The Windows Live Gadget Gallery just approved my submission and the gadget is now available for download. Click the image below to go to the page to download it.
EDIT (10-10-2011): Microsoft has retired their Windows Gadget gallery. You can get the most recent version of the gadget here: Download Xbox 360 Avatar gadget. Right-click and choose Save As… If you are using Internet Explorer, it may try to save the file with a .zip extension. If this is the case, make sure you save the file with a .gadget extension. Simply change “.zip” to “.gadget” in the Save File dialog window that pops up.
Depending on feedback, I will make updates to the gadget as necessary.
Some upgrades I’m considering:
* Making the avatar 3D and animated (this one my be impossible if there is no API to provide the functionality).
* Displaying your friend’s online status (this one should be achievable)
The 2K Technica 
online status would be mint……. can\’t wait…. I am also a programmer wishing to enter more into the entertainment world, any pointers on how to program things in with hooks to liveIDs or gamertags….a good website with how toos would be great!!ThanksClint
Thanks for the input Clint and I will certainly consider providing pointers on programming and references in future posts. That is a great idea.
I never knew you made this comment until just now. Since this blog has been migrated to WordPress, I can actually get notifications about new comments. If you happen to stumble upon this comment in the future, please let me know.
Just out of curiosity, I changed my Look and Clothes on my XBox 360, but the Avatar Gadget will not update to the New look.Is there a Fix?
Hi Brian, I’m sorry the gadget didn’t work as expected. Whenever you change your avatar’s appearance, it may take some time for your avatar’s portrait picture to be updated on the avatars.xbox.com site. Since I’m way late in replying to this comment, please let me know if you’re still having this issue. I may have to incorporate some sort of “auto-refresh” into the gadget to make sure the gadget updates properly.
I never knew you made this comment until just now. Since this blog has been migrated to WordPress, I can actually get notifications about new comments. If you happen to stumble upon this comment in the future, please let me know.
Hi Aaron,
I’ve been using this gadget pretty much since you released it. However I have noticed in the last few weeks that the ability to click the head of the Avatar and display a gamercard no longer works. I have tried closing and relaunching the gadget and I have tried adding additional instances but neither of these tests have made any difference. I am wondering if recent updates to Windows 7, the introduction of Windows phone 7 with XBOX live or changes to the XBOX 360 dashboard may have caused the gadget to stop working.
Can you offer any suggestions?
Thanks
Thank you for reporting this issue Dave. As you suspected, there was a recent Windows update that messed with hit-testing and transparent pixels, which caused problems with trying to click the Avatar’s head. I have updated the gadget and it now sports a new icon that you can click to open the GamerCard.
The updated version is pending approval at the Windows Live Gadget gallery and should be up and available shortly.
Thanks again for reporting the issue! I hope the gadget can continue to serve you long into the future.
Just stumbled upon this comment and I have version 1. Recently Microsoft has gotten rid of most of the gadgets. Could you post a link to this updated gadget?
I would like the updated Gadget as They shut down the Gadget Gallery.
I have updated the post on my blog to provide a download link to the gadget. Thank you for bringing this to my attention!
Amazing Gadget! …..but needs Update because the New Avatar on My 360 Looks Different from the one on the gadget. Microsoft updated the body proportions of the Avatars…i would love to see it updated on the gadget too.
thanks.
Hi Omar and thank you for trying my gadget.
Could you be more specific in describing how your avatar looks different on your Xbox compared to the one shown on the gadget? Does it appear squished horizontally or vertically?
If you haven’t already done so, please try closing and re-adding the gadget to your desktop and try a different gamertag and see if it changes anything. The proportions displayed on the gadget should be the same as displayed on the Xbox. Let me know. Thanks!
HEY
JUST DOWNLOADED THE GADGET. I HAVE 2 SAY ITS PRETTY AMAZING WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OD DOING WITH COMPUTER’S THESE DAYS. YET I WAS A LITTLE BUMMED OUT THAT THE AVATAR WASN’T ANIMATED. IS THERE ANY TIME OR UPDATE THAT WILL ANIMATE THE AVATAR GADGET ???
Hi Edgar,
Thank you for trying out the gadget. Unfortunately, Microsoft does not currently provide an easy way to access the 3D model file (or even a basic animated file) of an Xbox Live Avatar…at least to my knowledge. I will continue to research possible ways to animate the gadget and I greatly appreciate your input. Thank you!
I Love the gadget. I was wondering if it was possible to update it so that you could display solely the gamercard instead of the avatar. I would love to have my gamerscore and rep and recent games right on my desktop. Thanks
That’s a very good suggestion. I will start working on implementing that feature in the coming weeks. Thank you. 🙂
great gadget, but I ran into a bug today. For some reason, only my avatar is facing slightly to the left and has a very noticable white outline, while if I search for any of my friends avatars, they face completly forward and have a much less noticable outline. My only guess as to why this is happening is that I recently bought a “Halo Fest ’11” shirt for my avatar, while all the other avatars I checked had older items, so maybe some of the new avatar items mess with the code or something.
Hi Joel,
Thank you for trying out the gadget! If you wouldn’t mind, could you tell me your gamertag so that I can see if your avatar appears messed up on my end? You could also try seeing if your gamertag appears messed up on another computer.
If it still appears messed up, then the problem will most definitely be with the image that Microsoft took of your avatar. The gadget simply uses the image that Microsoft posts on the Xbox Live website.
I refreshed the gadget after reading your reply, and now my avartar looks correct, so it must have been Microsoft’s picture. Thank you for the help.
this avatar is awesome to have as a gadget
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Thanks a lot for this gadget. Very useful!!
Hey Aaron, Now that the Xbox Live website has been updated to include some limited animation to avatars is there a chance we could persuade you to take another look at animating the gadget ?
Hi Dave! Thanks for the heads up. I will most certainly take a look at it. If it can be done, I will update the gadget asap. Thanks again. 🙂
Hey, this gadget is really awesome, but there seems to be a problem
When i enter a gamertag that doesnt exist (by accident)
the gadget dissapears. Help?
Hello and thanks for your interest in the gadget. Unfortunately the error only seems to occur on certain non-existing gamertags. Normally, the gadget should show a default avatar graphic for gamertags that don’t exist. However, the issue can easily be resolved by dragging another instance of the Xbox 360 Avatar gadget from the Gadgets window back onto your desktop. When the gadget disappears it is actually being unloaded, so there are no performance implications. There won’t be a bunch of hidden copies of the gadget living on your desktop. Simply re-add the gadget and try again.
I love it when individuals come together and share ideas.
Great website, stick with it!