Get the Vista Sticky Notes Sidebar Gadget for Windows 7

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Windows Vista Notes Sidebar Gadget Windows 7

If you all can take out the issues you had with Windows Vista out of your mind for a minute and think hard, you’ll remember it had a very useful sidebar gadget called Notes. It let you quickly scribble down ideas, phone numbers and all sorts of texts and looked just like real sticky notes. It also had a few options for different fonts, font sizes, and stick note color.

Windows 7 comes with a new sticky notes application to replace the notes gadget but it sits in your taskbar when running hence taking up valuable space. For multiple notes, it starts new instances of sticky notes unlike the gadget which gave previous and next options for multiple notes.Sticky Notes in Windows 7

Windows 7 Sticky Notes

Sticky Notes Gadget in Windows 7

Windows Vista Notes Gadget

I really liked the Notes gadget in Vista, so I extracted the folder and repacked it as a .gadget file so that it can be installed in Windows 7. I find it better to use than the Sticky Notes app in Windows 7.

You can download it below. Just run it and install. It’ll pop up in your desktop gadgets in Windows 7.

Download Notes Gadget for Windows 7

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256 comments

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  10. Hi i have problem to install it it doen`t have instalation files…. when i extract it has en-US, file imiges and some icons how to install it please help. :)

        1. That’s odd. It should show the install dialog box when you open it. Try right clicking and selecting open. Also check if the downloaded file has an extension of .gadget

          1. I am having the same pbls. The file ext is .zip No install dialog box appears.

  11. OH thanks i had an winrar icon because of that i extract it…. Big thanks and windows 7 rocks:P

  12. thanks, just what i needed! replacing windows 7 sticky notes since it insists on taking up taskbar space.

  13. Hi, I’m serching this gadget for a bit and finally found it, but when I click install it does nothing … ¿?

  15. Thanks SO MUCH!
    I spent ages trying to find that on google but then I gave up…but thank goodness I found this!!
    And thanks for posting it! The other one did completely different things from what it SAID it was supposed to do!

  16. i have the same problem like tovkal….i click install and nothing happen.
    could you please help me?

  17. Check your desktop gadgets library if the gadget is showing up in there. If it is, double click it, or drag it out to the desktop to show it.

  20. Check your desktop gadgets gallery by right clicking on the Windows 7 desktop and clicking on gadgets. If it shows in there, drag it out to the desktop.

  24. thank you for your fast answer, but the problem ist still there. i click install and windows is asking me if i want to install or not. when i now confirm nothing happen. i have no idea what i´m doing wrong.

  25. Can you zip up the Windows 7 sticky note program and post it? I want multiple notes!

  27. If you want multiple notes, you can either click on the + sign after you've opened up an instance of the Notes Gadget, or you can open up multiple instances of it by dragging and dropping it again and again from the Desktop Gadgets Gallery.

  29. Thanx you very much, dude!!!!!! :) I have been looking for Notes for 7 for ages, because sticky notes in 7 are completely useless for me :)) Thank you very, very, very much!!!!!!

  30. I too couldn’t get the gadget to install – it instead opened the temporary internet folder the files were downloaded to. What I did was move the “Notes[1]” zipped folder to the desktop and changed the file extention from .zip to .gadget. Then it allowed me to double-click on it and install.

    Hopefully this helps anyone else that runs across this.

  31. Thank you! For the users that does not work is because they need a localized version of the gadget to have to open it with WinRAR and rename the folder en-US for their region (for example, for Spain would be es-ES )

    Greetings

  34. Just rename the file as notes.gadget and install it!! Works fine with Windows 7

  35. cheers :D if you can't install it, right click save target as, rename before you download to Notes.gadget, and then change the file type from .zip to All files, it's the drop down menu under the name bar :)

  36. Thank you SO MUCH. Not only does it not take up taskbar space, but the lack of font options was beginning to really bother me.

  39. Great! The new sticky notes fails when mimizing to desktop, or using the Aero Peek feature caus the notes will hide then… This gadget is just perfect!

