How to Fix Gadgets not Displaying Correctly in Windows 7

Information

If you have gadgets that are displaying on your Windows 7 desktop improperly as black, white, blank, or just messed up, then this will show you how to fix them.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial.

Note

If you have a 3rd party firewall program installed, then also check to make sure that the gadgets are allowed in the firewall and are not being blocked in that program's exception settings.

EXAMPLE: Gadgets not displaying correctly

OPTION ONE

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Automatically Using a BAT File Download

NOTE: This does the same thing as in OPTION TWO below, but automatically. If your Windows 7 is not displayed as the C: drive in Computer, then do OPTION TWO below instead and substitute C: in the last command with your drive letter instead.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Reset_Gadgets.bat

2. Click on Save (if prompted), and save the .bat file to your desktop.

3. Right click on the downloaded .bat file and click on Run as administrator.

4. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

5. You will see a command prompt flash open and close as the .bat file runs.

6. When finished, restart the computer to apply.

7. Check to see if the gadgets on your desktop are displaying correctly now. If not, then try uninstalling and reinstalling any gadgets that are still not displaying properly, or do a System Restore using a restore point dated before the problem.

OPTION TWO

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Manually in a Elevated Command Prompt

NOTE: This does the same thing as in OPTION ONE above, but manually.

1. Open a elevated command prompt (right click - Run as administrator)

2. In the elevated command prompt, copy and paste each command below and press Enter one at a time. After each time your press Enter, you will need to click on OK before doing the next command.

• taskkill /im sidebar.exe /f
• regsvr32 msxml3.dll
• regsvr32 scrrun.dll
• regsvr32 jscript.dll
• regsvr32 atl.dll
• Regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\sbdrop.dll"
• Regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\wlsrvc.dll"
• Code:

  reg delete "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\Zones" /f

  NOTE: This command will reset the security zones in Internet Explorer back to the default settings.
• "C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe"
  NOTE: If your Windows 7 is not displayed as the C: drive in Computer, then substitute C: in the command above with your drive letter instead.

3. Restart the computer to apply.

4. Check to see if the gadgets on your desktop are displaying correctly now. If not, then try uninstalling and reinstalling the still bad gadget, or do a System Restore using a restore point dated before the problem.