Should I block it?

No, this file is 100% safe to run.

VersionsAdditional versions

6.2.8400.0 (winmain_win8rc.120518-1423) 1.07%
6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) 9.42%
6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) 56.27%
6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) 28.53%
6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) 4.44%
6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) 0.09%
6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) 0.09%
6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) 0.09%

Relationships

Parent process
Related files

PE structurePE file structure

Show functions
Import table
advapi32.dll
EventRegister, EventUnregister, EventWrite, RegCloseKey, RegOpenKeyExW, IsTextUnicode, RegQueryValueExW, RegNotifyChangeKeyValue, CryptGetHashParam, CryptHashData, CryptAcquireContextA, CryptCreateHash, CryptDestroyHash, RegisterEventSourceW, CryptReleaseContext, GetTokenInformation, OpenProcessToken, EventEnabled, RegDeleteKeyW, DeregisterEventSource, ReportEventW
crypt32.dll
CertCloseStore, CertFreeCertificateContext, CertGetNameStringW, CryptDecodeObject, CertFindCertificateInStore, CryptMsgGetParam, CryptQueryObject, CryptMsgClose
cryptui.dll
CryptUIDlgViewCertificateW
dwmapi.dll
DwmUpdateThumbnailProperties, DwmSetWindowAttribute
gdi32.dll
ExtTextOutW, GetDeviceCaps, CreateDIBSection, SetLayout, CreateFontIndirectW, SetBkColor, GetDIBits, SaveDC, RestoreDC, SetViewportOrgEx, GetWindowOrgEx, StretchBlt, SetStretchBltMode, GetPath, GdiGetBatchLimit, DeleteDC, DeleteObject, CreateCompatibleDC, OffsetWindowOrgEx, SetBkMode, GetClipBox, GetObjectW, BitBlt, GetStockObject, SelectObject, LineDDA, GetTextExtentExPointW, SetTextColor, GdiAlphaBlend
gdiplus.dll
DllMain
kernel32.dll
InterlockedIncrement, Sleep, InitializeCriticalSectionAndSpinCount, InterlockedCompareExchange, EnterCriticalSection, LeaveCriticalSection, DeleteFileW, GetTickCount, GetModuleHandleW, InterlockedExchange, InterlockedPushEntrySList, QueryDepthSList, OpenThread, GetCurrentThreadId, TlsSetValue, lstrcmpiW, ExpandEnvironmentStringsW, ReadFile, GetFileSizeEx, CreateFileW, CompareStringOrdinal, WritePrivateProfileStringW, WriteFile, HeapAlloc, GetProcessHeap, HeapFree, CloseHandle, SetEvent, CreateEventW, GetStartupInfoW, GetThreadPreferredUILanguages, CopyFileW, lstrcmpW, SetFileAttributesW, FreeLibrary, LoadLibraryExW, SetFilePointer, GetTempFileNameW, GetTempPathW, MultiByteToWideChar, SetCurrentDirectoryA, CreateDirectoryA, SetCurrentDirectoryW, CreateDirectoryW, ResetEvent, WaitForMultipleObjects, TlsGetValue, SearchPathW, GlobalFree, SetFilePointerEx, DelayLoadFailureHook, GetProcAddress, GetUserDefaultUILanguage, GetSystemDefaultUILanguage, CompareStringW, ReleaseMutex, WaitForSingleObject, GetLastError, CreateMutexW, lstrlenW, GetModuleFileNameW, TlsAlloc, RegisterApplicationRestart, LocalFree, UnmapViewOfFile, GetLocaleInfoW, CreateFileMappingW, MapViewOfFile, SetLastError, FindResourceExW, GetCommandLineW, DeleteCriticalSection, CreateThread, InitializeCriticalSection, SetErrorMode, HeapSetInformation, LocalAlloc, RegEnumKeyExW, IsValidLocale, GetTimeZoneInformation, GetDynamicTimeZoneInformation, FileTimeToSystemTime, SystemTimeToTzSpecificLocalTime, GlobalLock, GlobalUnlock, GetDiskFreeSpaceExW, SetVolumeLabelW, GetLogicalDrives, GetVolumeInformationW, GetDriveTypeW, GetSystemWindowsDirectoryW, GetSystemInfo, GetComputerNameW, GetSystemPowerStatus, GlobalMemoryStatusEx, OutputDebugStringW, RaiseException, GetEnvironmentVariableW, GetFileAttributesW, GetFileSize, QueueUserAPC, InterlockedFlushSList, InitializeSListHead, CompareFileTime, GetFileAttributesExW, GetSystemTime, SystemTimeToFileTime, FindFirstFileW, FindNextFileW, FindClose, DeleteAtom, GetTickCount64, GlobalGetAtomNameW, GlobalDeleteAtom, QueryPerformanceFrequency, CreateWaitableTimerW, SetWaitableTimer, TlsFree, CancelWaitableTimer, WideCharToMultiByte, GlobalAddAtomW, GetVersionExW, LoadLibraryW, GetFileTime, FindResourceW, SizeofResource, LoadResource, LockResource, FormatMessageW, MulDiv, RegLoadMUIStringW, GetSystemDirectoryW, RegDeleteValueW, RegSetValueExW, RegCreateKeyExW, InterlockedDecrement, UnhandledExceptionFilter, GetCurrentProcess, TerminateProcess, GetSystemTimeAsFileTime, GetCurrentProcessId, QueryPerformanceCounter, GetModuleHandleA, SetUnhandledExceptionFilter, GetStartupInfoA, LoadLibraryExA
msvcrt.dll
DllMain
ntdll.dll
WinSqmIncrementDWORD, RtlIpv4AddressToStringExW, NtQuerySystemInformation, WinSqmSetDWORD, WinSqmIsOptedIn, WinSqmAddToStreamEx, WinSqmAddToStream, RtlIpv6AddressToStringExW
ole32.dll
CoUninitialize, CoInitializeEx, OleUninitialize, CoTaskMemFree, CoCreateInstance, CreateBindCtx, CoTaskMemAlloc, CLSIDFromProgID, StringFromGUID2, CoCreateGuid, PropVariantClear, ReleaseStgMedium, StringFromCLSID, GetHGlobalFromStream, CLSIDFromString, CreateStreamOnHGlobal, CoInitialize, OleInitialize
sfc_os.dll
SfcIsFileProtected
shell32.dll
DragAcceptFiles, SHGetFileInfoW, SHBindToObject, DragFinish, SHCreateItemFromIDList, ShellExecuteW, SHFileOperationW, SHGetFolderPathAndSubDirW, CommandLineToArgvW, SHCreateDirectoryExW, DragQueryPoint, ShellExecuteExW, SHGetFolderPathEx, SHEmptyRecycleBinW, SHGetPathFromIDListW, SHBrowseForFolderW, SHGetFolderLocation, SHCreateItemWithParent, DragQueryFileW, SHParseDisplayName
shlwapi.dll
