Windows 7 Gadgets Don't Appear After Reboot

[drmsucks]

Did an upgrade install of Win 7 over my Vista SP2. All seems well except that my Gadgets: a) disappear after a reboot and b) "ghost" if I drag one onto the desktop (one gadget will work the other does nothing) and c) the Gadgets will not "configure" - can't change opacity, etc. Have tried the UAC slider in various positions - no difference (my preference is "off")

I know that I'm not alone with this - any fixes? Thanks.

Athlon 64 4800+ CPU, 4 GB RAM, ASUS A8N-E motherboard, Avast! AV, Windows Defender, NVIDIA video