Windows Sidebar

Internet Explorer 4/Desktop Update

Windows 98

This sidebar is not affiliated with any future programs such as the "Windows Sidebar" or "Sideshow" starting with Sideshow and beyond.

A sidebar-like object was included with the first edition of Windows 98. It was HTML based and very different from the feature later included with Windows NT 6.X.

Evolution

Sideshow

Windows Sideshow is not to be confused with the Windows Vista feature.

Before Longhorn, during PDC 2001, Microsoft demonstrated Windows Sideshow, which was to be used alongside Windows 2000, ME, and XP. It was a sidebar where emails could be retrieved, contacts could socialize, and weather forecasts and traffic updates could be accessed. One build of this program was released, which can be made to work on previous versions of Windows by using a special fix. Windows Sideshow works on all newer versions of Windows, up to Windows 8, but many of its tags don't work due to the old age of the program.

Sideshow has a bug, which occurs when one tries to change its appearance in versions newer than Windows XP. The bug causes its appearance to change to black.

This developing product was soon integrated with Longhorn. A video presentation of this program is available on YouTube.

Early Longhorn

The Windows Sidebar was included in very early Longhorn builds, the earliest build being 3683. It ran concurrently with the Explorer process, and included only two tiles; an analog clock, and a picture preview.

In build 3706, the feature was merged with the taskbar, but this later proved to be unreliable, and so it was put back into its original state.

From the 3xxx to the 403x builds, the appearance of the Sidebar matched the Plex theme and was automatically translucent in earlier builds without the Desktop Composition Engine running.

Later Longhorn Builds

Microsoft later scrapped the Plex theme and started with the then-new Slate theme. The sidebar was now black and could be made translucent in build 4074 by enabling the MILDesktop registry key. The sidebar was not included in the 64-bit builds of the operating system.

The last known build of Longhorn to include the sidebar was build 4093. It had a glossy touch up of the Slate theme, but was virtually unusable due to the instability of the build.

Omega-13 Reset

The Windows Sidebar was not seen again until Windows Vista build 5219, which was the first build to include the feature after the development reset of Longhorn, though it had leaked apart from the build itself and could be downloaded. Builds prior to 5219 did not include the sidebar, reportedly because Microsoft did not plan to implement it. After complaints from beta testers, Microsoft recompiled the feature, which ran mostly in its own process, Sidebar.exe.

Vista RTM

The Windows Sidebar was included in Windows Vista and included 10 Gadgets by default: a calendar, analog clock, contact list, CPU and RAM usage meter, RSS feed reader, sticky notes, picture puzzle, picture slideshow, stock viewer, and weather forecast monitor.

Windows 7

During the development of Windows 7, Microsoft decided to remove the sidebar, and let the Gadgets roam on the desktop. Gadgets are more closely integrated with Explorer, but still run in the Sidebar.exe process.

In early builds, the Gadgets could not be aligned properly.

Windows 8 and onward

The Sidebar was available up to the Windows 8 Release Preview, being completely absent in the final version of the operating system. Microsoft stated that the feature was removed due to being a security risk (even releasing a patch to disable it in previous versions of Windows). However, it is commonly believed that it was removed to push development of Windows 8 applications, so that users would adopt the new interface.

The Sidebar can be reinstated in Windows 8 RTM by copying the files from the Release Preview. Several third-party alternatives exist with similar functionality.

Microsoft shut down the Windows Desktop Gadget Gallery on October 1st, 2011, stating that it wanted to focus on the "exciting possibilities of the newest version of Windows."