My disk was originally XP SP1 , but i unwillingly updated it to SP3 (because a Anti-Virus program (AVG)would not allow me to update unless i had SP3 and i had paid for it so i reluctantly put in SP3), also when i did that i had 2 Call of Duty games that would no longer work or even re-install (COD3 and COD4) , yet with SP1 they installed and worked fine  , so there might be something to the updates , EXCEPT mine is a SP3 with NO additional Windows updates beyond the SP3 update itself , so maybe the issue is SP3 itself   , what about the F-C gadget not making a .ini file , any idea's ?? , and you never explained what the .ini does exactly , or if i can manually enter something (i tried my zip code , but that did not help)

But again  , i have NO additional updates after SP3 , that is the last entry in my Add/Remove Programs back in 2011 when i did a reformat

I haven't read all the replies on the thread.

However, when things test ok on a couple of machines but not on yours, one possibility is infection (despite good av ware). 

I'd run a scan on the free online scanners (do a few of them). After that, I'd do a chkdsk /f /r . Certainly couldn't hurt to do these things.

Did you try the online scanners (I recommend doing a few at least)?

If that checks out, I'm stumped too. That would mean there's some other piece of software running which somehow interferes with the gadget.

Try one more time to do what the instructions bellow are saying with the following order:

1. Clear the gadget cache (Local Setting\Application Data\Stardock\DesktopX\Gadget Cache folder)

2. Delete all the adni18 gadgets from your computer. (You will re-download them later).

3. Clear your registry form everything that contains the word "adni18" (Use the "Run" link of your Start Menu, write there the word "regedit". In the window that will open use the find command "Ctrl+F" and delete all "adni18" entries.)

4. Disable all your computer security utilities for a day or two, except Windows Firewall.

5 Download the Weather Forecast Gadget from here: https://www.wincustomize.com/explore/desktopx_widgets/2178/ and run it.

Good luck! 

Did NOT work !!

The one you directed me to in the link did the same thing

Zip Code pop up this morning !!!!!

What Now ???  , so far nothing seems to make a difference , i have never had any program/Gadget give so many issues    , the thing is , before Google removed it , i used to have the Google Weather Gadget and it never gave any errors , i wish it still worked

EDIT:

I went back to the Weather F-C because i like the look of it , but it does not make a .ini  , i restarted my PC 2 times and it never comes up (it didn't before either , its the only one i think that didn't make one , the other gadgets did including the one that was in the link you posted in your last post) , the one in the link you posted is just too large for my liking  , the F-C is perfect (with the exception of no .ini and it gives the zip error , but then so do all the others)

I guess not my friend Jim, after all the solutions you have tried...

I am sure that it is something in your end, but I can not guess what it is... 

Regards! 

A clean install of XP SP3 with no updates should "fix" it. My XP laptop hasn't been updated in over a year, and the widgets run fine. My XP desktop, fully updated will no longer run them without errors. Somewhere between then and now, MS updates has broken them.

I'm using XWidget for weather on the PC and it works fine.

Only issue is , mine is XPSP3 with NO additional updates , the last update on mine WAS SP3 itself (from SP1 that came on the disk) in 2011 when i had re-formatted , the only other "Windows Updates" are 1 hotfix for IE6 (which is NOT my default browser , Firefox is) , 1 is for Adobe

(This hotfix installs the XPS features to Windows Server 2003 and to Windows XP. It contains the system and driver components that enable XPSDrv print drivers to be installed. It also enables the XPSDrv filter pipeline component to function. After this hotfix is installed, the system can download future updates for these components by using Windows Update. .....This is for Windows Time as far as i know...),   , thats it

bUMp

Which gadget did you use , or are all the ones i have tried now working for you ??

The one i have been using (Weather F-C)  still gives the error , and it seems to still be random  , 3-4 times a day , then it works fine for 3-4 days , then it gives 1 error ,  then it works for a few more days , then it gives 5 errors in 1 day , then it works for 1 day  , no consistency whatsoever