Side Windows panel is a long vertical bar on the side of the desktop. It contains gadgets that give quick access to the most desired functions: calendar, weather in your city, exchange rates, etc. You can customize it, add new applications, hide or show in front of all windows. The side panel can be closed, sometimes by accident, and then you need to return it. To restore the sidebar, follow these steps.
Instructions
You can also access the Task Manager by pressing CTRL + SHIFT + ESC. Open the Processes tab and locate the Sidebar.exe process. Select it with a mouse click and click End Process. The prompt "Are you sure you want to end the process?" - click "End process". Close the Task Manager window. Restart your computer. After restarting your computer, repeat step 2: Start - All Programs - Accessories - Windows Sidebar. The side panel has been restored.
Now more and more people find it interesting to use the sidebar for Windows XP. Thanks to this program, you can install various gadgets that look very colorful, making your desktop more comfortable and less dry. In addition, most of these gadgets are functional applications and facilitate your work at the PC by bringing various functions to the side panel (for example, a countdown, a convenient volume control, and so on).
But the sidebar is not built into Windows. In order to use all these gadgets, we need to install the Widows Sidebar program. Please note that this program is a development of the company Microsoft, thanks to which the question of the security of your computer disappears.
So, in this article we will look at the process of installing the program. Widows Sidebar... First, you need to download the installation file of the original version of this program. The link to the file is given at the end of the article.... Do not worry about the security of your computer - on our site all the proposed files have been checked and rechecked by antivirus software. Having found and downloaded the installation file, you need to open it, after which you will see the following window:
It is not necessary to close all applications, since after the installation process is complete, the program will most likely still ask you to restart the computer. We boldly press the button " Further ", After which this window appears before our eyes:
Unfortunately, it is impossible to change the installation directory of this program, so here we have to dutifully agree with the proposed folder and click “ Install ". This is followed by a quick installation process, which takes on average from half a minute to two to three minutes, depending on the characteristics of the PC. After installation, the last installation window appears in front of us, which looks like this:
Opera browser consists of five groups of on-screen elements:
- Menu bar
- Tab bar
- Navigation buttons (Back, Forward, Refresh / Stop, Home)
- Combined address bar and search bar
- View area
The following items are available on the Mac Menu Bar:
| Menu | Available actions |
|---|---|
| Opera | View information about the version of the Opera browser, access the settings, enter account Opera, delete personal data, import browsing data, download wallpaper and extensions, exit the browser. |
| File | Manage tabs and windows, open files and locations, save pages to local disk or print. |
| Edit | Working with text (copy, paste, highlight), search for text on pages, spell check. |
| View | Zoom, show or hide the bookmark bar or extensions sidebar, turn presentation mode on or off, view in full screen mode, access homepage elements (Quick Bar & News), view downloads, manage extensions and themes, access the password manager and switch developer tools. |
| History | Go back and forth, re-display closed tabs and windows, go to recently viewed pages, view your entire history of work on the Internet. |
| Bookmarks | Display the bookmark manager, create a bookmark on the current page, go to pages added to the bookmark folders. |
| Developer | Developer tools, source viewer and task manager. |
| Window | Minimize the current window, zoom, or select open windows and tabs. |
| Help | Access Opera Help pages, view keyboard shortcuts, and the ability to report a problem. |
For Windows and Linux users, the main menu contains various tools for working with the browser. With it, you can open new tabs and windows, change the page scale, display Opera service pages: Express panel, news, bookmarks, downloads, history or settings.
The tab bar allows you to jump from one page to another while viewing multiple pages at the same time. Click on a page tab to view its contents. To open a new tab, click the button + on the tab bar.
Using the navigation buttons, you can go to the necessary browser pages:
| Button | Act |
|---|---|
| Back one page. | |
| Forward one page. | |
| Reload the current page. | |
| Open the start page. |
With the combined address bar and search bar, you can navigate to sites and search the Internet. You can enter a website address such as http://www.opera.com/, or keywords to search, for example " Opera browser». .
The viewport displays the content of the page. This is where you interact with the page: read text, view images, follow links, etc.
Side panel
Opera's sidebar, accessible from the start page, provides quick access to messaging services, Speed Dials, bookmarks, personalized news, tabs, history, extensions, downloads and settings.
The sidebar can be docked and visible on every page in the browser, or you can hide it for convenience while browsing other pages. This can be done through Easy Setup.
Opera sidebar control
You can use the sidebar to personalize the pages displayed, messaging services, and features.
To customize the sidebar, hold down Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) on the sidebar and check the boxes for the functions you want to display.
To access the sidebar settings, go to the menu Settings(Preferences on Mac)> Browser > Sidebar.
