Weather gadget not working- Cannot connect to service

Hello Mitch,

you're right. The gadget's malfunction is caused by the absence of configW7.xml. If the file is still there for IE, it also is there for the gadget. It has already been there in January and kept the gadget working until now. You can find your local copy of configW7.xml under

%localappdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files

Please don't confuse configW7.xml and config.xml. As long as configW7.xml is locally present, everything is fine. Your gadget keeps working because configW7.xml gets converted into config.xml on a regular basis, at least on every startup. This way the date modified of config.xml is kept recent. All repair of the weather gadget is about keeping config.xml recent. You can do this by copying the file from another drive, which is why sting251's fix works. You can do it by opening the file and saving without changes, which renews the date modified (also feasible by creating an automatic task). Or you can do it by setting the date modified to the future. Replacing the file by a prepared one also works. What's totally irrelevant and does no further fixing to anything is setting the file to read-only. That's only Anders' favorite conspiracy theory.

Bottom line is: The file's date modified mustn't fall more than 72 hours behind present. A config.xml with a date modified older than 72 hours equals "no configuration file at all" to the gadget, meaning case 404 - "cannot connect to service".

So, take good care of your configW7.xml and don't delete Temporary Internet Files anytime soon.

Also, all of those fixes (after all, it's only one) don't have any influence on the search mode. Something is irreversibly wrong there, and not by update. You'll find the situation on every fresh installation of Windows 7. For the search to work correctly, it used to be required and sufficient that the gadget is running normally. Obviously, it is still required, but not sufficient anymore. And, as I said, the removal of configW7.xml from the web has not been announced or even mentioned by any Microsoft official. In 2013, this happed by accident and got fixed within a few days, so that many may not even have realized it. This time, it's by intention and permanent, and over time inevitable to hit each and every gadget.

Regards, VZ

VZ,

I can only assume that MSs removal and current non-support of the online  configW7.xml file has caused the Weather Gadget CityName/location Search function problem!  Location Search worked fine before and nothing else has changed, including any MS Security update that could have caused it to the best I can tell (unless it has something to do with no Sensors being available, or being removed by MS?)

It appears the online XML file (and its support) was removed on 17 Jan 15, according to the dates on the same file I have on my computer under Temporaey Internet Files!

The dates listed are= Expires: 21 Sep 15, Last Modified: 23 Jun 09, Last Accessed: 11 Jul 15, and Last Checked: 17 Jan 15.   The Last Checked date seems to be when the online file was last checked and found to be there?  This doesn't prove that the lack of the online file caused the City Search function to fail, but it was sometime earlier this year that this function failed!  I don't know what the significience of the Expires date of 21 Sep 15 will be or means, or if it will delete the Temp file on that date? 

I have now tested the need for the Anders fix, or his suggestion to change the date of the Cache config.XML file to a 2017 date and to make it a read only file!  The result is the Weather Gadget still works fine and will do searches using a zip code without his fix, but it still won't do a search using a City name??  But, the catch is you still have to have a copy of the configW7.xml in your Temp Internet Files for it to keep working, as MS has removed the online copy of the file which kept your temp file updated!  So, Anders is partially right, as you may need to do his workaround if you have deleted your IE Temp Internet files recently or if the Temp file is not there!  So, you guys can stop fighting, maybe! LoL

The problem with it not searching for any new location by City Name remains, and is probably due to the online configW7.XML file being removed and no longer being supported by MS!  The Weather Gadget will work and will search new locations by Zip code without any fixes, as long as you have a good copy of configW7.xml still in your IE Temporary Internet File folder!

The real issue or problem is why does or did MS consider it so necessary and such a high priority (without any prior notice or discussion!)  to remove the online XML file and stop the support of all Gadgets (maybe we or a lot of people will decide to stay with Win 7!!)??  As this is a MS made problem/Bug, someone needs to get them to reconsider and restore support (if that is possible with MS people?), as not everyone will take advantage of (or fall for) their offer of a so-called free update (with strings attached) to Win 10!  At least you should not update to Win 10, until it appears no major bugs are discovered or occuring (or they have been fixed) and that their update software will correctly transfer all your current Apps from Win 7 to 10 and still work!!  This is and has been a major falacy of MS whenever it upgrades its OS and why many don't upgrade!!!!  Of cource, this may be their intent to justify a high price (in the past) or because each new MS OS is so very different that its impossible to carry/transfer your Apps along to a new OS version and expect them to still work?? 

Maybe MS will change its ways for this new 10 Version, but the jury is out!  I still want someone at MS with Clout or expertise to review this Weather Gadget City Name search problem they created (maybe by the removal of the MS online configW7.xml file), and take quick action to restore or fix the problem, as many will stay with Win 7 for some time after it is released, in order to ensure there are no huge bugs/problems as there normally are with any MS OS new versions!

Regards MitchZZ

Before you continue getting in my and other people's way with your read-only mantra, remove the attribute from your file for a week, if it's not asking too much, and acknowledge reality.

Why would I do that, and cause myself trouble?

On the Feb. 15th, I wrote this in another thread:

"And exactly a Week ago I had to RE-save my config-xml file, and today I had to do the same again, so it seems it'll be a Weekly manouver from now on to RE-save the config.xml"

Then on Feb. 19th, I wrote this in the same msg:

"This morning I simply changed the Date on the config.xml, to 2017, and then set the Attribute READ ONLY on the file, and it's still working ..."

Back then there was something that caused the Weather Gadget to stop working every 3-4 days, but since i changed the Year to 2017 on the config.xml and set the Attribute to Read-Only, I haven't had to touch that file, and the Weather Gadgets (I'm using two at the same time, for two different places) are working just fine.

So my way works, and my "mantra" stands:

ALL one has to do, is to change the Date = Year, to like 2017, on the config.xml, and then set the config.xml to be Read-Only.

The path in my system are:

C:\Users*Your_Own_Windows_User_Name*\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Live\Services\Cache

And when there, just:

Change the Year on the config.xml to 2017

and then set it as a Read-Only file, and that WILL

make the Weather Gadget work again.

"Favorite" is correct - better think about your spelling of "choose". Nobody claimed YOU would find a configW7.xml. I was talking about the absence causing the problem, which obviously is true on your system, too.

Before you continue getting in my and other people's way with your read-only mantra, remove the attribute from your file for a week, if it's not asking too much, and acknowledge reality.

Regards, VZ