  40. Like Xuletas just said, if it doesn't install when doble click (assuming you changed from .zip to .gadget) you must open the file with WinZip, WinRar or any other and check your country Region. Inside the file there is a “en-EN” folder because this is english version, you must change that folder name to “es-ES” (in my case, for Spanish language) or your contry region and save the file again with .gadget extension.

  41. Hope I'm not too late to thank you for posting one of the most useful gadget by Ms..
    I don't get why they removed so many useful stuff in 7 .___. Thanks >O</

  44. it doesn't work for, it is just a .zip file, so I just can extarct it, I can't install it, please how do I do it??

  46. it doesnt work for me, i have windows 7 ultimate 64 bits, i double clic in the gadget and install it, but i dont see the notes gadgets in the gadgets window

    thanks

    1. When you click the link choose save and under save as type choose all files. Also add .gadget to the end of the file name. Than the file will install like a gadget. This worked for me.

  47. installed and works great (i have windows 7 ultimate 64bit) this was my favorite gadget in vista

  49. yaar please tel me that can we download this gadget on Windows XP also and if Yes, then HOW??

  52. thanks so much :) it's very nice
    i just rename en-US folder as it-IT and run
    greetings from ITALY
    hi all

  54. thanks so much :) it's very nice
    i just rename en-US folder as it-IT and run
    greetings from ITALY
    hi all

  56. great app man, but is there anyway that the notes can be saved when you close them? i know yahoo widgets notes saves the information after it is closed.

  57. great app man, but is there any the notes can be saved when you close the gadget? whenever the gadget is closed i lose the information i wrote on it

  58. great app man, but is there anyway that the notes can be saved when you close them? i know yahoo widgets notes saves the information after it is closed.

  59. Thanks a ton! I’ve been looking everywhere for this. The sticky notes gadget of Win7 is useful in its own way (no need to put a physical sticky note on the monitor anymore), but the Vista version is handy because it stores multiple notes in a less unobtrusive way. If we are lucky, maybe M$ will provide the functionality of both versions in the next version via configuration options. That would be sweet.

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  63. Works great! A lot better than the Win7 Sticky Notes application…I wonder if this will be the only thing we remember and carry forward from the SS Vista?

  66. Very big TNX!! Work great with Win7 Ultimate ITA (Renamed “en-EN” in “it-IT”)

  69. oh wow.. i tot this is impossible in windows 7. :D This was the only thing that keeps me not to update vista to win7. haha :D

  70. For German Users:

    download the file, rename the file in notes.zip, open with Winzip or WinRar, change die Directory “en-EN” in “de-DE”, save the file, rename it to notes.gadget and install! Have Fun :)

  71. thanks a lot buddy.. i was disappointed whn i did nt find it on window 7.. gr8 to get da vista gadget back on my win 7.. thanks

  74. I disagree, I had been dual-booting Vista & Windows 7 RC, now back using Vista only. I have no issues with Vista, other than I miss Sticky Notes from Win7.

  75. Thanks a million! :) Now my groceries and project assignments are on my desktop again! Cheers!

  76. Thanks you very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very very ….. much

  77. Pingback: Sticky Notes для Windows 7 « Flash in India

  78. I may be a n00b here but how do you change the name of the .zip files to .gadget?
    I simply can’t edit the name of the folder or the files inside of it and if I unzip it it makes no sense changing the names of the files since it wont change the file type. Any suggestions? Thanks

    1. ONE GREAT APPLICATION!
      Thanks a lot!

      Here’s the deal to all of you who got confused…

      Download and Save, don’t open!
      Save on your desktop as ‘Notes.Gadget’, pick file typs ‘all files’.
      Then double click on the desktop icon to Install.

  80. I have a problem that it’s getting active all the time, i mean the little blinkie line when you type keeps appearing in the gadget. It’s not the end of the world but it is anoying. Do more people have this problem? Has anyone solved this?

  83. I TRY TO REACTIVATE MY PRECEDENT VERSION OF DESKTOP FROM VISTA TO WINDOWS 7 BUT AFTER DOWNLOAD I CLICK ON INSTALL BUT SURPRISE NO REACTION NO INSTALLATION NO NOTE ON SIDEBAR ( BY THE WAY MY WINDOWS IS FRENCH ????

    WHERE IS THE PROBLEM ?

