Weather gadget not working- Cannot connect to service

Anonymous

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 .

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

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

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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632 additional answers

Anonymous

2015-07-08T08:08:51+00:00

RE: "Well, just wait until July 29, only 21 days now ..., and this problem will be gone forever, since then we all (almost ...) can get Win10 for free, and these Gadgets will no longer be a problem at all."

Anders, what are you talking about??? Gadgets that work may be enough reason to keep using Win 7, just like many still use Win XP! You know how MS puts out new OSs with millions of new Bugs and all drivers/Programs have to be updated before its close to being as good or Functional as the previous version, or Win 7! Also, if it free, MS may not support it as well and the new version forces you to take all MS updates! If its free, MS may start charging for any extras or new updates/changes to Win 10??? Bottom line, you can't trust MS to do the right thing or make a new Bug Free OS until after many updates and Service packs! Wait about 11 Months at least to update and make sure to backup your old Win 7 OS when you do, as it probably won't transfer any of your current Apps or Programs!
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Anonymous

2015-07-08T07:34:05+00:00

What that guy seems to be talking about is this:

http://www.askvg.com/how-to-restore-reinstall-all-uninstalled-desktop-gadgets-in-windows-vista-and-7/

but forget about that. Your non-working gadget isn't corrupt, needn't be restored and didn't get disabled by Windows Update or whatever.

It has simply lost the online support of http://gadgets.live.com/configW7.xml, a configuration file it is depending on to continue to work. To get the gadget independent of that file, it needs its cached equivalent protected against expiry, meaning that one's date modified set to the future.

Copy the path

%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows Live\Services\Cache

and paste it to your address bar to go there. Download the archive

config2021.zip (Didn't do this, just changed the date of the XML file and made it Read Only)

and replace your config.xml file with the one contained there. This will keep your configuration file independent of its turned off online representation for the next five years and thus the gadget working.

Regards, VZ

VZ, your solution worked partially! However, you failed to explain (if you know) why you have to use a City Zip code to get a new Weather location to search and load?? Is there something different between the online XML file (which is still there/online but may have been disabled by Microsoft?) and the XML file in the Cache folder? I still consider the disabling of only the online XML file by Microsoft a forced disabling of the Weather gadget, which it should restore to normal operation!! Also, why is the XML file still accessible online if it no longer supports the Weather Gadget as you state? Is there something else changed by MS in Win 7 that prevents the Weather Gadget from accessing the online XML file as it could before?

Again, your workaround is a good fix but needs more explanation, but it would be better if the Search function on the Weather gadget worked as before with the ability to search by City and Zip!

Regards Mitch
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Anonymous

2015-07-08T05:42:23+00:00

Y'all switched to double posting?

I'd wish for a button to erase the word "update" from peoples's minds in this context, make them stop referring to Sting251's raw, if groundbreaking attempt on a solution, and stop Anders yelling "READ-ONLY".

The only way to solve this issue from Microsoft's part would be to bring

http://gadgets.live.com/configW7.xml

back online, which is not quite likely to happen.

Regards, VZ

Volume Z! No Double Postings by me, but different Postings! No, its not the only way MS could solve this problem they created, as they totally refuse to even acknowledge or correct the problem so that Win 7 Users can still use any valuable or popular gadget they had installed and wish to keep using! Instead, MS created a false or very lame Security threat narrative that they are using to justify the auto update action they took to disable Gadgets in every Win 7 Users Computer! I don't expect them to ever admit they made a mistake as they never do, as it seems in this Case they just wanted some hairbrained excuse to do away with Gadgets for Win 10 and then also applied it to Win 7 & 8 OS Versions! Wake up Microsoft! For your Info, http://gadgets.live.com/configW7.xml is still accessible online, but it may not be enabled by MS or may be disabled? PS: I agree with your comments on Anders and Sting! LoL
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