Sidebar for Windows XP. Sidebar for Windows XP How to enable the sidebar
Some users, after switching to Windows 8, 8.1, do not immediately understand how to open the control panel in these operating systems, because... The interface is significantly different from previous versions of Windows.
There are actually several simple ways launch panel Windows management 8 and 8.1. You just need to get used to them.
Method 1: Through the application list
In Windows 8, on the Start screen, right-click. An “All Apps” button will appear in the lower right corner.
Click on it and a list of applications will appear on the screen, including an icon with a link to the control panel in the “System - Windows” section.
In Windows 8.1, the Control Panel opens in a similar way. The only difference is that the application list is opened by pressing the button in the form of a circle with an arrow at the bottom of the Start screen.
Method 2: Using a command control panel
Press the key combination “Win+R” to open the “ Execute" Then enter and run the command control panel.
Method 3: Using the Win+I combination
When you are on the Windows desktop, press the key combination “Win + I”. As a result of these actions, a sidebar should appear, in which you can select the “Control Panel” item.
Method 4: Through the Sidebar
Hover your mouse over the upper or lower right corner of your desktop. In the sidebar that opens, select “Options”. There, in the side panel, a list of parameters will open, among which there is the “Control Panel” item.
Method 5: Through the Start button
On your desktop, move your cursor to the bottom-left corner of the screen to display the Start button. Right-click on it and select “Control Panel” from the context menu.
In Windows 8.1 you need to follow similar steps. The only difference is that the Start button is always visible on the desktop.
Method 6: Through search
Being at the beginning Windows screen, start typing “control panel” » . The search results will display the “Control Panel” item.
Opera's sidebar used to be one of the killer features that made the browser so beloved by its loyal users. Using the sidebar you could get quick access to your bookmarks, downloads, mail or notes and work with them without closing the currently open page. It was really convenient.
Sidebar new browser (opened by the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + S) largely repeats the functions of its predecessor, but they are implemented using special extensions. This gives us hope that Opera's sidebar capabilities will increase over time as third-party developers create more and more extensions. Already now you can view your Twitter feed, RSS news, manage installed extensions, add notes and much more. Below you will find descriptions of several Opera sidebar extensions that you can install right now.
V7 Bookmarks
Viewing your favorites is one of the most convenient and logical features that can be implemented in the browser sidebar. Thanks to it, you can quickly add and delete new bookmarks, move them between folders and, of course, open your favorite sites.
TweetDeck Sidebar
If you are a fan of the Twitter service and cannot live without the latest news for a minute (or are forced to track them due to the nature of your work), then the TweetDeck Sidebar extension will come to your aid. It lets you open your TweetDeck feed right in the sidebar and keep one eye on updates to your feeds.
SimpleExtManager
This simple extension manager will allow you to enable or disable necessary extensions, and will also provide quick access to their settings. In addition, you can create groups of extensions that can be activated all together with one click. In this way, you can create several groups, one of which can be used, for example, for work, the other for games or multimedia, and switch between them as needed.
V7 Notes
The proprietary feature of the Opera browser in a new reincarnation. It is worth noting that V7 Notes looks and works no worse than the old note-taker and is just as capable of helping you out in a situation where you need to quickly save a quote, link or text from a currently open page.
Google Keep Sidebar
The Google Keep service is deservedly loved by users for its versatility and cross-platform functionality. With its help, you can create quick notes, lists, reminders and voice recordings right in the Opera sidebar, and then view them on the Web or on your mobile device.
The History Panel
This is a simple bookmark manager for your sidebar. All elements in it are sorted by time of visit and domain, and there is a search bar. Clicking on the desired site will open it in a new browser tab.
InoReader Sidebar
InoReader is one of the best online RSS readers. If you are a user of it, then install a special sidebar extension that will allow you to view new articles without having to open the main web interface.
The Opera sidebar and the corresponding extensions for it are an interesting new feature that may well attract people to this browser additional users. For example, I was seriously thinking about using Opera as my main browser. What about you?
One of the innovations that she brought with her Windows Vista, there was a sidebar with small visual utility gadgets for various purposes. In the article below we will tell you whether it is possible to restore the sidebar for Windows 7 and whether it is worth it.
Some users appreciated the convenience of this feature, but most did not like this option, and in Windows 7 the application "Sidebar" through the efforts of Microsoft programmers, it was transformed into a set of gadgets that are located on "Desktop".
Alas, such a rework did not help either - a few years later, Microsoft discovered a vulnerability in this element, which is why its development was completely stopped, and latest versions operating system Redmond corporation refused "Sidebar" and their gadget heirs.
