Desktop Gadgets was a popular feature in Windows 7 and Vista. However, the feature is not available in recent versions of the Windows operating system, including the latest Windows 11.
Why Microsoft removed Desktop Gadgets?
Microsoft dropped the Desktop Gadgets feature for security reasons. In fact, according to this official page of Microsoft, the Windows Sidebar platform has serious vulnerabilities. The page also mentions that hackers and attackers can use the Gadgets feature to access your computer and data.
How to get Gadgets in Windows 11?
If you are not worried about the security vulnerabilities Gadgets might bring to your Windows 11, a few tools can help you get Gadgets in Windows 11. One of them is Desktop Gadgets Revived.
Desktop Gadgets Revived brings original Windows 7 gadgets to Windows 11. The free software includes Clock, Calendar, Currency, Weather, Feed Headlines, CPU Meter, Slide Show, and Picture Puzzle gadgets from Windows 7. In addition to these original gadgets, one can also include third-party gadgets.
The best thing about Desktop Gadgets Revived is the Gadgets option to the desktop context menu.
Install desktop gadgets in Windows 11
Step 1: Get the Desktop Gadgets Revived installer from this page. It comes in a ZIP file. So, you need to extract the ZIP file first to get the actual installer.
Step 2: Run the installer on your Windows 11 PC. Follow the easy on-screen directions to complete the installation.
Step 3: Once installed, perform a right-click on an empty spot on the desktop to see the context menu and then click Show more options to see the classic context menu, which shows the Gadgets option.
Clicking the Gadgets option brings up the Desktop Gadgets panel from where you can drag and drop gadgets to your desktop.
Tip: After adding gadgets to the desktop, you can right-click on the desktop, click View, and then toggle the Show desktop gadgets option to show or hide the gadgets.
Uninstall desktop gadgets from Windows 11
Step 1: Open the Settings app. Go to Apps > Apps & features page.
Step 2: Scroll down the installed apps list to see Windows Desktop Gadgets entry.
Step 3: Click on the three vertical dots (?) next to the Desktop Gadgets Revived entry and click the Uninstall option.
Step 4: Follow the on-screen directions to uninstall Desktop Gadgets Revived from your computer.
If required, reboot your PC once.