Gadgets for Windows OS can not only quickly provide access to various system information, but also partially facilitate the work at the computer. But Windows 10 lacks built-in gadgets, which forces users to download and install third-party apps and programs.
What are Gadgets in Windows OS
The word "gadget" (gadget) in English means "adaptation". This refers to something (device or program) that facilitates work or opens up new possibilities in a particular area. In Windows, gadgets are small system applications that can add new elements to personalization settings, provide various information about processes and PC status, and slightly expand OS functionality. Widgets are a kind of gadgets, the peculiarity of which is the presence of a graphical interface adapted to perform a strictly defined set of functions.
Reasons for the lack of built-in gadgets in Windows 10
Even in the version of Windows 8, Microsoft abandoned built-in gadgets for its operating systems.. According to the developers, a number of serious reasons prompted them to take this step, namely:
- rebranding of the design of Windows OS: the appearance of a “tiled menu” (dynamic tiles), which is partly intended to replace the usual set of widgets;
- increasing the security of personal data: according to representatives of Microsoft, thanks to built-in gadgets, attackers are able to obtain almost any information they are interested in about a particular user;
- a sharp reduction in the number of users using built-in gadgets (widgets).
It would seem that gadget lovers were given an alternative in the form of dynamic tiles, but such a replacement turned out to be far from equivalent. The main problem is that dynamic tiles can be placed exclusively in the Start menu without the possibility of being transferred to the desktop. Therefore, some users prefer third-party programs that can install familiar gadgets on their PCs.
"Tile menu" can be customized (change the number and size of tiles)
Popular gadget installers for Windows 10
There are a considerable number of programs on the Internet for installing gadgets under Windows 10. Consider the most popular and proven ones.
8GadgetPack
The main advantage of the program is a large number of proposed widgets, as well as their advanced settings, including, in particular, autorun, scaling and assigning hot keys. To download and install the program, you need:
- Go to the official website of the developer and click on the Download button.
If you scroll down the page, you can find detailed instructions for installing the program (in English) - After downloading the installer, open it and click the Install button.
The program, unfortunately, does not support the Russian language - At the end of the installation process, 8GadgetPack will automatically open a window of available widgets.
To place the desired widget on the desktop, right-click on it and select "Add"
Video: how to add a widget to your desktop using 8GadgetPack
Of all the widgets available in the 8GadgetPack program, the most interesting are:
- All CPU Meter - a widget that provides detailed information about the CPU and RAM load;
If you have a multi-core processor, then the widget will show information about each core separately - Clipboarder - this widget saves all elements (text, media files) that got into the OS "clipboard" when pressing the CTRL + C keys, and also allows you to find and paste any of the saved elements;
The widget has no limit on the number of saved elements - Unit Converter is a universal converter of all known calculation units (mass, temperature, speed, time, power, etc.).
The only drawback of the widget is the lack of support for the Russian language
Gadgets Revived
Another name for this program is Desktop Gadgets Installer. It allows you to fully integrate all the standard widgets of Windows 7 with the "ten". The algorithm for downloading and installing the program is as follows:
- Go to the official website of the developer and click on the line Download the Desktop gadgets installer.
To download the program, go to the section DOWNLOAD SIDEBAR - After downloading and running the installation file, select the language of the program and click the Next button.
Select the installation language (the program also supports Russian) - Wait for the installation process to finish.
To open the list of available widgets, right-click on the desktop and select "Gadgets"
Video: How to Add Widgets with Gadget Revived
Gadget Revived provides only the standard set of widgets of the Windows 7 version, so there are no unique or unusual applications in it.
Missed Features Installer 10 (MFI10)
The program is a whole range of system applications for Windows 10. It includes not only a set of desktop gadgets, but also additional tools for customizing the Start menu and a package of downloadable scripts for changing the registry, configuring autorun, and setting third-party software installation options.
MFI10 is an ISO disk image, you will need a CD/DVD drive emulator program such as Daemon Tools to open it. The size of the ISO file is about one and a half gigabytes.
To download and install the program, you need:
- Go to the CHIP official website and download the MFI10 autoloader by clicking the Download button.
MFI10 program has only English version - After saving the startup file, run it and wait for the ISO image of the program to download.
Make sure you have enough free space on your hard drive before downloading the ISO file (minimum 1.3 GB) - Once the boot process is complete, mount the ISO image using any CD/DVD drive emulator (such as Daemon Tools). The main menu of the MFI10 will open.
Click the Gadgets button to add gadgets to your desktop - To add desktop widgets, click the Gadgets button.
- The installed Gadget Pack can be found in the Desktop Gadgets category of the Control Panel preferences window.
The list of installed gadgets cannot be found through the Windows 10 search bar
MFI10, like Gadget Revived, provides users with only a standard set of widgets from Windows 7.
To search for and add new gadgets, you can use the Find Gadgets Online tool in the lower right corner of the window If you only want to add gadgets to your desktop, then the author of the article advises to abandon the MFI10 in favor of Gadget Revived. The fact is that both programs offer an identical set of standard gadgets from Windows 7, but Gadget Revived consumes many times less operating system resources. In addition, in order to use the MFI10, you must permanently store its ISO image on your hard drive.
XWidget
The main advantage of this program is that it is actually a platform for creating your own widgets. To start using the program, you should:
- Go to the official website and click the Download button.
The program is universal and suitable for any Windows OS - After the installer starts, select the desired installation components, then click the "Next" button.
In addition to the program itself, you can also install the free version of Avast antivirus. - At the end of the installation process, the program will start automatically.
To open the program menu, double-click the XWidget icon in the Windows Quick Access Toolbar.
Among the default widgets of the XWidget program, the most interesting are:
- EkerSystem - a simplified version of the "Task Manager" with information about the load on system resources (double-clicking on the widget opens the familiar "Windows Task Manager");
The widget shows information about the consumption of resources such as CPU, RAM, virtual memory and cache load. - EkerSearch - convenient and compact Google search bar (when you enter a query, a page opens in the browser);
You can pin the search bar on top of all windows for permanent access to it - EkerNotes - internet speed counter: shows information about both outgoing and incoming traffic.
The blue arrow indicates the upload speed, and the green arrow indicates the data reception rate.
If you want to get creative with the design of desktop widgets, then the author of the article recommends using the built-in editor of the XWidget program. To enter it, you just need to right-click on any widget and select the "Edit" option in the context menu. The capabilities of the built-in editor are varied: you can change the already installed widgets or create your own widget from scratch. There is support for importing media files created in graphic editors (for example, in Photoshop), and a "script code" editor (for creating an automatic widget operation algorithm). The disadvantages of the editor are a confusing navigation system and "broken" Russification (instead of letters - hieroglyphs).
When saving a new widget, its name must be entered exclusively in English AveDesk
The program does not require installation (unpacks from a zip file), is not demanding on system resources, has a simple design, and an interface in Russian. To start using the program, you need.