However, many people liked both the gadgets and the sidebar: such an element expands the functionality of the OS or makes it more convenient to use. That's why independent developers have come into play: there are alternative sidebar options for Windows 7, as well as gadgets that can be used without the specified component through the corresponding item in the context menu "Desktop".
Returning the sidebar to Windows 7
Since it is no longer possible to obtain this component using the official method, you will have to use a third-party solution. The most functional of them is a free product called 7 Sidebar. The application is incredibly simple and convenient - it is a gadget that includes sidebar functions.
Step 1: Install 7 Sidebar
Download and installation instructions are as follows:
Step 2: Working with 7 Sidebar
The sidebar presented by the 7 Sidebar gadget not only copies appearance and the capabilities of this component in Windows Vista, but also adds many new features. You can view them in the element’s context menu: hover over the panel and right-click. 
Now let's look at each point in more detail.
The program works great with both system and third-party gadgets. You can learn how to add a third-party gadget to Windows 7 from the article at the link below.
Step 3: Settings 7 Sidebar
Setting item context menu sidebar contains tabs "Location", "Design" And "About the program". The latter displays information about the component and is not very useful, while the first two include options for fine tuning sidebar appearance and behavior. 
The layout options allow you to select the monitor (if there is more than one), the side of the location and the width of the panel, as well as the display on "Desktop" or on hover. 
Tab "Design" is responsible for setting up the grouping and binding of gadgets, transparency and switching between several tabs with different groups of gadgets. 
Removing 7 Sidebar
If for some reason you need to remove 7 Sidebar, you can do it like this:
The item will be deleted without leaving a trace in the system.
Conclusion
As you can see, it is still possible to return the sidebar to Windows 7, albeit using a third-party tool.
One of the most interesting components of the worker Windows desktop Vista is a sidebar located vertically on the right side of the desktop. It contains gadget windows (aka mini-applications) that allow you to play various games, view the weather forecast and the latest news, search for data, and much more. In Windows Vista, the Sidebar comes with several gadgets out of the box.
Additional gadgets can be downloaded from the Internet. Immediately after Windows boot the sidebar will contain windows for gadgets such as Watch, Slide show And News Headlines. Each of these windows can be removed or moved as desired.
The sidebar and the gadget windows located on it can be organized in such a way as to get quick access to each application. Moreover, each widget's window can be dragged from the sidebar to any free space desktop. As a result, even if the sidebar is closed, the gadget window will remain in front of you.
To download or update gadgets (for example, to get the latest news or weather forecasts), you will need a constant Internet connection, for example through ADSL or a cable modem. Of course, you can also use a regular dial-up connection via telephone line, however, the speed of such a connection will be low.
Windows Vista no longer has the Active Desktop feature, which allows you to use your desktop to host interactive elements from the Internet. The sidebar is actually a further development of the ideas inherent in Active Desktop.
If the side panel is closed, there are several ways to open it.
- Select a team Start>All Programs>Accessories>Side Windows panel .
- Click the sidebar icon located in the notification area.
- Press the key combination
- Press the key combination
- Click the button Start and in the field Start Search enter a word lateral, then select the link Windows Sidebar.
Alternatively, to close the sidebar, right-click on it and select Close sidebar. At the same time, closing the panel will not terminate the work of those gadgets whose windows were previously detached from the panel and placed on the desktop. If you don't need the sidebar at all, you can quit it. To do this, right-click on the icon Windows Sidebar and select a team Exit. This will close the sidebar, the notification area icon, and shut down all gadgets.
If you simply close the sidebar, the gadgets will remain in RAM and will continue their work. If you close the sidebar, all gadgets will be unloaded from RAM, which will free it up for other tasks.
These gadgets are initially available for the Windows Vista sidebar.
- Currency. View currency quotes.
- Puzzle. A little game.
- News Headlines. View news from a news Web site you specify.
- Notes. An analogue of paper adhesive sheets on which you can make various notes, etc.
- CPU indicator. The indicator allows you to monitor the load level of the process and RAM.
- Calendar. Small and convenient calendar. Unlike the program Windows Calendar, the Calendar gadget does not allow you to schedule events or meetings.
- Contacts. A small contact book.
- Weather. Using this gadget, you can receive live weather forecasts from the Internet, as well as current weather reports.
- Slide show. Displays the images you select in a small window.
- Securities. Ability to view securities quotes.
- Watch. A clock with hands for those who don't have enough clock in the notification area.
You can open the sidebar options window as follows:
- Right click on the sidebar and select command Properties.
