[Windows 8] Bring Windows Gadgets back to Windows 8 with 8GadgetPack
September 20, 2012 3
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Microsoft changed thousands of things between Windows 7 and Windows 8. Not the least of the differences is the omission of Gadgets. Originally introduced in Windows Vista as the Sidebar, they were eventually reduced down to just individual gadgets in Windows 7, and taken out entirely in Windows 8. However, that’s not the end of the Windows Sidebar/Gadgets. With 8GadgetPack, you can bring them back to whatever OS you want, entirely free of worry.
After you install the 8GadgetPack, you’ll be greeted with an all-new sidebar replica and the Windows Sidebar window, allowing you to pick and choose which widgets you want to have on your desktop. It actually seems to come with more gadgets than Windows 7 really did, so it’s virtually guaranteed that some of the gadgets are, in fact, illegal redistribution of some awesome original work. Since it’s hard to fish those out, you might as well simply end up using up all of the non-legitimate copies of the sidebars.
Overall, 8GadgetPack’s back-to-the past gadgetting experience was both interesting and useful, as the added ability to have any random city’s weather and your system’s current CPU and RAM specs is both cool and interesting.
Price: Free!
Version Discovered: v2.0
Supported OS: Windows 8
Download size: 12MB
VirusTotal malware scan results: 0/39
Portability: Requires installation
About the author: Locutus View all posts by Locutus
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I recall not long ago a security alert regarding hackers ability to access your computer through Windows Gadgets. Refresh my memory if you will, and has this problem with Windows Gadgets been fixed?
@BarrysCool: I can’t remember what that was about but the page for 8GadgetPack says this:
I found it…
Microsoft urges Windows Vista, 7 users to disable desktop gadgets
By Matthew DeCarlo
On July 11, 2012, 1:30 PM EST
Comments 41
In a security advisory Tuesday, Microsoft urged Windows Vista and 7 users to download a tool that disables the operating system’s sidebar and gadgets. The company warned that insecure gadgets could be used to run arbitrary code on a computer, access its files or display objectionable content. In the event of arbitrary code execution, an attacker could take control of the affected system with the ability to install programs, view, change or delete data, or create new accounts with full user rights.
More here; http://www.techspot.com/news/49351-microsoft-urges-windows-vista-7-users-to-disable-desktop-gadgets.html
Still not clear if Microsoft has fix the problem or not.