Vista Sidebar Fail

[Elfeh]

Hey I'm new as can be seen from my 1 post counter...

I've started setting up my Vaio VGN-AR51E (not that the model is relevant in this case), which some nice individual @ Sony HQ decided should run the Google sidebar on the Vista desktop.

I would very much porefere to run the standard windows sidebar myself & no matter what I do I can't get the damned thing to run. No matter what I do I'm responded to with "Windows Sidebar is managed by your system administrator". I've tried running it as the admin, I've tried changing the permissions, I've switched off User Account Control, I've setup the default admin user account logged in as the default admin & tried running the sidebar from there & I'm still met with the same "Windows Sidebar is managed by your system administrator" dialogue box & a failure of the sidebar to run...

Any Ideas would be welcome because I'm pulling out the few hair follicles I have left!

Many thanks
Elfeh

[Blencogo]

Hi Elfeh and welcome to Club Vaio.

Try this small Registry edit to fix the problem: -

Start -> type "regedit" in the Search and open the Registry Editor. Browse to: -
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Windows\Sidebar"
Right-click on "turnoffsidebar" and change 1 to 0.

[Elfeh]

Wow you made that both very quick & very easy Blencogo thank you so much I've been trying to solve this myself for about 2 days on & off!

Any idea why its default setup is off is this to make you use the google sidebar as a Sony preference or some such?

Once more many thanks you're a genuis :smileygrin:

[Blencogo]

Any idea why its default setup is off 

I think you have probably hit the nail on the head!!!!

Glad it's working now.

[Elfeh]

While I have you're proverbial ear, I appear to have lost the "Vaio Optimised" power option from the mobile pc section of Vista. I now have the Vista default "balanced" instead.

Would you know if the "Vaio Optimised" option is more than a rebrand of the "balanced" option. If so any idea how I can reinstate it?

Thanks again it nice to have a simple unbranded sidebar

[Blencogo]

Have all three Vaio Power Schemes disappeared or just the Vaio Optimised one?

I'm afraid I'm on a XP Vaio at the moment so I'll have to look later. Is there not an option to click on to 'see all power schemes' somewhere at the bottom?

[Elfeh]

I only have the option of the three standard Windows schemes...

Its hardly the end of the world especially if its simply a case of Sony having renamed the schemes to give the imoression of a more bespoke pc. However in the unlikely event that the schemes have been specifically designed to work with the Vaio specific hardware...

At the end of the day its really just a vista based laptop so I don't expect it to anything really just curious as to whats happened.

[Blencogo]

Have you tried clicking on the small arrow for "Show Additional Plans"?

If not there, you may have to reinstall the Sony Power Management Utility - but as you say, the VAIO Power Schemes are just a variation on the Microsoft ones.

[Elfeh]

I did try the additional plans tab yesterday & it did nothing, yet today it reveals a host of Vaio plans!

I guess I'm having that sort of day though because I had my car serviced yesterday & it came back with the rear fog light not working. I remove the buld its fine refit it still nothing, check the contacts, wiggle the wiring loom, nothing. I took it down to them to demonstrate today (checking before I left - still not working).

Well I'm sure you can guess that as soon as the chap who serviced it came out & I switched the fogs lights on presto there was light. & no amount of cable shifting could make it fail!

Thanks so much for all your help Blencogo you've been fantastic