How to install gadgets for Windows 10
Now I will tell you where you can download and install gadgets for the Windows 10 operating system. Gadgets are mini-applications that run on a computer that display useful information on the Desktop for more productive work.
In the Windows 10 operating system, the user will not find gadgets for the Desktop, since these applications are no longer part of the operating system. For some reason, Microsoft called gadgets applications that, in other cases, everyone calls widgets.
Many users are accustomed to gadgets in the Windows 7 operating system in which they are built. Subsequent Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 operating systems no longer have these applications. Microsoft removed gadgets from the operating system for two reasons:
- Live tiles appeared in the operating system that show the necessary information.
- The use of gadgets is less secure due to the possible actions of attackers who use vulnerabilities in application codes.
How to get free gadgets for Windows 10? Users have the opportunity to install gadgets in Windows 10 using 4 free programs: Gadgets Revived (Windows Desktops Gadgets), 8GadgetPack, XWidget, Missed Features Installer 10.
You can find many individual gadgets on the network, so it’s not a problem to download gadgets for Windows 10 from the Internet that work in Russian or English. After installation, individual gadgets are added to the general list of gadgets in the window of the corresponding program.
Install one of the suggested programs on your computer in order to add a set of gadgets for Windows 10 to the system. The first three applications will help you install gadgets in the Windows 8.1 operating system.
Gadgets Revived (Windows Desktops Gadgets)
The Gadgets Revived (Windows Desktops Gadgets) program runs on Windows 10, Windows 8.1 (Windows 8) operating systems. The Gadgets Revived program can be downloaded from the official website http://gadgetsrevived.com/download-sidebar/ .
After the installation of the application is completed, the “Gadgets” item will appear in the context menu of the right mouse button. After clicking on the “Gadgets” context menu item, a window will open with standard gadgets that were part of the Windows 7 operating system. You can see that there are clock, weather, calendar, etc. gadgets here.
Add applications to your computer’s desktop. Here I’ve added some standard gadgets, as well as a radio gadget I downloaded from the internet.
The program supports other applications (gadgets) that you can download and then install on your computer. After installation, a new gadget will appear in the application window.
Customize applications from the context menu: adjust the size of objects, their transparency, make other settings.
8GadgetPack
The 8GadgetPack program, as the name implies, is designed for the Windows 8 (Windows 8.1) operating system, but it also works on Windows 10. Download 8GadgetPack from the official website page http://8gadgetpack.net/ .
After completing the installation of the components, you will see that in this program, there are many more gadgets than in the Gadgets Revived program. All the standard gadgets from the seven are present here, as well as many other applications.
The 8GadgetPack program adds the “Gadgets” item to the context menu.
In this image, you can see some standard gadgets, as well as other gadgets (on the right side of the screen), for example, showing the status of the processor, PC RAM.
XWidget
The XWidget program installs widgets for Windows 10. Widget is the general name for a class of helper mini-programs, including gadgets in Windows. Download the XWidget program from the official website http://www.xwidget.com/ .
After installation, in the “XWidget Gallery” window you will see additional widgets that you can download and install on your computer.
By default, several widgets are launched on the monitor screen at once (in the image on the left side of the screen). I downloaded and installed the Windows 10 desktop widgets you see on the right side of the screen. Among them is a pseudo-panel made in the style of the Dock panel from the Mac OS operating system.
Missed Features Installer 10
Missed Features Installer 10 is an ISO image (more than 1.3 GB in total) that includes tools to change the settings of the Windows 10 operating system. The developer has now stopped supporting and removed this application.
To install gadgets on your computer, in the Missed Features Installer 10 window, click on the “Gadgets” button.
Missed Features Installer 10, under the name Windows Desktops Gadgets, adds gadgets included in the 8GadgetPack program to Windows 10, so it makes no sense to analyze this application in detail.
Article Conclusions
Gadget support can be added to the Windows 10 operating system. With the help of free programs: Gadgets Revived (Windows Desktops Gadgets), 8GadgetPack, XWidget, Missed Features Installer 10, standard gadgets from the Windows 7 operating system, as well as other mini-applications, are added to Windows 10.