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Xwindows Dock V5.6 Frequently Asked Questions - F A Q


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Welcome to the XWindows Dock F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)

Before asking for help at the Help Center or reporting a possible bug at the Bug Report Center please take the time to look at these topics here as, most of the time, your doubts, difficulties and 'bugs' have been experienced by other users too and hence may have been already addressed here.

This thread is a permanent work in progress; as new frequent questions arise they might be added to this comprehensive list.

  • Q: Why is XWindows Dock slower than 'WXYZ' dock application?
  • A: Although all more advanced 2-D image manipulation techniques are used for assuring smooth transitions and the like, as XWindows Dock offers many more advanced imaging effects than just zooming, this will consume more resources than the 'average Joe' dock application. Besides zooming, XWD also automatically generates icon reflection with opacity and blur adjustable by the user and icon shadow with opacity and blur adjustable by the user too, so it's just natural that it demands more from your PC. Try fine-tuning its many preferences options and you'll find the right balance between features and performance for your hardware.

  • Q: When starting XWD I receive an error message that resembles this: "Access violation at address 004d9b18 in module "XWindowsDock.exe". Read address 00000010." What's happening?

  • A: The cause of this problem is uncertain at this moment, but there are certain things you can try:

  1. If clicking at the OK button in this error message brings XWD as if nothing was wrong, move on. It will work normally after that;
  2. If you are a Vista user, try disabling UAC for XWindows Dock and see if that fixes it;
  3. Try a clean reinstall (having manually removed the previously created installation folder);
  4. If the error persists, post an entry at the Bug Report Center, telling exactly what you were doing at the time of the error (such as if you were changing settings in XWindows Dock, etc.). Also list which applications were open, your system specs, and any information you may find useful.

  • Q: How can I get Microsoft Office Applications shortcuts working properly? If I add them like any other application is added they don't work as expected!

  • A: Office Applications are beasts of a different kind than other 'normal' applications and are handled differently by Windows - blame it on Microsoft, not XWindows Dock! In order to get working shortcuts to them you must navigate to your 'Program files' directory, then into the install directory of Microsoft Office on your computer; now drag e.g. "winword.exe" (or "msaccess.exe", and so on, for any other Office programs you want to have a shortcut to) from that folder and drop it into the dock panel. These shortcuts should now work. All that's left to do is to right-click on each one, select 'Edit', then change caption and/or icon to whatever you want.

  • Q: I have added some applications to the dock but their icons look blurry; what's wrong? Can they be improved?
  • Q: My icons suck, and I know I should get new ones, but I don't know where (and I'll commit suicide if I can't find a cool icon for uTorrent, I really will!). Can I get some help?
  • A: Default icons usually are low-resolution and when gets enlarged they become blurry. The best solution is using bigger PNG icons. They can be obtained at sites such as deviantART, Hollywood GUI, osx-e.org, among others. Then right-click your default-generated icon and select 'Edit', then click 'Change' button for selecting the desired PNG icon. It's always a good idea keeping your icons at a non-removable, easily accessible folder/folders. For better results use squared images of at least 128 pixels.

  • Q: I have updated from an older version to the most recent one and now my dock doesn't work as it should. What should I do?
  • A: Try these steps one by one and see if any of them resolve your issues (observe the sequence): 1) Close XWD, remove all docklets that were not updated to the latest version, then restart it; 2) backup and remove all configuration files (*.xml) and restart XWD. Once this is done, close it again and then copy and paste the 'contents' of the old 'DockItems.xml' to the new one, excluding all references to any docklets, save it and restart XWD again; 3) completely uninstall XWD (by manually removing its folder) and reinstall it. Reconfigure your preferences.

  • Q: I just downloaded a docklet and I put it in the 'Docklets' folder, but I still can't add it to XWD. What's wrong now?
  • A: Follow these steps: 1) Restart XWD and try to add the docklet again (most changes and additions to XWD file structure require a restart); 2) Ensure that the docklet is compatible with your version of XWD; 3) Make sure you followed the author's installation instructions 'to the letter' as some docklets may require additional components to be installed/extracted as well. If after doing this the Docklet still fails to add, contact its author first to make sure the package is complete and functional.

  • Q: I can't change the skin! Only default one appears listed and I'm pretty sure I put many others inside the 'Skins' folder. What's happening?
  • A: A few things may have been preventing the listing of skins. Among them:

  1. Have you clicked the 'Refresh' button after adding new skins?
  2. Are the skins of the same type selected (either 2-D or 3-D)?
  3. Are the skins updated to the same version of XWD?

