Windows Vista, and later Windows 7, brought the classic desktop gadgets, small applications that allowed us to customize the appearance of the desktop. A calendar, a performance monitor, and even a puzzle were some of the many gadgets available that we could download and activate on our desktop. However, the customization possibilities were very limited. And, in addition, in Windows 10 these gadgets no longer exist. Fortunately, there are much better applications to customize our desktop and give it a unique and personal look. And one of the most complete and advanced is Rainmeter.
What is Rainmeter and what does it offer us to personalize Windows
Rainmeter is a free and open source program designed to take Windows customization to the extreme. This program is based on the concept of “skins”. Each user can choose the elements they want to place on their desktop, where to place them and even change the appearance of each of these skins, depending on what they want it to show.
A skin, or skin, are each of the elements that we can use to personalize our desktop with this program. Each skin has a specific purpose, and would be the equivalent of old Windows gadgets, or Android or iOS widgets. In addition to the most basic skins, there are also much more complete applications, and even suites that allow us to apply a full customization layer to our desktop.
The skins can interact with others, and their most basic operation is translated in reading the sensors of the computer (for example, to see the performance) or to obtain information from web pages (to show the time, for example). They can have fixed text (a title, for example) and variable text.
It is not an easy program, nor does it modify the appearance of Windows
Any user can create their own skins to personalize their desktop. But for this you have to have time and some programming knowledge. Luckily, behind Rainmeter there is a huge community of users who share skins of all kinds to be able to personalize the desktop without difficulty.
Of course, it is not a program that just needs to run a file once and leave it ready. Although using it is relatively simple, it is necessary to spend time, even if we download the Internet skins, to be able to adjust them to our screen and customize the operation according to our tastes.
Also, many users mistake it for a program to change the appearance of Windows. It is not. This program is only responsible for placing gadgets on our desktop, but it does not modify the appearance of the taskbar, the start button, the desktop icons, the file explorer or any other component integrated in Windows. It is also not a window manager, file explorer, or replacement for Windows programs and files.
Rainmeter is just a program that creates an “invisible virtual space” on top of the desktop on which to place the gadgets, or skins, that we want to personalize the desktop.
The best way to customize Windows
This program is only available for Windows, and it works from 7 to the latest version of Windows 10. However, although there are some programs that try to impersonate the macOS and Linux versions, they do not really exist. Rainmeter is an exclusive program for Windows. Free, open source and, also, that we can install or run in a portable way.
Where to download skins
As we have said, there is one of the best communities working behind this project. Therefore, it is possible to find Rainmeter skins and other content to personalize the Windows desktop on many web pages. And all of them completely free of charge.
Some of the best places to download these skins are:
- Rainmeter.net : the main developer website, where we will find skins and skins created by developers.
- Rainmeter Forum : The official forum where the community takes advantage of showing off their desktops and sharing their settings with others.
- DeviantArt : the popular website for artists. On this page you will find the largest collection of skins. We can find a category dedicated exclusively to this program and groups dedicated to creating and sharing all kinds of skins.
- Reddit : a complete community of users who share their desktops and settings of this program.
Advantages and disadvantages of Rainmeter
After the disappearance of gadgets from Windows 7, Rainmeter opened a new door to personalizing the Windows desktop. As we have said, this program only serves to place small applications on the desktop, and does not modify any other aspect of the operating system. This guarantees that we will not have problems when using the computer, or hangs or failures when updating Windows.
However, even though it has been designed to be a simple program, it is actually complicated software. It has many menus, sections and configuration options that we can modify at our whim. Although its difficulty is not based on complexity, it is based on the fact that it is a program that you have to dedicate time to. And a bad configuration of a skin can spoil the entire organization of the rest of the elements on our desktop.
Finally, indicate that all the skins consume memory, processor and battery. Especially what they run in real time. The higher the number of items on the desktop, the slower the PC can go. And this can be a problem if, for example, we are going to run very heavy applications or games.
Download Rainmeter
We can download this program at no cost from its website . We can choose between downloading the latest stable version, which has fewer errors but is somewhat more backward, or the latest beta, more advanced, with new features, but which may still have a bug. We, for stability, recommend the stable version.
When we download the program we will download an installer. When running it, it will give us a choice between installing it in Windows like any other program, or running it in a portable way.
Alternatives to Rainmeter
In addition to Rainmeter, there are other similar programs that can serve as alternatives to customize our desktop and adapt Windows to our tastes and needs.
One of the most complete programs to personalize the Windows 10 desktop is Samurize. This program has an infinity of options more than Rainmeter, and it shoots its difficulty. But, on many occasions, it offers us more options.
Sidebar Diagnostics , on the other hand, is an OpenSource program that allows us to enable an information bar to the right of the screen from which we can have control of PC performance and hardware status at all times.
And finally, if we miss the classic Windows 7 gadgets, we cannot forget Desktop gadgets and sidebar for Windows 10 . This program allows us to reuse Windows gadgets in Windows 10 just as they were used in Vista and Windows 7.