PathIsDirectoryW, PathFindFileNameW, PathFindExtensionW, PathRemoveExtensionW, PathIsRelativeW, PathCombineW, PathFileExistsW, PathIsURLW, UrlIsW, UrlEscapeW, PathRemoveFileSpecW, PathCreateFromUrlW, PathCanonicalizeW, UrlUnescapeW, StrStrNW, StrStrNIW, PathIsPrefixW, SHCreateStreamOnFileW, SHCreateStreamOnFileEx, PathGetDriveNumberW, AssocQueryStringW, PathCommonPrefixW, PathGetArgsW, StrToIntExW
urlmon.dll
URLOpenBlockingStreamW, CreateURLMoniker, CoInternetGetSession
user32.dll
SendMessageW, DispatchMessageW, TranslateMessage, PeekMessageW, SendMessageTimeoutW, RegisterWindowMessageW, CreateWindowExW, CharPrevW, GetThreadDesktop, OpenInputDesktop, RegisterPowerSettingNotification, MessageBoxIndirectW, CharUpperBuffW, CharUpperW, MessageBeep, UnhookWinEvent, GetUserObjectInformationW, FindWindowW, PostMessageW, GetWindowThreadProcessId, AllowSetForegroundWindow, GetShellWindow, LoadStringW, MessageBoxW, DrawFrameControl, LoadImageW, InsertMenuItemW, SetRectEmpty, CloseDesktop, GetMonitorInfoW, SetWinEventHook, UnregisterPowerSettingNotification, InflateRect, DrawTextExW, GetIconInfo, SwitchToThisWindow, ShowWindow, SetDlgItemTextW, SetForegroundWindow, SetFocus, OffsetRect, PtInRect, GetForegroundWindow, GetCursorPos, SetTimer, GetDlgItem, GetWindowRect, SetWindowPos, ScreenToClient, KillTimer, DestroyIcon, IsWindow, DestroyWindow, GetSystemMetrics, CharNextW, ReleaseDC, GetDC, GetWindowLongW, DestroyMenu, RemoveMenu, GetSubMenu, LoadMenuW, SetWindowLongW, GetWindow, DeleteMenu, GetMenuItemCount, EndPaint, MapWindowPoints, BeginPaint, GetParent, FillRect, SetRect, GetClientRect, RemovePropW, DefWindowProcW, SetPropW, GetPropW, RegisterClassW, LoadCursorW, CreateDialogParamW, GetKeyState, GetDoubleClickTime, SetCapture, ReleaseCapture, GetFocus, NotifyWinEvent, UpdateLayeredWindow, RedrawWindow, IsIconic, SetCursor, GetMessagePos, GetKeyboardState, GetMessageTime, MonitorFromPoint, IntersectRect, IsHungAppWindow, IsWindowVisible, PostQuitMessage, UnregisterHotKey, GetWindowTextW, SetParent, RegisterHotKey, GetSysColor, SystemParametersInfoW, MonitorFromWindow, GetDesktopWindow, EnumDisplayMonitors, TrackPopupMenu, CheckMenuItem, CopyRect, PrintWindow, SetLayeredWindowAttributes, CloseGestureInfoHandle, DeregisterShellHookWindow, RegisterShellHookWindow, GetWindowInfo, IsDialogMessageW, MsgWaitForMultipleObjectsEx, EndDeferWindowPos, DeferWindowPos, BeginDeferWindowPos, EqualRect, IsChild, SetActiveWindow, LoadIconW, AdjustWindowRectEx, AppendMenuW, CreatePopupMenu, EndDialog, EnableWindow, SetWindowTextW, GetAsyncKeyState
uxtheme.dll
DrawThemeTextEx, IsThemeActive, OpenThemeData, DrawThemeBackground, CloseThemeData, SetWindowThemeAttribute

