Gadget Items Are Missing or Crashing Issue

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Gadget Items Are Missing or Crashing Issue

SYMPTOM

Sidebar doesn't run at start up and the gadgets need to be added every time.

SOLUTION

First, please run MSCONFIG to check if the sidebar.exe entry is added under Startup tab and go to check if the sidebar.exe entry is added under [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run]

If it does not work, please copy ATL.DLL from to C:\Windows\System32 to C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar folder and run the following commands with elevated privilege:

CD\

CD "\Program Files\Windows Sidebar"

REGSVR32 ATL.DLL

REGSVR32 SBDROP.DLL

REGSVR32 WLSRVC.DLL

If the issue persists, you can try the following steps to reset the Sidebar. The following steps will remove all downloaded gadgets.

Show Hidden File

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1. Click Start and click Control Panel.

2. Choose Folder Options.

3. Click View tab, choose Show hidden files and folders and uncheck Hide Protected Operating System Files and Folders box, click Apply and click OK.

Rename Sidebar file

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1. Click Start -> Computer

2. Go to C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar (where <user name> is your current user account name).

3. Open Settings.ini, press CTRL+A (select all) and press delete. The file is now empty. Save the file.

4. Browse into the Gadgets directory.

5. Select CTRL+A (select all) and rename them.