- Select a team Start>Control Panel>Appearance and Personalization>Windows Sidebar Properties.
In the window that opens, you can check the box Sidebar is always on top of other windows, if you need the sidebar to be always visible. In addition, you can choose which side of the screen the sidebar should be located on, and also view a list of open gadgets.
You can add several gadget windows to the sidebar from the list already installed gadgets, and downloaded from the Internet. In this case, the gadget window does not have to be “glued” to the side panel; you can easily move the sidebar to any place convenient for you.
There are several ways to add a gadget to your sidebar. Right-click on the sidebar icon located in the notification area and select Add widgets. Second option: Click on the “+” icon at the top of the sidebar. This will open a window Widget Collection.
Now double-click the desired widget in the window or right-click on the gadget icon and select the command Add. There is a third option, the simplest: drag the window of your chosen gadget onto the desktop or sidebar.
To download and install additional gadgets, open the window Widget Gallery using one of the methods described above and click on the link Find widgets on the web. If you couldn’t resist and downloaded a whole army of gadgets, then to find the program you need, you can use the transition buttons located at the top of the window Widget Collection. Also, don't forget about the search field. Find all widgets, where you can enter the widget name you want. You can also click the arrow icon located on the right side of the search field and select Recently installed widgets to find all gadgets installed in the last 30 days.
Each gadget can be installed in several copies. For example, you can place several gadget windows on your desktop Watch and for each of them indicate a different time. To remove a gadget window, in the window Widget Collection use the right mouse button to select the desired window and then select the command Delete. If you uninstalled gadgets that came with Windows, open the Sidebar Options window by right-clicking the Sidebar and selecting Properties. In the window that opens, click on the button Restore gadgets installed by Windows.
Placing a gadget window on your desktop is very simple. Right-click the gadget window in the sidebar and select Detach from side panel. In addition, you can simply drag the gadget window you need to the desktop by left-clicking on it and, holding the button pressed, moving the window to a new location. To always display a gadget window on top of windows displayed by Windows, right-click a gadget window that is detached from the sidebar and select On top of other windows. In turn, to return the gadget window to the sidebar, right-click on the window and select the command Attach to Sidebar.
The parameters of each gadget can be changed. To do this, right-click on the window and select the command Options. Another option is to click on the wrench icon located in the upper right corner of the widget window. If you need to adjust the widget's transparency level, right-click the app window and select Opacity, then specify the desired opacity level, for example 80%.
Popular gadgets
After you "taste" some Windows gadgets Vista, you're sure to work up an appetite for new mini-applications that will help you with a wide variety of tasks. Let's take a look at some gadgets, some of which you can give a chance by installing on your sidebar. Almost all of the gadgets described below (as well as thousands of other gadgets) can be found on the Web site at http://gallery.live.com And http://gadgetsforvista.net.
What gadgets might be useful to you?
- Quick start. Despite the fact that in Windows Vista, as in others Windows versions, there is a panel quick launch, it is not always convenient to use. Typically, the Quick Launch bar contains icons for frequently used programs such as Word, Excel, Outlook, etc. However, the working area of the Quick Launch toolbar is small. In turn, the Quick Launch gadget is a panel on which you can place icons for programs you frequently launch. This panel is initially small in size, but as new icons are added to it, the panel expands. Just click once on the icon and the selected program will be launched. In addition, you can add folders to the panel, and links to all programs whose icons are located on the panel can be saved in text file. Many users have switched to using this gadget instead of the Quick Launch panel or in conjunction with it.
- ClipboardHistory. If you actively use the clipboard for text data, you have probably often encountered a problem when the text fragment you need located on the clipboard is overwritten by a new fragment when using a key combination
- MultiMeter. This is an analogue of the CPU Indicator gadget, which is supported by default in Windows Vista. Unfortunately, the CPU Meter only shows the overall load on the processor or multiple processor cores, but what if you want to see how busy each core is? MultiMeter will help you with this, which also displays the amount of used RAM. It also supports more than 100 visual skins, which will allow you to choose the appearance for MultiMeter that suits your taste.
- Google-bar and Wikipedia Search widgets. There are several dozen gadgets for Windows Vista designed to search for a wide variety of data. Given the super popularity search engine Google and Wikipedia encyclopedia, it is not surprising that gadgets for these Web sites receive special attention from users. The Google-bar and Wikipedia Search gadgets are a simple text field in which you need to enter your query. After entering the request and pressing the key
Your default browser window will open with the results of your request. The Google-bar allows you to search both text results and images. In turn, the Wikipedia Search mini-application allows you to enter queries in several languages, including Russian. - Sphere Timer. Digital time indicator is one of the most useful and indispensable mini-applications. The Sphere Timer widget is not just a digital clock, but also a stopwatch, alarm clock and notification tool. At the moment, Sphere Timer is one of the most popular digital time indicators.