  84. Might be stupid, but how should I “install” ? I couldn’t find any executeable in the ZIP file…

  86. Well, was looking for my old Notes for a long time. Even MS site is a waste for this.

    Superb! Consider posting on MS Site.

  87. w0000000000000000000t!!!!
    works perfictly!!
    for those who can’t install it because of the file type (.zip)
    * Go to Computer
    * Press Alt on the left side of the keyboard
    * A hidden menu bar will appear
    * Choose “Tools” -> Folder Options
    * A window will appear
    * Choose “View”
    * Uncheck “Hide extensions for known file types”
    * Go to the downloaded file and change “.zip” to “.gadget”
    * Start installing
    and it’ll work perfictly!!! =D

  88. Please fix the download link “Download Notes Gadget for Windows 7”.I want this gadget

  89. This is exactly what I was searching for, but unfortunately it does not install on Win7 Pro 64 Italian: I get the confirmation dialog for unsigned gadget, then I click Install, and nothing happens. Maybe it should be extracted from the corresponding Vista version, who knows.

    1. By further browsing, I found the blog of an Italian guy that did the same thing. It worked on my computer, so I think I can confirm that different versions of the gadget are needed according to OS language.

  90. Thank you so much for your hardwork . Nothing takes the place of this ” note ”

    God bless you

  91. Hey,

    i unzipped the file, but no desktop icon for instal.
    How should i install it ?

    Thanks~

  93. Thank you very much!! I've been trying to find this for a long time!!! GREAT WORK!!

  96. Just what I was looking for! Works on my Win 7 32-bit system. What would make it perfect is if you could resize it by dragging on the edges. Can this be done? There is a size setting but it only allows you to chosose between two fixed sizes, small and large.

    Thanks for your hard work.

  97. The confusion would be deminised if you'd explained how to install it. Thanks to aDmntk for making it clear :-)

    And thank you for providing the gadget.

  98. Thank you so much.. This is brilliant! Just what I was looking out for.. :)

  100. Thanks So much dude i have been looking for the gadget
    but only found the other cheap gadget , which fills up the desktop this is cool
    try optimizing SEO for “Sticky notes gadget “
    rather than “notes “
    Cool thanks again … :)

  105. By aDmntk, echoing…..
    w0000000000000000000t!!!!
    works perfictly!!
    for those who can't install it because of the file type (.zip)
    * Go to Computer
    * Press Alt on the left side of the keyboard
    * A hidden menu bar will appear
    * Choose “Tools” -> Folder Options
    * A window will appear
    * Choose “View”
    * Uncheck “Hide extensions for known file types”
    * Go to the downloaded file and change “.zip” to “.gadget”
    * Double click on the file, click install
    * Start installing
    and it'll work perfictly!!! =D

  107. I Can’t install this gadget in windows seven, why?
    if I’m following all of that says ‘me’

  108. I use windows 7 32-bit and had problems during installation, but i figured how to solve them:

    1. Click to download the file.
    2. Select SAVE
    3. Change the name from ‘Notes’ to ‘Notes.Gadget’ and also change the type of the file, from ‘ZIP file’ to ‘all the files’
    4. Download it!

    After downloading the file, it should open automatically in your desktop!
    I hope I can help you guys!

  113. thanks a lot. i was looking for it, and thanks for the installation description ;)

  115. same here. I can’t install it as well. I installed this before in my old 64-bit windows 7 ultimate, and it works just fine. But now, I have a new 32-bit windows 7 home premium, and it says that “This is not a valid gadget package”

    I guess it doesn’t work anymore. :(

    The file a downloaded is notes.gadget and I clicked it, then clicked install.. Too bad for me… :(

    1. Same thing happened with me. Any idea how wee can get around this problem?

  117. thanks a lot.. I find this ‘old’ type of sticky notes waaay better than the new one!

  118. This is a blessing as the Sticky Notes gadget is not shipped with Windows 7 Home Basic edition.
    Thank you!

  120. thanx a lot i was searching everywhere and i finally found it thanx a very very very lot

  121. How do i get it to work, i downloaded it and its a zipped file. so how do i put it on gadgets to make the gadget work. i tried running it, but it just opens the file
    please i need help, i really do want this.
    Im using windows 7 btwww.

