Installation of Windows Sidebar Gadgets Is Managed by Your System Administrator

When you try to install a third-party gadget to the Windows Vista Sidebar, the following message may be displayed:

The above error occurs if you’re trying to add a gadget which is not digitally signed and a Policy setting in your system prevents installation of unsigned gadgets. Note that Windows Vista by default allows installation of signed and unsigned gadgets.

If your system is not a part of any domain network and yet this happens, this may be due to Registry-based policy enabled by some third-party software you use. Follow the steps below to relax this setting:

If you are using Windows Vista Business, Enterprise or the Ultimate edition which includes the Group Policy Editor, use these steps. For all other editions of Windows Vista, follow the steps under Registry Fix section below:

1. Click Start, type gpedit.msc and press ENTER

2. Go to the following branch:

3. Double-click the following entry, and set it to Not Configured

4. Repeat the same in the following branch:

Note: If the setting already reads Not configured, set it to Enabled and click Apply. Then revert it back to Not Configured and click OK.

Registry Fix

The registry value corresponding to the above Policy is TurnOffUnsignedGadgets, which can be configured per-user or per-system. Download nogadgetsignpol.reg and save to Desktop. Right-click on the file and then choose Merge.

This REG file removes TurnOffUnsignedGadgets Policy from the following registry locations:

More Information

Sidebar gadgets can be deployed as compressed files, either digitally signed or unsigned. If you enable this setting, Windows Sidebar will not extract any gadgets that have not been digitally signed. If you disable or do not configure this setting, Windows Sidebar will extract both signed and unsigned gadgets. The default is for Windows Sidebar to extract both signed and unsigned gadgets.

SEE ALSO

Windows Sidebar is managed by your system administrator

Copyright © 2008 Ramesh Srinivasan. All rights reserved.