Ok i give up...windows sidebar help!!

How the hell you enable vista sidebar on the fz laptop i have an idmin account even disabled uac and it still wont let me load it sound i need to be an admin to do it how? i dont like the google one its crap

 

Start > Control Panel, look for "Windows Sidebar Properties." Click on it, then check "Start Sidebar when Windows Starts."

 

LOL wish it was that simple it says.... sidebar is managed by adminstrator ... when i click it

 

Are you running Vista Business or Vista Ultimate? If so, have you joined a domain, perhaps at school or work?

 

No its vista home premium....i aint done anything apart from normal setup of vista when i first got my laptop...the only think i did notice is that sony use google desktop with side bar. I dont know if sony have disabled windows sidebar in favour of googles.

 

Google could well be interfering. Why not deinstall it and see?

 

Click Start, then Control Panel. Look for "User Accounts." Look at your screen name, does it say "Administrator?" If not, click "Change your account type," then click on "Administrator."

 

it is defintnate an admin account no doubt about it it wont just enable ill have to try calling vaio support i guess

 

Can you launch sidebar manually?
(Start > Type in 'sidebar')

 

No

still the same little pop up box windows sidebar is managed by a system adminstrator.....only thing is i dont kno who lol! this is a fresh set up with an admin account!

 

I FIXED IT!!!!

Went into regitry editor and went down to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\sidebar

In there sony have enabled a policy on the FZ21s by using a dword key called Turnoffsidebar i set the value data from 1 to 0 and tried sidebar app again and it come on straight away with no restart!

 

Which then begs the question, how did this registry entry get set in the first place. Have you logged into/ connected to any domain with this machine?

Gary

 

no

this was a fresh sony installed laptop i even tried a recovery of the laptop to get the sidebar to work but its even set with that so sony much be turning the sidebar off in the reg in favour of googles.

 

Thanks Aibo!! I've had the same problem since I have had my new 21S (since Sat). Seems like Sony have been quite sneaky in making users keep the google desktop,

 

so does this mean that even if you install vista ultimate over hp..it will still be in the reg? Sony and there sneaky tricks..but they make damn nice laptops..lol

o, talking of vista ultimate has anyone put it on instead of the vista home premium which is pre-installed ...using this guide :

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=145748

let us know how easy/hard it is to do because thats one of the first thing i want to do when i eventually get my fz21s

 

I wrote that guide, and as far as I know it has not been tried on an FZ2 series machine. However it should still apply. If you decide to try it out, create a similar inventory of applications and drivers like is in the document for step 2, step 3 and step 4. Send it to me and I'll review it to update the document. Also look at the Sony support site for the list of FZ2 drivers. Note any difference in that list and let me know. I'll update the document to reflect any differences between the FZ and FZ2 series.

Gary

 

Im glad many of you guys are finding this trick works least I know if i did install vista again I can use this trick again as I aint re-installed since ive had my FZ21s in fear of it never working again lol!!

Its easy to find and to do.....click the start menu type into the serch box regedit follow the path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\sidebar and change the Dword value for 1 to 0

Dam sony huh! beleve it or not i found the key just by messing around with the find option in regedit by typing sidebar