Top 5 Windows System Utility Gadgets Best Windows 7 and Windows Vista Gadgets for System Monitoring

Top 5 Windows System Utility Gadgets
Best Windows 7 and Windows Vista Gadgets for System Monitoring

Gadgets in Windows 7 and Windows Vista can do more than show the weather and news. Several gadgets are available that are useful as system utilities that keep track of the resources Windows 7 or Windows Vista is using.

Gadgets have been created that can keep track of how Windows 7 or Windows Vista is using your CPU, memory, hard drive and network resources.

Below are some of the best Windows 7 and Windows Vista compatible gadgets that can be used to help keep track of system resources:

1. CPU Meter Gadget

The CPU Meter Windows gadget displays two dials - one that tracks your system's CPU usage and another that tracks physical memory usage, both in percentage format. This is a pretty basic Windows gadget in that there are no fancy options, but it does what it does well.

The CPU Meter gadget is included with Windows 7 and Windows Vista. The procedure is a bit different between Windows 7 and Windows Vista but the CPU Meter gadget should be available in the options. It will instantly be added to your Windows Vista Sidebar or your Windows 7 desktop.

If you like to keep track of how much memory and CPU is being used at any given time, give the CPU Meter gadget a try.

2. DriveInfo Gadget

The DriveInfo Windows 7/Windows Vista gadget monitors the free space available on one or more of your PC's hard drives. It displays the free space in both GB and percentage. The DriveInfo gadget is very easy to configure and is an especially attractive addition to your other Windows gadgets.

The DriveInfo gadget is available as a free download from the Windows Live Gallery. Just click Download and follow the instructions to add the gadget to your Windows Vista Sidebar or Windows 7 desktop.

If you frequently check the free space available on your hard drives, the DriveInfo gadget will definitely save you some time.

Download the DriveInfo Gadget for Windows 7/Vista

3. Memeter Gadget

The Memeter Windows Vista / Windows 7 gadget monitors all sorts of things about your CPU, RAM, and battery life. It's a great gadget to use to keep track of the major hardware resources currently being used by Windows.

The Memeter gadget is also freely available from the Windows Live Gallery. As with some of the other gadgets mentioned in this list, just click Download and follow the instructions to add the gadget to Windows.

If your memory, CPU, or battery usage is something you need (or like) to watch, the Memeter gadget will really come in handy.

Download the Memeter Gadget for Windows 7/Vista

4. Wireless Network Gadget

The Wireless Network Windows gadget is a very useful one if you connect to the world via a wireless network. It monitors both your wireless network's strength and security. The Wireless Network gadget is well designed and should be an attractive addition in Windows 7 or in Windows Vista.

The Wireless Network gadget is freely available from the Windows Live Gallery. As with the other gadgets available at the Windows Live Gallery, just click Download and follow the instructions to add the gadget to your Windows 7 desktop or Windows Vista Sidebar.

Download the Wireless Network Gadget for Windows 7/Vista

5. Uptime Gadget

The Uptime Windows gadget keeps track of how long your Windows 7 or Windows Vista system has been powered on. That's all it does. It resets every time the system is restarted.

The Uptime gadget is also available as a free download from the Windows Live Gallery.

System uptime trackers are useful to show how stable (or unstable) an operating system is since an unstable or error-prone system will usually need restarted on a regular basis.

Download the Uptime Gadget for Windows 7/Vista