Tip 784: Using Desktop Gadgets

If you are one of the few people who use gadgets in Windows 7 and Vista, the Outlook 2007 gadgets from Microsoft can be made to work with Outlook 2003 and 2010.

Microsoft uses a script to check the version of Outlook but you can edit the vbs file so it doesn't do a version check.

For example, to make this gadget:
//gallery.live.com/liveItemDetail.aspx?li=ed840437-7d13-4755-8d0a-0ba2cbbf38e6&=1&=1
work with Outlook 2010, I  changed a section of the VBS to remove the version check. It works fine with both Outlook 2010 (32 or 64 bit) and Outlook 2003  – you could also change all instances of 12 to 14 (or 11).

For more information and code samples, see
Using Windows gadgets with Outlook 2010
//www.slipstick.com/outlook/ol2010/gadgets.asp

(This should work with Outlook 2002 and older too, but the older versions are not supported on Vista and Windows 7.)

Published September 16, 2010. Last updated on April 18, 2013.

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