  • Q: I have this weird "invisible" icon and I can't get rid of it! What's going on?
  • A. This usually happens when the file or folder from which XWD was obtaining the icon image was moved, renamed or deleted, or otherwise inaccessible by the system. At this time, the easiest way to fix this in XWD is to do either of these two solutions (after closing XWD): 1) reinstate the missing/renamed file at it's previous location if possible, then restart XWD; or 2) manually edit the DockItems.xml configuration file to remove/update the faulty entry, then restart XWD.

  • Q: Upon Startup of XWD, there is now a 'gap' where a dock icon should normally be (see screenshot). What's happening?

  • hvbvcegkvdcrm6tpp5bug.jpg
    *Image courtesy of Heatmaker
  • A: There are many possibilities for this. An example of when this would happen (missing item in the dock), for instance would be if you added a shortcut to the dock which points to something like:

  1. a folder/app which is no longer accessible, when the dock was launched. Think USB Thumbdrive folder, where the Thumbddrive is now removed;
  2. (not confirmed) a network folder while that network location is no longer accessible;
  3. (not confirmed) something that was deleted from your system, but the dock still has a shortcut to;
  4. the PNG image used with the dock shortcut (which is now missing), is no longer accessible to XWD (for instance, the PNG location on your HD was moved or deleted) - see previous question.

  • Please note that this list might not be inclusive of all possible problem scenarios; if you have experienced other situations, let us know by posting at either the Help Center or Post Your Suggestions for Our FAQ (Q&A) Here and this post will be updated if applicable. Potential corrective actions are:

  1. Go to your XWD install folder, locate the file: "DockItems.xml" (suggestion: make a backup copy of this file, in case something goes wrong), open and edit it to remove the problematic entry (read through the file until you find the dock item before and after the entry which is missing); remove the text of the faulty entry (which is causing the 'gap' in the dock), then save the file and restart XWD;
  2. Plug in the External HD or network location, or restore the shortcut's assigned PNG file to it's original location, etc; your dock item will reappear, then you'll have the option to remove the dock item while you have access to it.

  • Q: The cool, fancy, wicked icon I used for "x" program/file/folder disappeared and it went back to the default crappy icon. And now?
  • A: The PNG file used to replace the icon is probably inaccessible. Try placing the images in a locally accessible (at boot time) folder, or manually replace the image file and then restart XWD.

  • Q: I can't get magnification to work and/or labels to show. What gives?
  • A: Please ensure there are no applications currently running that might interfere with XWD. Among these, AveDesk 1.4 and some antispyware applications have been known to interfere with the dock's proper functionning.

  • Q: Why aren't my videos showing thumbnails?
  • A: Most video related problems can be traced back to the codecs installed on the computer. Please ensure you have all required codecs to properly view the faulty video type, and subsequently that this codec offers thumbnail preview possibilties.

  • Q: I used another dock application that could do this awesome thing where the icons spun around and sang the Macarena while making me coffee. Does XWD do that?
  • A: Uhm, well no. But if you think XWD is missing some functionality, your best bet is placing your request at the Feature Requests thread and hope that your wishes get fulfilled...

  • Q: I think I've found a bug you don't cover in this FAQ. What should I do?
  • A: If you're not sure it's a bug, head on to the Help Center where other users can try to help you. If you're sure it's a bug, you can also post it at the Bug Report Center.

  • Q: I think this application is stellar and I want to help. How can I do this?
  • A: You can do a few things. First you can say thanks at the Sycophants and Toadies Temple. Go on, don't be ashamed! Also try to be an active member of the Aqua-Soft community and this forum in particular, as this is how a lot of the development is done. If you are a skinner and/or coder, you can share your skins and docklets with the community at the Skins and Support Files and the Docklets threads, respectively. Finally, and this would be really appreciated, you can donate some $bucks$ to BOBAH13 to help him continue his work.

  • Q: Ok that's great, but I have a great website where a gazillion people come every week. Can I distribute XWD?
  • A: Well, thanks but no. BOBAH13 reserves himself the exclusive rights of distribution of XWD.

  • Q. How can I create skins?
  • A: We really need someone willing to write a tutorial for this... :(

Edited by Panta
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