Windows Vista Sidebar

It’s the first thing you may notice different about Windows Vista when you log in (next to the little round Start orb and the exceptional graphics). We are referring to the Windows Sidebar.

What is the need for the Sidebar? Sometimes you just need a mini set of applications available to you quickly, such as a clock for the time, or a calendar, or a calculator, or a weather report. The Sidebar gives you access to these things by providing mini applications called gadgets. The gadgets you immediately see are a clock, a picture viewer (to which you can add your own personal pictures if you don’t like the ones Microsoft provides), and news feeds based on RSS.

The tool is easy to use, easy to configure, and easy to turn off (that’s your prerogative), as shown in left picture.

Group Policy Settings

The Windows Sidebar is neither friend nor foe. It’s an option. And it can be disabled. For administrators, the big question might be “how can I disable it throughout my domain?” The two sets of Group Policy settings are the computer level and the user level. Either one works, but disabling the Sidebar at the computer level ensures that all users sitting at the system have the policy applied.

To change the Group Policy for Windows Sidebar, go to the Group Policy Object Editor (using gpedit.msc from the Run dialog box). Open either Computer Configuration or User Configuration settings, under Administrative Templates; then, under Windows Components, look for Windows Sidebar. You’ll see the following settings:

1. Override the More Gadgets Link—By default, the Windows Sidebar directs users to the Microsoft-provided gadgets. If you would like your users directed elsewhere, you can establish that change here by enabling the setting and providing the alternative location. If you leave this unconfigured or disable it, users are simply directed to the default site.


2. Turn Off Windows Sidebar—The Sidebar is turned on by default (unless your hardware cannot support it and then it will be disabled). You can force it to be turned off by configuring this setting in your policies.


3. Disable Unpacking and Installation of Gadgets That Are Not Digitally Signed—
   
   Gadgets can be packaged up as compressed files being signed digitally or not. You can configure this policy setting to ensure that all compressed gadget files will not be unpackaged or installed unless they are digitally signed.


4. Turn Off User Installed Windows Sidebar Gadgets—No doubt users will want to install gadgets of their own, and many gadgets are being created these days. If that doesn’t bother you, you can leave this setting alone. If you don’t like the idea of any user being able to add any gadget he chooses, configure this to disable user-installed gadgets.

To turn off the Sidebar for your own personal system, you can always select Control Panel, Appearance and Personalization, Windows Sidebar Properties and then deselect the Start Sidebar when Windows Starts option.

Creating a Gadget

You don’t have to settle for the gadgets Microsoft provides. Microsoft fully intends for users and developers to create their own. It’s actually not all that difficult if you’ve ever authored a web page. The Microsoft gadgets website walks you through creating a simple gadget at http://microsoftgadgets.com/Sidebar/DevelopmentOverview.aspx.

You start with a directory you create to hold your files and then an HTML page. Create an XML file for the gadget manifest. You can test the gadget and make revisions as you go. Finally, you can package your gadget as a simple ZIP file (or CAB file) to distribute.

Tip: Those who really want to develop their own gadgets can refer to the MSDN site regarding various security concerns with gadgets(http://blogs.msdn.com/sidebar/archive/2006/08/31/733880.aspx). Keep in mind that with any gadget you create, if it attempts to access sites that have been prohibited by the Parental Control settings or by Windows Defender settings and so forth, the gadget won’t work.

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