Tabs
Opera can organize multiple pages in a single window using tabs that resemble folder shortcuts. Tabs allow you to work on multiple pages at the same time without closing the page while you need it.
To open a new tab, click the button + on the tab bar.
Previewing the contents of a tab
To view the contents of a tab without leaving the current page, you can hover over the tab. Tab preview is especially useful when there are many pages open. You can enable tab preview in Opera settings... To turn tab preview on or off, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings (Preferences on Mac).
- Click on Browser on the side panel.
- In chapter User interface check the box Show tab previews.
Closing tabs
To close a tab, hover over it and click x... To close all tabs except the current one, hold down Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) on the current tab and select Close Other Tabs ... Alternatively, you can close all tabs to the right of the current tab by clicking Close Tabs to the Right.
If you closed a tab by accident, or want to open a recently closed tab, hold down Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) on the tab and select Reopen Last Other Tabs.
Fixing tabs
Locking tabs allows Opera to prevent accidentally closing tabs or highlighting important pages. The locked tab cannot be closed. To pin or unpin a tab in the tab bar, hold down Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) on the tab and select Pin tab/Unpin Tab ... The locked tab moves to the left side of the tab bar, from where you can quickly open it.
Tab management
If you want an open tab to appear in a separate window, just drag the tab from the tab bar. Tabs can also be dragged between open windows.
If you want to open a copy of the page in a new tab, hold down Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) on the tab and select Duplicate Tab .
All tabs open in a window can be saved as a Speed Dial folder. Hold Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) in the tab bar and select Save Tabs as Speed Dial Folder ... A new untitled folder will appear at the bottom of the Speed Dial.
Opening closed tabs and viewing synced tabs through the tab menu
If you like to open many tabs at once, the tab menu will make it easier for you to organize, view and open the ones you want.
The tab menu is on the right side of the tab bar. Click the tab menu to see a list of recently closed tabs and open tabs from all synced devices.
You can interact with the tab menu using the keyboard. Press Ctrl + M to open or close the tab menu. Press the arrow buttons to move through the list of tabs. Press Enter to open a tab from the list.
To make using the tab menu even more convenient, it makes sense to enable tab preview.
Context menu
The context menu appears when you hold down Ctrl and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) on any element of the web page. The menu appearance depends on the type of element (page, text, link or picture).
Context menu pages appears when you hold down Ctrl and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) anywhere on the page where there are no links, pictures or text. This menu offers various navigation options (go back, go forward or reload the page), as well as options for saving the page on the Express panel or bookmarks, viewing source code page, save page as PDF, etc.
Context menu links appears when you hold down Ctrl and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) a link, and allows you to choose how to open or save the corresponding page or address.
Context menu Images appears when you hold down Ctrl, left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) any picture, and offers options for opening, copying or saving this picture.
If you hold down Ctrl and left-click (Mac) or right-click (Win / Lin) any image with which the link is linked, the menu that appears will contain menu items for both the image and the link.
Changing the scale
Opera's zoom feature makes small print easier to read. To zoom in on your Mac, select View > Zoom In/Zoom Out ... Windows or Linux users should go to menu O> Zoom... Thus, you set the scale only for the page you are currently on.
You can also use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl or ⌘ + + / - to zoom in and out.
You can set the default zoom to ensure that all pages you view open at the desired zoom level. To set the default scale, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings (Preferences on Mac).
- Click on Basic on the side panel.
- In chapter Appearance you'll find Page zoom.
- Choose at what scale you would like to view the pages.
After setting the page scale, all pages you open will be displayed at the specified scale. If you had any tabs open, reload them to view the pages at the default zoom level just set.
If you want to revert to the original format, Mac users should click View> Actual Size. Windows and Linux users should go to menu O> Zoom and choose Reset zoom to the right of + .
Full screen mode and presentation mode
Opera allows you to view pages in full screen and presentation mode. In full screen mode, the menu bar is not visible, but the tab bar and combined address bar and search bar remain on the screen.
To turn full screen mode on or off, select View > Enter / Exit Full Screen ... Windows and Linux users can go to menu O> Page and choose Full screen.
In presentation mode, available for Mac users, all menus and toolbars are hidden and the page takes up the entire screen. This feature is especially useful for presentations.
To turn presentation mode on or off, select View > Enter / Exit Presentation Mode .
In any of these modes, Mac users can bring up the menu bar on the screen by hovering the mouse cursor over the top border of the screen.
Press Esc to exit full screen and presentation mode on any platform.
Search for text on a page
Opera can search for keywords in the text on a page. To find a word or phrase on a page, press Ctrl + F or ⌘ + F on your keyboard. Enter text in the search box.
During the search, the words found are highlighted in green. If a word occurs repeatedly on the page, the found words are highlighted in yellow and their number is indicated in the search field. To move from one found word to another, use the right or left arrow.
