It’s a good idea to disable Sidebar & Gadgets completely.

There’s a known security vulnerability in Windows Vista and Windows 7 feature called Windows Sidebar and Gadgets, which places widgets on your desktop, such as a clock. Well, you’re going to need to disable both the Sidebar and Gadgets for now until Microsoft implements a permanent fix. This fix has the side benefit of speeding up Windows, because fewer processes are running in the background.

To disable Windows Sidebar and Gadgets:

• Visit this Microsoft website.
• Click Fix It above the words Disable Windows Sidebar and Gadgets.
• Save the installer package somewhere and then run it.

Your PC will be more secure afterward. It may be some time before Microsoft fixes the problem; if you miss the functionality that Sidebar and Gadgets provide, try the Windows 8 Release Preview, as it’s got these features built in.