EDIT:
I just saw your edit. Well, the answer is to install a newer version of .NET. See the link below.
Well, I have no idea unless you do not have any modern .NET version installed on your machine.
I can only replicate your issue on 32-bit Windows 7 (without the Rainmeter.exe.config changes). 64-bit Windows 7 seems to work fine.
After fixing the Rainmeter.exe.config file, the issue goes away for me.
Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is supposed to come with .NET 4.7 (I believe).
Current ISO downloads of Windows 7 32-bit come with the following .NET versions:
Code: Select all
2.0.50727.5420 Service Pack 2
3.0.30729.5420 Service Pack 2
3.5.30729.5420 Service Pack 1
4.0.0.0
4.7.02053
Current ISO downloads of Windows 7 64-bit come with the following .NET versions:
Code: Select all
2.0.50727.5420 Service Pack 2
3.0.30729.5420 Service Pack 2
3.5.30729.5420 Service Pack 1
4.0.0.0
4.7.03062
Versions retrieved using this tool:
https://github.com/jmalarcon/DotNetVersions/releases
Slight various on the version number, but the .exe.config file should force the use of "older" versions.
I guess you could try downloading .NET 4.7.1 and see if that helps:
https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet-framework/thank-you/net471-web-installer
-Brian