Hi meacham,
In Windows 7, Gadgets are the evolution of the Windows Sidebar from Windows Vista. There is no longer a Sidebar on the edge of the screen. Gadgets are free-floating on the desktop. For your reference, I have included a screenshot below:
For more information about Gadget, please refer to Windows Desktop Gadgets
If you would like to check the version of Windows, please go to Start, type winver in the Search box and then click winver.exe.
If the issue occurs in Windows Vista, please submit a new thread to Windows Vista IT Pro Forums. In addition, you also try System Restore to restore the system to the date before installing updates to check this issue.
Thanks,
Linda