By Technology Lighthouse, http://www.tlhouse.co.uk
Intro
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Most older programs work as well in Windows XP as in the operating system for which they were first created. Unfortunately, they do usually look dated compared to their designed-for-XP rivals.
Happily, XPME can give these programs a minor facelift that lets them use XP-style buttons and other controls. It does this by grafting on a special resource (the common controls manifest). The beauty of this procedure is that it is entirely reversible, and a "doctored" application will still run fine on older operating systems with its original appearance.
Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Q. Some applications look much better after "treatment" by XPME, but others contain a mixture of new controls and old ones. How come?
A. The resource that XPME adds to your program just tells XP to draw its own controls differently. It has no effect on customised controls, so if the program uses a mixture of standad and non-standard controls, I'm afraid you'll see some inconsistency.
Q. XPME modifies program files - how safe is that?
A. XPME doesn't modify the program file directly - it uses Windows' own resource programming interface to make the changes. It takes a copy of the original for safekeeping (giving it the .bak extension) before starting work, and in any case XPME can reverse the changes it made. The upshot is that yes, XPME is pretty safe, but the program is provided free of charge, and you use it at your own risk.
Q. I used XPME on a program and now my firewall or antivirus software is alerting me that the applications has changed. Reversing the change doesn't help. What do I do?
A. Some firewall/antivirus software takes digital "fingerprints" of the programs on your computer. If those programs change, it may look suspiciously like virus activity. Reversing XPME's changes doesn't necessarily restore the program to its exact original state, so the alarm may still be raised. But don't worry - XPME takes a backup of the original program - read on fro details!
Q. How do I reverse the procedure on a program?
A. Just use XPME on the application again - it'll ask you if you want to remove the special resource, just say "yes" and you're done. Alternatively, the original is still safe on your computer with a ".bak" extension. Just delete the modified file then rename the backup.
Q. XPME keeps failing to change a particular program - why?
A. The most likely cause is that the program is in use - XPME can't touch a program while it's running. Quit the program and try again.
