We don’t use Windows Sidebar or gadgets, but after having helped hundreds of with your computers, we know that a lot of you do… a lot of you love the Windows sidebar and the gadgets available for it. Unfortunately — a few bad apples have spoiled the basket. It’s time to get rid of your Sidebar and the gadgets because the worms of cyberland are using the gadgets and sidebar to burrow into your PC.
Microsoft offers an easy way to disable the Windows sidebar in Vista and Windows 7 if you don’t feel like fumbling around trying to disable it by dabbing around in various menus. It’s as simple as clicking a Microsoft “Fix It” button, available from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2719662 .
Here is the complete advisory from Microsoft regarding the hazards of the Windows sidebar and its associated gadgets.
“Microsoft Security Advisory (2719662)
Vulnerabilities in Gadgets Could Allow Remote Code Execution
Published: Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Microsoft is announcing the availability of an automated Microsoft Fix it solution that disables the Windows Sidebar and Gadgets on supported editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. Disabling the Windows Sidebar and Gadgets can help protect customers from vulnerabilities that involve the execution of arbitrary code by the Windows Sidebar when running insecure Gadgets. In addition, Gadgets installed from untrusted sources can harm your computer and can access your computer’s files, show you objectionable content, or change their behavior at any time.
An attacker who successfully exploited a Gadget vulnerability could run arbitrary code in the context of the current user. If the current user is logged on with administrative user rights, an attacker could take complete control of the affected system. An attacker could then install programs; view, change, or delete data; or create new accounts with full user rights. Users whose accounts are configured to have fewer user rights on the system could be less impacted than users who operate with administrative user rights.
Applying the automated Microsoft Fix It solution described in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 2719662 ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2719662 )disables the Windows Sidebar experience and all Gadget functionality…”
What about Windows XP, I hate that right hand bar and their advertisements. Especially, the politico ads. There is an area where you click on this arrow and it will go away but only for short period. Is there anything else we can do.
Thank you
I like and need my side gadgets! I keep an event calendar, CPU Meter, and a Network Meter on the side.
I do not log on with administrator user rights and only disable it when I need to make some changes. I also am not on an always on connection so how much at risk is my PC?
I’m guessing I will not be able to keep my side gadgets with Windows 8. Considering all I have read about the many changes, I might not be as quick to change to it as I was to Win7.