Dropping the Google Docs gadget onto the iGoogle page is a useful feature as it offers quick access to regularly used documents however, using IE7, this particular gadget seems to have trouble remembering it has been signed-on. After clicking sign-on the message just re-appears – from time to time it will sign-on but this is often the exception.

 

This is unusual as many of the other Google App widgets work fine, including the Mail, Bookmarks and Calendar widget. I did find by adding the Google Notepad gadget then clicking on Sign-in it also logs on the Google Docs gadget however the login is not remembered between sessions (the Notebook gadget also seems to rearrange the page tab placing it on the left hand side rather than above); the other gadgets remember the login fine.

Clearing Cookies and Deleting Temporary Internet Files also has no effect. The problem does not appear using Google Chrome or Firefox which not only display the doc files correctly but also remember the login between sessions (although both insist on putting the tab on the left hand side whereas IE7 puts it above).

 
The iGoogle Page in Firefox

The iGoogle Page in Chrome

 
The iGoogle Page in IE7 – notice the tab bar is at the top – what is going on here? Is this a clue as to why the Google Docs gadgets does not work as intended?

Update (3rd Nov): I discovered my homepage in IE7 was set to www.google.co.uk (with the view switched to iGoogle leading to http://www.google.co.uk/ig?hl=en&source=iglk) and by setting it instead to www.google.com/ig the page view is more consistent with Chrome and Firefox but also the widget works as expected – I can only surmise the problem must be something to do with the processing at www.google.co.uk.