Weather gadget not working- Cannot connect to service

Anonymous
2013-01-14T14:07:43+00:00

original title: Weather gadget not working !!

I have Windows 7 Ultimate 64 - bit and my weather gadget is not working, it is displaying a message "Cannot connect to service .

I have also tried by turning off firewall and antivirus but it still don't works for me .

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Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2013-01-15T09:19:57+00:00

Update:

Microsoft has DISABLED the weather and currency gadgets via a recent Security Update, due to concerns over the vulnerability associated with these gadgets running on your computer. You can read more about it here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2719662 . Adjusting your computer's settings and all these other "suggestions" people are making, will NOT work. The function has been REMOVED from the operating system. It has also been removed from the Windows 8 operating system. There are "theorists" that either agree that there is a security issue within the gadgets or Microsoft just does not want to support gadgets (usually third party software) and thus, has disabled them in Windows 7 and eliminated them in Windows 8.

Thanks to DaveNYC for the Info. Spread the word because many people are facing this problem just like you.

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Anonymous
2015-05-29T15:03:04+00:00

To all having this problem, the following worked for me:

After eading all kind of solutions, I changed the config.xml file according instructions and then I got connected but only to my own location (in my case Amsterdam). Tried everything else, no results, till I only give the exact zip code for the place I like to see the weather in the search menu and guess it worked, then I did the same on my computer in Greece (via teamviewer) and there it worked as well.

I hope it will help you as good as it did for me.

Ron

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-05-25T00:56:45+00:00

    I cannot seem to get The Weather Channel Gadget to work.  Was working before the last batch of 'Updates' from Micro$oft.  I have a Desktop Gadget program that gets them to run in Windows 10...'No Connection' error on both my Windows 7 machine and Windows 10 test bed.  Evidently a recent update shut off internet access to gadgets. The clock and calendar work, but that's it.  I have had The Weather Channel v 1.7 for quite some time, and it was a chore to locate it on the web.  I tried to reinstall it, tried editing the config files to include HTTPS rather than HTTP and it won't connect.  I tried contacting The Weather Channel but it's too early for a reply from them.  A rather sad day.  I loved that particular gadget.  Have even uploaded to many computers, because people all over love it.

    I posted a few revised Weather gadgets that work on one of my previous Posts that you can download from the MS Cloud and install!  Don't have one from the Weather Channel!

    MitchZZ

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-06-10T03:53:44+00:00

    Yes it does work with Windows 10

    The problem seems to have something to do with the time-date stamp of the Weather gadgets "config.xml" file.

    This batch file updates that time-date stamp from almost any location in Windows.

    Copy and paste the text below into a new text file and then change the file extension from .txt to .bat

    Run it whenever the Weather gadget crashes and then choose zip code again.

    Runs best from the Windows7 or Windows10 StartUp folder.

    Dont have to do anything after this is done.

    Works every time

    rem Touched! - Fixes Weather Gadget by updating "config.xml" file time-date stamp

    cd\

    cd %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\Services\Cache\

    COPY /B config.xml +,,

    If you are missing the "config.xml" a copy is here:

    http://pastebin.com/N8kH9qWw

    Its a bug that was never fixed because the service and support for it officially ended.

    Nothing more.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-06-11T10:17:43+00:00

    The weather gadget has always depended on regular refreshing of Config.xml. This used to be provided by the presence of its online equivalent http://gadgets.live.com/configW7.xml. The mere absence of this file, which got removed circa end of Windows 7 mainstream support, causes the gadget's malfunction. It will continue to work, however, as long as a copy of ConfigW7.xml remains under Temporary Internet Files. Not only will Config.xml not be automatically refreshed with configW7.xml missing, it will also not be created on newly created user accounts.

    The weather gadget has not been disabled in January 2013, as this guy on page 1 successfully claims, and in January 2015 nothing more than an online file has been removed.

    Regards, VZ

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