Windows Xp Sidebar

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Priamo Gregory

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Jul 30, 2024, 10:20:20 PM7/30/24

to storhildiafrin

I am pretty sure there is supposed to be a drop box folder similar to the onedrive folder on the folder pane in windows explorer. While I could pin directory to the quick access bar, its not the same. I like having my entire directory visible from the folder pane and only have certain folders pinned to quick access. Is this a problem with my PC? If it is then I will just work on resetting it or something.

Also I don't like seeing these dropbox system files in my directory. Can't I just delete them? It just seems out of place to have files related to the software stored on a main directory for cloud storage where user files go.

windows xp sidebar

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Edit: I had hidden files enabled causing those system files to appear. As far as the missing folder in explorer from google images it looks like there is indeed supposed to be one, so my PC is probably jacked up (again). Will probably have to do a clean windows reinstall to fix that.

Looks like resetting brought back this folder in the folder pane. After I installed it I was under the assumption that it was the way it is which would have been a deal breaker for me. Glad it was just on my end.

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Windows Desktop Gadgets (called Windows Sidebar in Windows Vista) is a discontinued widget engine for Microsoft Gadgets. Desktop Gadgets have been replaced by Windows 10 Taskbar Widgets. It was introduced with Windows Vista, in which it features a sidebar anchored to the side of the desktop. Its widgets can perform various tasks, such as displaying the time and date. In Windows Vista, the widgets are restricted to a sidebar but in Windows 7, they can be freely moved anywhere on the desktop.

Windows Desktop Gadgets was discontinued in Windows 8. The Windows 8 Live Tiles can perform a similar function, but they are only visible when the Start menu is visible. They run in a more restrictive environment, making them less risky, but also less useful for some purposes, like system monitoring.

Windows Sidebar originated in a Microsoft Research project called Sideshow (not to be confused with Windows SideShow). It was developed in the summer of 2000, and was used internally at Microsoft.[1] It included a clock, traffic reports, and IM integration.

Windows Sidebar appeared in build 3683 of Windows Vista circa September 2002 and was originally intended to replace the notification area and Quick Launch toolbar in Windows, but these plans were scrapped after the development reset in mid-2004.[2] Windows Sidebar was rebuilt and began to appear in Windows Vista builds in the second half of 2005. Some reviewers and Macintosh enthusiasts have pointed out the Sidebar's similarities in form and function to Konfabulator (later Yahoo! Widget Engine), which appeared several years previously, and the Dashboard widget engine first included with Apple Inc.'s Mac OS X v10.4, which had been released a few months earlier.

Windows Desktop Gadgets was included in all beta releases of Windows 8 but did not make it to the final release. Instead, on 10 July 2012 (which is in the intervening time between the last beta of Windows 8 and its final release), Microsoft issued security advisory to disable Sidebar and Desktop Gadgets on Windows Vista and 7 because of a security vulnerability that could allow remote code execution.[3]

Windows Desktop Gadgets is a feature of Windows Vista and Windows 7 (excluding the Windows Server family of the operating system). It hosts mini-applications or "gadgets" which are a combination of scripts and HTML code. Their use cases include displaying system time, downloading and displaying RSS feeds, or controlling other software such as Windows Media Player. In Windows Vista, gadgets can run "docked" in the sidebar. In Windows 7, they can "float" anywhere on the desktop. It is also possible to run multiple instances of a gadget simultaneously. Windows Vista and 7 sidebar also works on Windows XP.[4]

Windows Vista ships with eleven gadgets: Calendar, Clock, Contacts, CPU Meter, Currency Conversion, Feed Headlines, Notes, Picture Puzzle, Slide Show, Stocks, and Weather. Several other gadgets available during the Vista beta such as App Launcher, Feed Viewer, Number Puzzle, Recycle Bin and Egg Timer never made it to the final release of Windows Vista. Windows 7 adds a Media Center gadget and removes the Contacts, Notes and Stocks gadgets.

Originally, Microsoft provided a link to a web site called Windows Live Gallery where additional Sidebar gadgets that have been created by third-party developers could be downloaded. The site was officially retired on October 1, 2011.[5][6]

This is to free up vertical screen real-estate. Since tabs are already in the sidebar, there's no need to duplicate them at the top! The feature can manifest itself in two ways:
1) Only the address bar stays at the top in "compact mode" with no tabs underneath (note: I realize this is sort of a "hidden feature" already if you turn on the sidebar and then switch to "vertical tabs")
2) Everything disappears, and the address bar compresses itself into the sidebar (similar to Arc)

I read a couple of posts here about sidebar, url bar, extensions and arc comparisions. What I can summerize as suggestions, and also would be happy with, is below. I am not familiar with the Human Interface Guidelines so I'm sorry if these strech/break some rules.

I just realized these are like 4 feature requests, but they are all centered around the idea to provide the experience of a fullscreenish web page view. Very similar to Focus mode, but with an all you can do easily accessible sidebar. With Suggestions 1-3 I think we can get very close to it.

I find this interesting as part of why I use tab tree is for the vertical space and I usually don't care what the URL is at all, but for sure I would want options between a condensed thing and the current UI. Having buttons on the right side would be interesting to more center the page, but not sure I love having quick actions on opposite sides of the screen, especially the wide way. I feel the tab tree wastes some space right now in that I don't need to see like 22 lines of tabs, so having toolbar buttons and extension overflow in the upper third of the tab tree space would be fine. Regardless, having extensions still visible is important as they do provide feedback or interactivity, I don't think anyone is arguing against that but gotta say it.

Vlad Please no! While I'm all for adding more functionality to the sidebar I intensely dislike the idea of the toolbar not being an option at all. I would reluctantly go back to Safari or look for an alternate browser were this to happen.

I like the sidebar as something I open from time to time. I don't want to be forced to use it. The tiny URL bar seems horribly impractical. Also I often run Orion on a split screen with another app so horizontal space is more precious to me than vertical.

Before going into all of my points, I'd like to suggest some sort of a voting system. Reading this thread it looks to me like there is a vocal population of people and there are UI/UX decisions being made to appease that group. I don't see any dissent and I think taking followers/voters on this one issue is not sufficient to gauge if such a huge change with no options should be implemented or not. I'm guessing there could be a population of people who don't want this change and don't even know that it's on the table because they've never searched for it but because there are so many voters on this issue it's being implemented without dissenting feedback.

Just like this, but without the toolbar inbetween. This is just a demonstration, but perhaps the bookmarks and vertical tabs can be combined into one super sidebar as another additional option in perhaps the preferences menu. This browser should target both advanced and simple users, even for children ?

There is a button in the top left that is present when the sidebar is closed (using vertical tabs), that allows you to switch windows. You can also swich tabs but you have to go through 2 levels of indirection (
see the first image below). It would be really great if there was an option to display and switch tabs directly in the pop up without having to go through the submenus. Something along the lines of the second image.

I understand that I can expand and collapse the sidebar with the button and with a hotkey but there are two aspects of this that make it a pain. The first issue is that I need to close it again. The second is that it changes the viewport which in certain cases can be very disruptive.

Vlad I personally prefer having the urlbar in the sidebar because it allows the website's top navigation bar to be at the top of the browser window, giving website more space vertically. While focus mode is a great option, it's not meant to be open all the time. I believe some people like Arc-like design because it provides more space for website and allows for both urlbar and top navigation bar to be at top simultaneously without any extra cost or additional mouse motion or shortcuts.

For me, I just want the space, I love the focus mode that Orion provides where I see only the page itself. The auto hiding of the URL bar is great and tabs hidden in the sidebar is perfect when I need that.