- Panda Cam. The collection of widgets that come with Windows Vista by default includes a widget that lets you organize a slideshow of your photos, pictures, or Vista wallpapers in a small application window. If you want something more interesting, install the Panda Cam gadget. In the window of this application there will be a video broadcast from a web camera at the San Diego Zoo, where you can watch pandas frolicking in the zoo. Of course, pandas won't necessarily pose for the camera, but this mini-application will allow you to have many pleasant moments.
Don't forget that gadgets use a certain amount of RAM and load the processor, so use widgets wisely and don't install 20 of them in a row without understanding how much RAM and CPU time they require.
The Opera browser consists of five groups of screen elements:
- Menu bar
- Tab bar
- Navigation buttons (Back, Forward, Refresh/Stop, Home page)
- Combined address bar and search bar
- View area
The following items are available in the Mac menu bar:
| Menu | Available actions |
|---|---|
| Opera | View information about the Opera browser version, access settings, log in account Opera, delete personal data, import browsing data, download wallpaper and extensions, exit the browser. |
| File | Manage tabs and windows, open files and locations, save pages to local disk or print. |
| Edit | Working with text (copying, pasting, highlighting), searching for text on pages, checking spelling. |
| View | Zoom, show or hide the bookmarks bar or extensions sidebar, turn presentation mode on or off, view in full screen mode, access home page elements (Express bar and news), view downloads, manage extensions and themes, access the password manager, and switch developer tools. |
| History | Go back and forth, re-display closed tabs and windows, jump to recently viewed pages, view your entire browsing history. |
| Bookmarks | Displays the bookmark manager, bookmarks the current page, and navigates to pages added to bookmark folders. |
| Developer | Developer tools, source view and task manager. |
| Window | Minimize the current window, zoom, or select open windows and tabs. |
| Help | Access Opera help pages, view keyboard shortcuts, and the ability to report a problem. |
For Windows and Linux users, the main menu contains various tools for working with the browser. With it, you can open new tabs and windows, change the page zoom, display Opera service pages: Express panel, news, bookmarks, downloads, history or settings.
The tab bar allows you to navigate from one page to another while viewing multiple pages at the same time. Click on a page tab to view its contents. To open new tab, press the button + on the tab bar.
Using the navigation buttons you can go to the necessary browser pages:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Back one page. | |
| Forward one page. | |
| Reload the current page. | |
| Open home page. |
Using the combined address bar and search bar, you can navigate to sites and search the Internet. You can enter a website address, for example, http://www.opera.com/, or keywords to search, for example " Opera browser». .
The viewing area displays the contents of the page. This is where you interact with the page: read text, view images, follow links, etc.
Sidebar
Opera's sidebar, available on the Start page, provides quick access to messaging services, Speed Bar, bookmarks, personalized news, tabs, history, extensions, downloads and settings.
The sidebar can be docked and visible on every browser page, or you can hide it for convenience when browsing other pages. This can be done through Easy Setup.
Opera sidebar control
You can use the sidebar to customize the pages you see, messaging services, and features.
To customize the sidebar, Ctrl-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) the sidebar and check the boxes for the features you want to display.
To access the sidebar settings, go to the menu Settings(Preferences on Mac) > Browser > Sidebar.
Tabs
Opera can organize multiple pages in a single window using tabs that resemble folder shortcuts. Tabs allow you to work on multiple pages at the same time without closing the page while you need it.
To open a new tab, click the button + on the tab bar.
Preview tab contents
To view the contents of a tab without leaving the current page, you can hover your mouse over the tab. Tab previews are especially useful if you have many pages open. You can enable tab previews in Opera settings. To turn tab previews on or off, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings (Preferences on Mac).
- Click Browser on the sidebar.
- In the section User interface check the box Show tab previews (Show tab thumbnails on hover).
Closing tabs
To close a tab, hover over it and click x. To close all tabs except the current one, hold Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) on the current tab and select Close Other Tabs . You can also close all tabs to the right of the current tab by clicking Close Tabs to the Right.
If you closed a tab by accident or want to open a recently closed tab, hold Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) on the tab and select Reopen Last Other Tabs.