sidebar.exe

Windows Desktop Gadgets by Microsoft

Remove sidebar.exe
Version:   6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
MD5:   58e5b0f45206820a1a6e47bcd1ab0f2e
SHA1:   468e659310ad5da8f8449dd30fdc77ad3a4efbfd
SHA256:   98954fa330d430e41ca3b43b5ac686455a5be21090db116c81f52cb385954024
This is a Windows system installed file with Windows File Protection (WFP) enabled.

What is sidebar.exe?

Gadgets are simple mini-applications that give users fast access to personally relevant information and simple tasks—without getting in the way. For example, the Weather Gadget provides real-time information that is available at a glance, and the CPU Meter Gadget provides system information that users are interested in monitoring. Gadgets are part of the desktop, like the Start button, taskbar, and notification area. Unlike normal windows, they aren't represented with a taskbar button. In Window

About sidebar.exe (from Microsoft)

Gadgets put information and fun—like news, pictures, games, and the phases of the moon—right on your desktop. In Windows Vista, gadgets were corralled in the Sidebar. Windows 7 sets them free on the s

DetailsDetails

File name:sidebar.exe
Publisher:Microsoft Corporation
Product name:Windows Desktop Gadgets
Description:Microsoft® Windows® Operating System
Typical file path:C:\Program Files\windows sidebar\sidebar.exe
Original name:sidebar.EXE.MUI
File version:6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255)
Product version:1.0.7600.16385
Size:1.07 MB (1,122,304 bytes)
Digital DNA
PE subsystem:Windows GUI
Entropy:6.938492
File packed:No
Code language:Microsoft Visual C++
.NET CLR:No
More details

BehaviorsBehaviors

Scheduled tasks
  • The job 'P4G Sidebar' runs on registration in the path '\P4G Sidebar'
  • The job 'SidebarExecute' runs on registration in the path '\SidebarExecute'
  • Entry path '\P4G Sidebar'
  • Entry path '\SidebarExecute'
Startup files (user) run
Runs under the registry key 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
  • 'Sidebar' → C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe /autoRun
User start menu folder
Shortcut pointer placed in '%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu'
  • Shortcut to 'sidebar.exe'
Startup files (all users) run
Runs under the registry key 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run'
  • 'Sidebar' → "C:\Program Files\Windows Sidebar\sidebar.exe" /autoRun

ResourcesResource utilization

(Note: statistics below are averages based on a minimum sample size of 200 unique participants)
Averages
 
CPU
Total CPU:0.00054113%
0.028634%
Kernel CPU:0.00044865%
0.013761%
User CPU:0.00009248%
0.014873%
Kernel CPU time:56,535 ms/min
100,923,805ms/min
Memory
Private memory:38.79 MB
21.59 MB
Private (maximum):30.55 MB
Private (minimum):20.56 MB
Non-paged memory:38.79 MB
21.59 MB
Virtual memory:160.22 MB
140.96 MB
Virtual memory (peak):160.28 MB
169.69 MB
Working set:23.75 MB
18.61 MB
Working set (peak):30.6 MB
37.95 MB
Resource allocations
Threads:11
12
Handles:268
600
GUI GDI count:32
103
GUI GDI peak:41
142
GUI USER count:29
49
GUI USER peak:33
71

BehaviorsProcess properties

Integrety level:Medium
Platform:32-bit
Command line:"C:\Program Files\windows sidebar\sidebar.exe" /autorun
Owner:User
Parent process:explorer.exe (Windows Explorer by Microsoft Corporation)

ResourcesThreads

Averages
 
sidebar.exe (main module)
Total CPU:0.17062348%
0.272967%
Kernel CPU:0.05547871%
0.107585%
User CPU:0.11514477%
0.165382%
CPU cycles:5,230,842/sec
5,741,424/sec
Context switches:4/sec
79/sec
Memory:1.09 MB
1.16 MB
mshtml.dll (Windows Internet Explorer by Microsoft)
Total CPU:0.00030677%
Kernel CPU:0.00018406%
User CPU:0.00012271%
CPU cycles:32,429/sec
Context switches:1/sec
Memory:11.72 MB

Common loaded modules

These are modules that are typiclaly loaded within the context of this process.

Windows OS versionsDistribution by Windows OS

OS versiondistribution
Windows 7 Home Premium 52.00%
Windows 7 Ultimate 30.50%
Windows 7 Professional 11.50%
Windows 7 Home Basic 3.00%
Windows Seven Black Edition 1.00%
Windows 7 Starter 1.00%
Windows Se7en Titan 1.00%

Distribution by countryDistribution by country

United States installs about 42.93% of Windows Desktop Gadgets.

OEM distributionDistribution by PC manufacturer

PC Manufacturerdistribution
ASUS 20.53%
Dell 18.25%
Toshiba 13.69%
Acer 12.93%
Hewlett-Packard 11.79%
Sony 8.37%
GIGABYTE 4.94%
Samsung 2.28%
Lenovo 2.28%
Medion 1.52%
Sahara 1.14%
Alienware 0.76%
MSI 0.76%
NEC 0.76%
Should I remove It? Clean your PC of unwanted adware, toolbars and bloatware.

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