It sounds like you are experiencing issues with gadgets in the sidebar of Windows. Since you are running sidebar.exe elevated to disable UAC and have already checked your firewall settings, here are a few more troubleshooting steps you can try:
1. Check Internet Connection:
- Ensure that your internet connection is working properly. Sometimes connectivity issues can affect gadgets that fetch data from the internet.
2. Check Gadget Settings:
- Verify that the settings in the gadgets you are using are correct. Sometimes, changes in APIs or services that gadgets rely on can cause them to stop working.
3. Re-register Sidebar:
- Try re-registering the Sidebar by following these steps:
1. Press Win + R to open the "Run" dialog.
2. Type regsvr32.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\sbdrop.dll"
and press Enter.
3. Restart your computer after re-registering the Sidebar.
4. Reset Gadget Platform:
- You can try resetting the Gadget Platform to its default settings by:
1. Press Win + R to open the "Run" dialog.
2. Type rundll32.exe "%ProgramFiles%\Windows Sidebar\sbautoupdate.dll",ResetMySettings
and press Enter.
3. Restart your computer after resetting the Gadget Platform.
5. Check for Windows Updates:
- Make sure that your Windows system is up-to-date. Updates can sometimes address compatibility issues with gadgets.
6. Run System File Checker:
- Running the System File Checker tool can help repair missing or corrupted system files that may be affecting the gadgets.
- Open Command Prompt as an administrator and run the command: sfc /scannow
After trying these steps, check to see if your gadgets are now able to connect to the internet. If the issue persists, it might be beneficial to look for any recent Windows updates or changes that could have triggered the problem.