Fixing tabs
Locking tabs allows Opera to prevent you from accidentally closing tabs or highlighting important pages. A fixed tab cannot be closed. To pin or unpin a tab to the tab bar, Ctrl-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) the tab and select Pin Tab/Unpin Tab . The pinned tab moves to the left side of the tab bar, where you can quickly open it.
Managing tabs
If you want to open tab displayed in a separate window, simply drag the tab from the tab bar. Tabs can also be dragged between open windows.
If you want to open a copy of the page in a new tab, hold down Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) on the tab and select Duplicate Tab .
All tabs open in a window can be saved as a Quick Panel folder. Hold Ctrl-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) in the tab bar and select Save Tabs as Speed Dial Folder (Save tabs as a group on the Express panel) . At the bottom of the Express panel will appear new folder no name.
Open closed tabs and view synced tabs through the tab menu
If you like to open many tabs at once, the tab menu will make it easier to organize, view, and open them.
The tab menu is on the right side of the tab bar. Tap the tab menu to see a list of recently closed tabs and open tabs from all synced devices.
You can interact with the tab menu using the keyboard. Press Ctrl + M to open or close the tab menu. To navigate through the list of tabs, press the arrow buttons. Press Enter to open a tab from the list.
To make using the tab menu even more convenient, it makes sense to enable tab previews.
Context menu
The context menu appears when you Ctrl-click and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) an element on a web page. The menu appearance depends on the element type (page, text, link or image).
Context menu pages appears when you hold Ctrl and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) anywhere on the page where there are no links, images or text. This menu offers various navigation options (go back, go forward, or reload the page), as well as options to save the page in the Express panel or to bookmarks, view the source code of the page, save the page to PDF format etc.
Context menu links appears when you Ctrl-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) a link, and allows you to choose how to open or save the corresponding page or address.
Context menu images appears when you hold Ctrl and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) an image, and offers options for opening, copying, or saving that image.
If you hold Ctrl and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win/Lin) any image that has a link associated with it, the menu that appears will have menu options for both the image and the link.
Changing the scale
Opera's zoom feature makes small print easier to read. To change the scale on Mac, select View > Zoom In/Zoom Out . Windows or Linux users should go to menu O> Zoom. This way you will set the scale only for the page you are currently on.
You can also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl or ⌘ + + / - to zoom in and out.
To ensure that all pages you view open at the desired scale, you can set the default scale. To set the default scale, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings (Preferences on Mac).
- Click Basic on the sidebar.
- In the section Appearance you will find Page zoom.
- Choose at what scale you would like to view pages.
Once you set the page scale, all pages you open will be displayed at the specified scale. If you had any tabs open, reload them to view the pages at the default zoom you just set.
If you want to return to the original format, Mac users should click View> Actual Size. Windows and Linux users should go to menu O> Zoom and choose Reset zoom to the right of + .
Full screen and presentation mode
Opera allows you to view pages in full screen and presentation mode. In full screen mode, the menu bar is not visible, but the tab bar and combined address and search bar remain on the screen.
To turn full screen mode on or off, select View > Enter/Exit Full Screen . Windows users and Linux can move to menu O> Page and choose Full screen.
In Presentation mode, available for Mac users, all menus and toolbars are hidden and the page takes up the entire screen. This feature is especially useful when giving presentations.
To turn presentation mode on or off, select View > Enter/Exit Presentation Mode .
In any of these modes Mac users can bring up the menu bar on the screen by hovering the mouse cursor at the top border of the screen.
To exit full screen and presentation mode on any platform, press Esc.
Finding text on a page
Opera can search for keywords in text on a page. To find a word or phrase on a page, press Ctrl+F or ⌘+F on your keyboard. Enter text in the search field.
During the search process, found words are highlighted in green. If a word appears more than once on a page, the found words are highlighted in yellow and their number is indicated in the search field. To move from one found word to another, use the right or left arrow.
Uploading and managing files
When you download a file from the site, a download message appears on the right under the combined address and search bar. This message turns on the download progress bar and disappears when the download is complete.
This causes a new icon to appear to the right of the combined address and search bar. Click this icon to view a list of recently downloaded files or remove them from your download history.
To view a detailed list of downloaded files, launch files from the browser, or start downloading again if the connection is lost, select View > Downloads on Mac. On Windows and Linux, go to menu O> Downloads .
The default location where downloaded files are saved can be changed in Settings. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings (Preferences on Mac).
- Click Browser on the sidebar.
- In the section Downloads click the button Change... (Change...) .
- Select the folder where you want the downloaded files to be saved and click Select.
In addition, in this menu you can configure the browser so that it always asks where you want to save downloaded files.
