgets. One of my favorites is the Post Office
(Royal Mail) gadget that allows you to enter a weight (i.e. a Letter's weight) before telling you its
Postage & Packaging price. Saves a trip to the busy Post Office!
Once you are on the Windows Vista Gallery website you can then start searching for a gadget. Or you
could look through the Top Rated gadgets and Top Downloads gadgets if you are just browsing the
website. In this example I have typed Royal Mail into the SEARCH Edit Box and then clicked on the
SEARCH button, to find the Post Office gadget.
As you can see. In this example there is only one Royal Mail gadget. If I would of searched for a Calculator
for example I would of got results for Standard Calculators, Calory Calculators, Calculators with Big
Numbers, Scientific Calculators and so on. Now that I have found the gadget I want I can download it
by clicking on the DOWNLOAD button.
Normally you would investigate the gadget for security reasons and for more information, by clicking
on its Name link. However. I have used this gadget in the past and know it to be reliable and secure.
If a gadget has been submitted to the gallery without that gadget and/or its publisher being verified,
for whatever reason(s), a warning message will appear.
If you do get a warning message you can always click on the DONT INSTALL button and then click on the gadget's Name link to find out more information. The Royal Mail gadget is not unverified and as I said above I fnd it very reliable and secure. Below is just example of how to use the Name link.
Fig 2.3 Click on the Name link..... |
Fig 2.4 .....to find out more information about the gadget. |
After clicking on the DOWNLOAD button (Fig 2.1 above), and clicking on INSTALL if need be (Fig 2.2 above), the next thing to do is either SAVE (download only) the gadget file or OPEN it (Install it only - Windows Vista downloads it into the Temporary folder). Here is the SAVE method.
Clicking on INSTALL (Fig 2.9 above) will install the actual gadget straight onto the sidebar, ready for use (Fig 2.10 above). With the OPEN method (below) the gadget file is downloaded into the Temporary folder (by Windows Vista) and then installed straight onto the sidebar, ready for use.
The above OPEN method is when the publisher of the gadget has been verified. If a publisher has not been verified you get the following warnings after clicking on the OPEN button above (Fig 2.11).
With the Windows Vista Gallery being run by Microsoft there are certain guidelines (i.e. Why Was My Submission Rejected?) that publishers must follow, therefore I think it is safe to assume Unknown Publisher gadgets are reliable and secure. Remember though, the decision to install any gadget is yours!
| UNINSTALL A GADGET |
To uninstall a gadget first click on the + sign at the top of the sidebar to open the Gadgets window. Or simply right click on the sidebar and then left click on the ADD GADGETS menu-item (as shown in Figures 1.4 and 1.5 above). With the Gadgets window open, right click over the gadget you want to uninstall (Fig 3.1 below) and then select (left click on) the UNINSTALL menu-item. A requester will then appear (Fig 3.2 below) asking you to confirm the uninstall.
If you uninstall one or more of the default gadgets, do not worry! You can restore the default gadgets, as well as any other gadgets recently uninstalled, by clicking on the RESTORE GADGETS INSTALLED WITH WINDOWS button in the Properties window. Begin by right clicking on the sidebar and then select the PROPERTIES menu-item to bring up the Properties window (as shown in Figures 1.0 and 1.1 above). From there, click on the RESTORE GADGETS INSTALLED WITH WINDOWS button to restore the gadgets.
The Windows Vista Gallery has many gadgets covered - Prayer Times, Ebay, The Weather, Calculators, News, Travel, Radio Stations and much more. One aim of the sidebar is for you not to use Internet Explorer for example as gadgets act more like a Favorites list that are either links to a website/webpage or a program you can use (like the Post Office gadget). Remember though. Gadgets use resources (i.e. Memory) because of the nature of them being mini applications in their own right. So do not have too many gadgets. If you exceed the five gadgets, per page, you can easily switch between gadget pages by clicking on the Left/Right Arrows at the top of the sidebar (next to the + sign).
Microsoft product screen shot(s) reprinted with permission from Microsoft Corporation. As stated here by the Microsoft Corporation.
All HTM files in the yoingco.com folder and its sub-folders are (c) John White, August 3rd 2005 - 2008. All Rights Reserved. FREE Vista Helpline: Contact John