  124. I like this one much better than the one that comes with Windows 7. A person doesn’t have to have multiple sticky notes on the desktop making it cluttered, as if a person had tons of sticky notes on a desk, wall, board etc, making it hard to find each note. Instead I can click on the back and back and forward arrows. When wanting to add another simply click the plus button and add onto it and when I don’t need the reminder anymore I click the X button to clear it off.

    I had no trouble getting this to work on my Windows 7 64-bit Ultimate

  127. Hi, there doesn’t seem to be an executable to run among the downloaded files. Hope it is not my issue, really prefer the smaller notes from vista. Thank you. John

    Files downloaded in folder : Notes.zip downloads 162kb, folder contains 5 items, en-US folder, images folder, drag.png, icon.png and logo.png

    1. rename “Notes.zip” to “Notes.gadget”, double-click and windows 7 gadget manager will ask to install… simple as that.

      1. I did just that, but after clicking yes on the question if i want to install, nothing happends. And if i open the gadget menu there is no gadget. weird?

        1. yup! same happend to me!! any help? i installed it and nothing happened!!

  128. I got the same problem, what to do with the files? There is no install file in the zip.

  129. Fantastic ! I had been waiting for this for two years.Thanks very much !

  131. hi, thanks for this wonderful gadget :D been using it for some time before i had to reformat my computer…and coming to that…may i know where the text was stored so i might recover it from my backup? >< thanks!

  132. Wonderful man. But I wish it had more options like changing the size of the note (sticky paper) or changing the font to something we can add.

  133. Notes work only in en-EN OS
    i have use 7zip, open the archiv, copy the folder en-EN to my Desktop, rename is to de-DE
    and put the folder in the Notes.gadget. Now it works on German OS.

  137. Thanks so much!

    I was looking for that for a long time, since the “Black and Dark Notes” suddenly

    stopped working on my desktop.

    Take care!

    PS. For those who are having problem downloading, do it that way:
    – Right click on the link
    – Save link as (or save target as for firefox)
    – Rename to Notes.gadget

    This is how it worked for me.

  142. tahnx!!! unfortunately it does not install on Win7 Pro 64 Italian: I get the confirmation dialog for unsigned gadget, then I click Install, and nothing happens. Maybe it should be extracted from the corresponding Vista version, who know

  148. thank you sooooo much!!! been looking for it for ever!! you just made my life easier!

  150. It doesn’t pop-up, after installation.

    quote:
    “You can download it below. Just run it and install. It’ll pop up in your desktop gadgets in Windows 7.”

  151. Please how can I use it..I downloaded it but can’t the way to install :( ;(

  156. something is wrong. i downloaded the app but cant install it. please check the compatibility again i really want this gadget.

  157. Imran thank you for this Gadget thing. I was desperately looking for it.
    Good Luck !

  159. i spent a good 2 hours looking for this
    thanks for for saving my keyboard (i was going to destroy it soon out of shear rage)

  161. for those who can’t install this on your Win 7, download the Zip file and rename it as “Notes.gadget” and double click it.

  163. Thank you for this! I have been using the “Free Floating Notes” but I don’t like the as much as the ones in the sidebar itself.
     

  164. thanks i found it better to use. and also small enough in the side bar. thanks again. 

  166. Exactly what I was looking for. Thanks. Downloaded and installed pretty much on its own.

  168. Been looking for this for a very long time, I hated that the W7 sticky notes were like a program that you had to open and when I clicked the hide all button my notes would be in the background, I want my notes to be stuck to my wallpaper because the reason why I want them is because I forget stuff easily.

    Thanks alot for posting that link, couldnt’ find it elsewhere. :)

  170. Just following this target to make it easy for installing
    C:Usersyour-userAppDataLocalMicrosoftWindows SidebarGadgets

    then extract the zip file and put all files in folder. Call that folder “notes.gadget”
    After that you will see the note’s icon in the SideBar on the desktop.

    1. Thanks for the instructions, it really helped! And thank you to the developer! I was so glad when I opened up the gadgets and it was finally there :D

  174. I downloaded it and unzipped it, how do i get it to show up in my gadgets list?  I dropped it in my gadgets folder whick didn’t work.