Uploading and managing files
When you download a file from the site, a download message appears on the right under the combined address and search bar. This message turns on the download progress bar and disappears when the download is complete.
This causes a new icon to appear to the right of the combined address bar and search bar. Click this icon to view a list of recently downloaded files or remove them from your download history.
To view a detailed list of downloaded files, launch files from the browser, or restart the download if the connection is lost, select View > Downloads on Mac. On Windows and Linux go to menu O> Downloads .
The location where downloaded files are saved by default can be changed in the settings. To do this, follow these steps:
- Go to Settings (Preferences on Mac).
- Click on Browser on the side panel.
- In chapter Downloads press the button Change ... .
- Select the folder where the downloaded files should be saved and click Select.
In addition, in this menu, you can configure the browser so that it always asks where to save the downloaded files.
One of the innovations that she brought with her Windows Vista, there was a sidebar with little visual utilities, gadgets for various purposes. In the article below, we will tell you if the Sidebar for Windows 7 can be restored and whether it is worth doing.
Some users appreciated the convenience of this feature, but most did not like this option, and in Windows 7 the application "Side panel" Microsoft programmers have transformed into a set of gadgets that are located on "Desktop".
Alas, this alteration did not help either - after a few years Microsoft discovered a vulnerability in this element, which caused its development to be completely discontinued, and in newest versions operating system, the Redmond corporation abandoned "Sidebar" and their gadget heirs.
However, many people liked both the gadgets and the sidebar: such an element expands the functionality of the OS or makes it more convenient to use. Therefore, independent developers stepped in: there are alternative options for the sidebar for Windows 7, as well as gadgets that can be used without the specified component through the corresponding item in context menu "Desktop".
Returning the sidebar to Windows 7
Since it is no longer possible to obtain this component by the official method, you will have to use third party solution... The most functional of these is a free product called 7 Sidebar. The app is incredibly simple and easy to use - it's a gadget that includes sidebar functionality.
Step 1: Install 7 Sidebar
The download and installation instructions are as follows:
Step 2: Working with the 7 Sidebar
The Sidebar, introduced by the 7 Sidebar gadget, not only replicates the look and feel of this component in Windows Vista, but also adds many new features. They can be found in the context menu of the element: move the cursor over the panel and right-click. 
Now let's take a closer look at each point.
The program works great with both system and third-party gadgets. You can find out how to add a third-party gadget to Windows 7 from the article at the link below.
Step 3: 7 Sidebar settings
The sidebar context menu setting item contains tabs "Location", "Design" and "About the program"... The latter displays information about a component and is not very useful, whereas the first two include options for fine tuning. appearance and sidebar behavior. 
Layout options let you select the monitor (if multiple), the side of the position, and the width of the panel, "Desktop" or on hover. 
Tab "Design" responsible for setting the grouping and snapping of gadgets, transparency and switching between multiple tabs with different groups of gadgets. 
Removing 7 Sidebar
If for some reason you needed to remove 7 Sidebars, you can do it like this:
The item will be deleted without any trace in the system.
Conclusion
As you can see, you can still return the sidebar to Windows 7, albeit with the help of a third-party tool.
After switching to Windows 8, 8.1, some users do not immediately understand how to open the control panel in these operating systems since the interface is significantly different from previous versions Windows.
There are actually several simple ways start control panel Windows 8 and 8.1. You just need to get used to them.
Method 1: Through the list of applications
In Windows 8, right-click on the Start screen. The All Apps button appears in the lower right corner.
Click on it and the screen will display a list of applications, including an icon with a link to the control panel in the "System - Windows" section.
In Windows 8.1, the Control Panel opens in a similar way. The only difference is that you open the list of applications by pressing the button in the form of a circle with an arrow at the bottom of the home screen.
Method 2: Using the command control panel
Press the key combination "Win + R" to open the window " Execute". Then enter and run the command control panel.
Method 3: Using a combination of Win + I
When you are at work Windows desktop press the key combination "Win + I". As a result of these actions, a side panel should appear, in which you can select the "Control Panel" item.
Method 4: Through the side panel
Hover your mouse over the upper-right or lower-right corner of the desktop. In the sidebar that opens, select the "Options" item. In the same place, in the side panel, a list of parameters will open, among which there is the item "Control Panel".
Method 5: Through the "Start" button
On the desktop, move your cursor to the lower-left corner of the screen to display the Start button. Right-click on it and select "Control Panel" from the context menu.
In Windows 8.1, you need to follow the same steps. The only difference is that the Start button is always visible on the desktop.
Method 6: Through search
Being on the initial Windows screen, start typing the phrase "control panel » ... The search results will display Control Panel.