The Clock widget is a simple technical gadget for the Windows operating system that allows you to keep track of the local time. However, ordinary users do not always have an unambiguous opinion about such tools. For some, this is a necessary addition to the desktop, for others - a useless trinket that takes up free space. This article is dedicated to those who are used to always keeping track of time.
Widget "Clock" on the desktop for Windows 10
One of the popular features of Windows 7 was the presence of desktop gadgets (or widgets). In addition to several already built-in extensions, the system supported the function of installing additional widgets from the Internet, which made it possible to rationally customize the workspace.
Windows 10 from Microsoft, just like the previous Windows 8, again upset users with the absence of such a widget panel. According to the OS developers themselves, several global reasons influenced the decision to completely abandon the familiar gadget system, namely:
- uselessness of the function. One of the main ways of developing the new OS was the rebranding of the design, where such extensions were simply not conceptually included;
- security of personal data of users. However, this point is debatable. It's hard to even imagine that such a minor extension of the operating system as a widget can harm the user's security.
In the new Windows OS (8/10 versions), desktop widgets were replaced by dynamic tiles, which, to some extent, should have become their replacement. For example, the Alarms & Clock app tile is even more functional than the Clock gadget in Windows 7. The situation is similar with other dynamic tiles. However, the problem with all available tiles is that none of them can be placed on the desktop, unlike the same widgets. To find out the necessary information, you constantly need to go to the Start menu.
If you didn’t have the “Alarms and Clock” dynamic tile in place, then the gadget can be found in the “Start” in the general list of all installed applications
Not all users are happy with this situation. For their sake, third-party software developers have tried to return the function of desktop widgets to modern operating systems. Consider the most popular programs that can complement Windows 10 with the necessary Clock widget.
Popular Clock widget programs for Windows 10
There are a sufficient number of programs on the Internet for installing Clock widgets for the Windows 10 operating system. The most popular of them are the following three.
Gadgets Revived
The second name of the Windows Desktop Gadgets program. Its main task is to return popular widgets to the new system from Microsoft. The only minor difference will be a slightly modified interface of the tools (under the style of Windows 10). The program installation algorithm is as follows:
In addition to the Clock widget, the following are also available here:
Gadgets Revived will not only add a Gadgets menu, but also put widget management access in Personalize (right click on the desktop) and add a corresponding sub-item to the View menu.
Video: How to add a widget to your desktop using Gadgets Revived
MFI10
Missed Features Installer 10 (MFI10) is a popular software extension to bring back the familiar gadget system to Windows 10.
MFI10 is an ISO disk image (to open it you will need a CD / DVD drive emulator program, for example, Daemon Tools), about one and a half gigabytes in size. Since the program cannot currently be downloaded from the official website of the developer, you will have to use any available search engine.
After downloading the ISO image, you need to open it and mount it on your computer. To do this, you need a CD / DVD drive emulator program, such as Daemon Tools.
In the window that opens, a list of all files on the virtual disk will be presented:
- Run MFI10.exe.
If the autorun of the image did not work, then it can be found in the "This computer" tab
- After accepting the license agreement (the program is distributed free of charge), a menu of application components available for installation will appear. The Gadgets item is responsible for installing all desktop widgets for Windows 10.
Despite the English language of the program installation interface, the desktop widgets themselves will be in Russian
- After choosing to install Gadgets in the "Control Panel", the necessary section "Desktop Gadgets" will be added.
If the required item does not appear, it is worth reinstalling the MFI10 program
8GadgetPack
A relative disadvantage of 8GadgetPack is the incomplete translation of the program into Russian. You can download the utility from the official website of the developer.
The developer's site in English, but using the appropriate images, shows the process of installing the program in detail
The undoubted advantage of the program, in comparison with the previous ones, is a more advanced functionality. As a result of installing 8GadgetsPack, not only several types of clocks, weather, calendars will be available, but also widgets for tracking the necessary information about the state of the PC (resource consumption, active processes, temperature, etc.). You can also open the full list of widgets using the context menu by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting "Gadgets".
A distinctive feature of the program is the variety of widgets
Another distinguishing feature of the program is a significant variety of possible widget settings. A special panel is opened either through the interface of the application itself, or through the Start menu.
The menu is completely in English, which can bring some difficulties in using
Since the configuration menu does not support the Russian language, we will briefly review its points:
- Add gadget - installation of new widgets on the desktop and their removal;
- Disable Autorun - disable autorun widgets when Windows boots;
- Make gadgets larger - scaling desktop widgets. This is most relevant for high resolution monitors;
- Disable Win+G for gadgets - deactivate the call to the widget panel by pressing the Win + G key combination. Sometimes this combination is simultaneously responsible for the process of recording video from the monitor screen;
- Visit Website - visit the developer's site to check the program update;
- Reset all gadgets - reset settings of all available widgets (returns everything to default);
- Uninstall - removes the 8GadgetPack program and all related widgets.
Video: how to add a widget to your desktop using 8GadgetPack
Other programs
The list of programs for adding the Clock widget and others is not limited to the above. Therefore, we give a couple of examples of less popular programs.
digital clock
It is an electronic clock widget. A feature of the program is that it has a wide range of settings, so Digital Clock can be easily customized. To do this, after installation, go to the program section "Digital Clock Settings".
A wide range of program settings will allow not only to change its appearance, but also to choose the optimal functionality
In addition to general settings, the program also has a "Plugins" tab, where you can select the following components:
- scheduler;
- alarm clock and reminder;
- transparent variable;
- date setting;
- system shutdown;
- alarm setting every hour;
- quick note;
- moving clock on the monitor screen.
Desktop Clock Plus-7
If you are a supporter of the classics, then this program is what you need. It adds an analog clock widget to your desktop. The program exists in two versions. Its free version contains all the basic clock settings (widget size, moving around the desktop, enabling / disabling the second hand, pinning the clock on top of all windows, autorun with the operating system).
All basic widget settings are available in the free version of the program
The paid version of the program has a number of additional options: you can turn on the display of the current date, change the design of the clock, etc. In general, the free version will be enough.
Where can I find Clock widgets with different designs
There are a large number of thematic sites on the Internet for adding various kinds of widgets, including Clock, to Window 10. Some users like to change their appearance every day or from time to time. Therefore, here is a small list of sites from which you can download dozens of different designs.
Wingad.ru
In the corresponding section of the site, you can find more than a hundred varieties of the design of the Clock widget. Having chosen the one you like, you just need to click on the "Download gadget" button and save the .gadget file to any folder on your computer.
Each widget design option has detailed information about it.
After downloading, you need to run the instant installation file, and then find and attach the new Clock widget on Windows 10 of any of the popular programs (Gadgets Revived, MFI10, 8GadgetPack) by simply selecting it from the list of available ones.
winzoro.net
Similar to the previous site, in a special section, you can choose from more than two hundred design options for the Clock widget.
Wingdt.com
Despite the small number of various designs of the Clock widget, the site has a convenient navigation system. All files are downloaded in .gadget format and added to the desktop thanks to third-party programs like Gadgets Revived.
Thanks to special third-party programs, ordinary users are able to return the missing gadget system to the tenth version of Windows, including the simple Clock widget. Moreover, the most picky users of the Gadgets Revived or MFI10 program provide not only the ability to install standard widgets, but also add downloaded ones from the Internet.
