Patch disables Sidebar & Gadgets on Vista and Windows 7

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One of the updates in the July 2012 Patch Tuesday collection was actually a ‘Fix-It’ that simply disables the ‘Sidebar’ and ‘Gadgets’ features of Windows Vista and Windows 7.

This drastic step was taken by Microsoft to address the general vulnerability of the Sidebar and Gadgets. Anyone who uses these features must choose between a) disabling them; and b) continuing to use them and risking the security of their computer.

The details are in Microsoft Security Advisory 2719662.

About jrivett

Jeff Rivett has worked with and written about computers since the early 1980s. His first computer was an Apple II+, built by his father and heavily customized. Jeff's writing appeared in Computist Magazine in the 1980s, and he created and sold a game utility (Ultimaker 2, reviewed in the December 1983 Washington Apple Pi Journal) to international markets during the same period. Proceeds from writing, software sales, and contract programming gigs paid his way through university, earning him a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) degree at UWO. Jeff went on to work as a programmer, sysadmin, and manager in various industries. There's more on the About page, and on the Jeff Rivett Consulting site.

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