Help & FAQ

xpize Guide

The xpize Guide holds all the information for people experienced in XPize as well as for people who want to know what it is and how it works.

The Guide is available in a number of languages:

Known Compatibility Issues

Windows XP SP3

This recently released service-pack for Windows XP introduces some compatibility isues with xpize 4.7 and earlier. We recommend uninstalling xpize first before applying SP3 then re-installing.

You will find that any custom or third-party visual styles or themes will no-longer work after installing SP3 this is because SP3 introduces a new version of uxtheme.dll. At the moment you will need to find your own replacement file.

Windows XP x64 and Windows Server 2003 x64

Windows XP x64 is based off the the Windows Server 2003 codebase (NT5.2) and not the original XP (NT5.1) and so XPize 4.7 and earlier is not compatible.

Support for 32-bit Windows Server 2003 is experimental. But then what's the point in changing the UI of a server?

Windows XP SP2

xpize 5 does not support Windows XP prior to SP3.

Cyberlink PowerDVD

The file msxml3.dll is responsible of crashing it. Dont select for installation or uninstall it if you have it installed.

Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003

The command line colors mod included in XPize may cause errors in the .NET console.

Windows' Explorer.exe

The files ntdll.dll and shlwapi.dll may cause explorer.exe crashes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please read this FAQ before posting to the forums. Thank You.

What's the difference between Full and Lite?

The Lite versions usually miss out the optional extras like screen savers and 128x128 icon support.

Does xpize work with SP3?

Yes and no. We strongly recommend installing SP3 first before installing xpize.

The current releases of xpize (XPize 4.7 and earlier) use a version of uxtheme.dll from SP2 which does not work on SP3. You will need to find a replacement uxtheme.dll. The uxtheme.dll file is responsible for third-party (or "custom") visual styles and skins for Windows. It does not affect xpize in any other way.

After installing XPize I suffer memory allocation problems, what's wrong?

This happens when you have Asian languages installed and your shell32.dll weights more than 10MB. Try installing Lite version (no 128x128 icon support) in order to fix your problem.

My antivirus founds a virus/keylogger inside xpize. Does xpize contain any spyware?

No. xpize does NOT contain any spyware or malware. Since xpize works with system files some antivirus software may detect that as dangerous, but they can be safely ignored. Simply put, they are false positives.

xpize Discussion Forums

xpize has its own board on the MSFN Forums. Please be courteous when asking questions or posting suggestions.

Contact Us

If you have an urgent enquiry please email the team at our Contact page.