Disable Windows Gadgets With Group Policy

[6Foot2]

Link: Disable Windows Gadgets with Group Policy | trekker.net

 

On July 10, 2012, Microsoft released Security Advisory #2719662 for Windows Sidebar (Windows Vista) and Windows Gadgets (Windows 7). The ‘Gadgets’ are software widgets written in Javascript, CSS, and HTML and can be susceptible to exploit. Due to these security concerns, Microsoft has taken the step of removing the Desktop Gadget Gallery and is recommending that customers concerned about malicious Gadgets run the Fix It tool found in the Knowledge Base Article to disable this functionality. The functionality in the Fix It tool can also be replicated in Group Policy without having to deploy the MSI to your computers. This will also ensure that future computers added to Active Directory have this functionality disabled without needing the Fix It tool run on them...

[Michael]

Thanks for this. Certainly worth disabling I agree!

[6Foot2]

Gadgets are already disabled here for staff and students. When I saw the article I though it worthy of creating a post here in case others missed it.

[Michael]

Since your post, I've disabled it at all sites. I can only think of one user who uses Gadgets at the top of my head.

 

Certainly a setting Microsoft should switch off by default!