    1. there is no need to “unzip” it. Just install it as you would any other gadget. Just run it ;-)

    2. You probably don’t know where to keep it. Download this and keep it in the appdata gadgets folder (it is hidden).

  177. Thanks very much.  A really useful addition to my Netbook desktop!  (I only have Win 7 Starter Edition so I apparently I don’t get the built in Sticky Notes anyway – cheers Microsoft!)

    P.S.  If  you want more pads of Notes on your desktop you can’t just copy Notes download and install file again BUT  if you rename download as “Notes2” you can then install another copy.

  178. MODERATOR – Please replace my earlier post 20 May 12 with this corrected version!  As a new user of Windows 7 I was unaware you can run multiple copies of any installed Gadget by clicking “ADD” again in Desktop Gadget Gallery!  Corrected post to read:-

    Thanks very much!  A really useful addition to my Netbook desktop!  (With only Win 7 Starter Edition it appears I can’t run the built-in Sticky Notes anyway.  Cheers Microsoft!)

    P.S.  If you want to run more than one pad of Sticky Notes just go back to the All Programs/Desktop Gadget Gallery, right click on “Notes” and then click on “Add” and a second pad of notes will launch.

  179. Very good! I had a challange in installing it and following worked very well.

    Change the Notes.zip to Notes.gadgets and double click it.

    I hope non-technical People like me will find it useful

  182. This is great, thanks. But I would really need a smaller font size than 9 for Segoe Print…

  185. finally i got it here, Thank you, the sticky note is really something.. i need. thanks again.

  191. i really appreciate you so much for making it available to the community once more “)

  193. I installed (doubleclicked) the Notes.gadget, but its not appearing on the desktop nor is it in the gadget menu. I then unrared the files to a new folder “notes.gadget” in the microsoft gadget folder, but its still not in my gadget menu. Is this broken or what?

  194. install in windows 7 -right click the notes -properties- u will see the notes is block ,, just click unblock to give it permission to install.u will see the notes show at the sidebar =)

  197. It appears to me that the file Notes.gadget was recently replaced with a non-zipped version based on the confusion people reported here.

    It installed easily for me and looks like a nice program.

    However, it does not install for a friend in Europe presumably because of the non-English language. I noticed that there is an English and US reference in a folder called
    “C:Users[USER NAME]AppDataLocalMicrosoftWindows SidebarGadgetsNotes.gadgeten-US”

    Any ideas?
    Thanks!

  200. THANK YOU Imran!!! I was hating the new notes gadget, and therefore went online looking for a way to get a hold of the previous version!!! Love this!!! You made my day!!

  201. Please help me, this isn’t helping for me, apparently this is a newer version, I download it, double-click, press install & nothing happens. Thanks in advance!

  202. I LOVE YOU!!! I missed the old notes widget, the only good thing about vista

  203. This is great. I hate the way Sticky Notes lies around at the toolbar just taking unnecessary space, this one is great.

  204. It cannot be set to stay always on top, which to me was the main advantage of Vista’s gadget over 7’s application.

  207. if you can’t install it, right click save target as, rename
    before you download to Notes.gadget, and then change the file type
    from .zip to All files it works fine on my win 7 64 bit

  208. ….if you can’t install it, right click save target as,
    rename before you download to Notes.gadget, and then change the
    file type from .zip to All files it works fine on my win 7 64
    bit

  212. not work for me :( Windows 7 32 bit. I have download :
    Notes.zip on the desktop, so i have rename it in Notes.gadget but
    when i click on it doesn’t do anithing. why?

    1. just unzip the file, and in the destination folder,double click the the unziped file, it would work.

      1. Hi i want to download the type of sticky notes to my windows 7 starter not the gadget. how do i do that? plus i want i don’t have the screen shot thing in my accessories, how do i get that too?

  213. thank you! i don’t really like the sticky notes for windows 7 and i’ve been looking for these for windows 7 for a while now

  215. Just rename the .zip file to .gadget and double click and install on Windows 7, worked for me!

  219. Thank you so much for this! Been looking everywhere for it and it works perfectly :)

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