windows 7 weather gadget cannot connect to service

I needed this explicitly directed PATH to reach config.XML. Otherwise I couldn't find it.

I changed the numerical values as suggested, but saved a copy of the old file, thus may try simply opening it as a latter wizard has suggested!

In any case, as HUGE THANK YOU to all you wizards out there!

I did, and it worked, up until this morning and I just double checked it, was saved as read only but anyway went in to edit, re-saved same info, with future date just to try, as "read only" and it didn't bounce back this time.  

Setting to a future date might work as a coincidence for some causes of the Weather Gadget to not fail in it's update of weather data.  Everyone's scenario is slightly different because nobody uses the same websites or apps.  Each of those add code to your PC which can interfere with Win7.  A recent update to Win7 and MSIE has created the current problem with the Weather Gadget and the Currency Gadget (all other Gadgets work fine).  Their difference is the need for outside data. Weather data is still available because MS uses it for their web pages.

The cause is in Win7, MSIE 11, some older MSIE, and related to the DPI settings, regardless of the date. The whole point of opening and resaving the config.xml file is that it acts as a "start" or "reset" button, when the Weather Gadget stops updating (it works, but it's internal data update ability is crashed).  

This is my scenario and only one of many possible scenarios.  I have 3 PCs running fulltime. Two of the PCs have not been shut down since early January. Those 2 PCs are not running several auto update apps or website pages.  The Weather Gadget is still running on those PC for this entire time.  My other PC has a few web pages open which auto update more than once a minute. The weather gadget won't crash if I reboot everyday.  I don't reboot every day and usually 2 or 3 times a week it stops updating. 

Simple -  Just create a shortcut on your desktop to the Config Folder (see Solution on 1st page of this thread and I am including it below). Edit the config.xml file and resave it. That resets the update.  It takes 30 seconds or less. 

This is how to create a shortcut on your DESKTOP for the file which contains config.xml

a.    To create a shortcut on your desktop, go up one folder higher, that is one level above the config folder,

      or copy and past the following BOLD text, and paste it into the Windows Explorer search box and press enter - exactly as it is. Do not replace anything for %localappdata% .

%localappdata%\microsoft\Windows Live\Services

b.    You will be at the folder called Cache

       Right Click on Cache        ---  A drop down list opens up.

c.    In the drop down list (near the bottom) select:    Create shortcut

d.   Now drag and drop that shortcut/file to your desktop.

Done.

When you want to edit and re-save the config.xml just click on the shortcut which you placed on your desktop.  

Then right click on

config.xml

select "open with" and choose the default windows "Notepad" 

Once opened, save or save as, and keep the name the same

If your config.xml file is write protected answer the questions to overwrite it (if you're an admin of the pc). 

Done. You essentially caused your pc to turn on the ability for the Weather Gadget to do it's regular updates of temperature data.  That's all it does, that is all that's needed. 

[ Do NOT make changes to anything in the file, because that is unnecessary ] 

Depending on the apps you use or the websites you regularly use or visit, or keep open, you might have to redo this process one or more times a week.  If you don't use programs which interfere with the changes Win7 recently put out, then you might not have to this process again, ever. It is not Win7 alone, it is not the Gadget alone, or simply sites you use. It is s a combination of factors.

If you have a program to simply change the date of the file without opening it, it might work work. It does work for some people, but not all people.  This is why this whole thing is so insidious.

Might you advise us how to check the trustworthiness of a gadget or app. before downloading it?  

That's the $64,000 question.  Part of it is gut feeling. However, do homework. Look in the blogs and reviews. Find people who discuss the app in blogs, who don't sound like they wrote the app.  Apps that trace back to being written in Russia, China, Korea, Inda, etc., tend to beg a harder question than not. They might claim to be from the US, but their links won't.  Look for some trusted people who have used it.

The biggest concern in an app that needs regular connection to an outside website for data, is someone who'll hijack your pc or hold it ransom or worse. 

Frankly the installed MS Weather Gadget is slightly annoying to open the config.xml a few times a week and resave it to update the date. However, that only takes 30 seconds and is far less annoying than recovering from someone who installed spyware malware hijack or ransom ware to your pc.  

Keep your PC protected. If you don't use an annoying product like Norton, or Adaware or Kasperky or TrendMicro or many others that are similar, all of which hijack your pc and render some thing inoperable (for which you pay a lot of money), you can use MS Free installed with Windows product called Windows Defender (it is in your Control Panel).  Also, I've had very good luck with "SUPERAntiSpyware Free Edition" and "Malwarebytes Anti-Malware" (free version).  You can pay for either one to do fulltime monitoriing. They each concentrate on different things. Superantispyware will help get rid of advertisement links (some of them dangerous) in your pc.  Malwarebytes will concentrate on deeper dangerous malware many just annoying but some super bad.  Free version of Ad-aaware Antivirus will help with some virus, malware, adware.