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How do I restore the Windows Sidebar?

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Problem description

Windows Sidebar no longer appears on the desktop. When you click the Windows Sidebar icon or try to run the program to start it, Windows Sidebar still does not appear. Several things might have caused this to occur. For example, Windows Sidebar may have disappeared when you uninstalled a program. This article helps you fix the problem and make Windows Sidebar appear again.

To have us fix this problem for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.

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Fix it for me

To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then, click Run in the File Download dialog box and follow the steps in this wizard.





Note This wizard may be in English only; however, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.

Note If you are not on the computer that has the problem, you can save the automatic fix to a flash drive or to a CD, and then you can run it on the computer that has the problem.

Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

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Let me fix it myself

To fix this problem, follow these steps:
  1. Click Start, and then click All Programs.
  2. Click Accessories, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.

    User Access Control permission
    If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
  3. At the command prompt, type the following commands. Press ENTER after each command.
    Regsvr32 atl.dll
    Regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\sbdrop.dll
    Regsvr32 "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\wlsrvc.dll
    exit
  4. Restart the computer.
Now go to the "Did this fix the problem?" section.

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Did this fix the problem?

Check whether the problem is fixed. If the problem is fixed, you are finished with this article. If the problem is not fixed, you can contact support.

For help with common system maintenance tasks in Windows Vista, visit the following Microsoft Web page:
Fix problems with common system maintenance tasks

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Keywords: kbexpertisebeginner, kbtshoot, kbmsifixme, kbfixme, kb

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Article Info
Article ID : 963010
Revision : 3
Created on : 4/17/2018
Published on : 4/17/2018
Exists online : False
Views : 170