Windows Snipping Tool for Windows XP/2003

By admin | April 27, 2009 Update (2009-07-12): Download links for isxunpack.exe and i6comp.exe added. Microsofts new Snipping Tool in Windows Vista and higher makes it easier to take screenshots of pictures than having to do Print Screen. There is a backport of this tools called Snipping Tool, but it will only install if it thinks you are running on a Tablet PC. It is part of the Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PC package which also features the Royale theme. However, it will only install on a tablet PC and on nothing else. Here is how to extract and run it on a regular PC. Requirements

WinRAR i6comp.exe isxunpack.exe

Instructions 1. Download Microsoft Experience Pack for Tablet PCs. 2. Attempt to run it and you should receive an error message about how it can only run on tablet PCs. 3. Extract the .msi file from the installer by right clicking and selecting Extract to InstallExperiencePack\. 4. Open a command line and navigate to the newly created directory and type in msiexec /a Launcher.msi. 5. A window should pop up. Click next and specify a temporary directory. 6. After files have been extracted, open the directory in Explorer and navigate to the Microsoft\Experience Pack\Data sub-directory. 7. Rename SnipTool.dat to SnipTool.exe. 8. Open a command line and navigate to the directory and copy isxunpack.exe into it. 9. Run isxunpack SnipTool.exe in the command line. 10. Browse to the new sub-directory Disk1. 11. Open a command line and navigate to the new directory and copy i6comp.exe into it. 12. Run i6comp.exe e data1.cab and ignore the errors. 13. In the Disk1 directory, look at the file SnippingTool.exe and run the file. Note that the tool will not run on nLited Windows installs without IE/WMP. Screenshots

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Topics: Windows | 18 Comments

18 Responses to Windows Snipping Tool for Windows XP/2003

1. Dan Says:
July 10th, 2009 at 3:21 pm

Since isxunpack.exe is almost impossible to get, do you know of another tool that will do the same job? 2. Peter Says:
July 17th, 2009 at 6:01 am

file SnippingTool.exe is not see in step 12-13 3. Michael Says:

July 27th, 2009 at 7:17 pm

I got an error saying Could not load/init the much needed ZData dll and SnippingTool.exe is not there on step 12-13. 4. JM Says:
September 1st, 2009 at 11:09 am

same error step 12-13 5. Jay Says:

September 5th, 2009 at 9:35 am

Or you can get both Vista & Tablet PC snipping tool working on XP: http://www.wincert.net/forum/index.php?/topic/4069-get-vista-snipping-tool-stickynotes-inkball-texas-holdem-rtm-ported-to-xp/ 6. Bryan Says:
September 9th, 2009 at 2:05 pm

Anyone Get around the error Could not load/init the much needed ZData dll? If so, how? Let me know 7. Chris Says:
October 29th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

Get this version of i6comp it resolved the zdata error others have noted. http://www.myplc.com/sony/bin/i6comp.zip 8. Harris Says:
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:38 pm

Link Chris provided worked, i6comp.exe is located at the Resource folder. Thanks. Got it to run but there were no errors found, unlike step 12. SnippingTool.exe and other extracted files are located in the \Disk1 folder. Running the program didnt work; received this error: Snip Tool has encountered problem, needs to close. Then another error shortly: DDE server did not acknowledge the command. App=, Topic=. I am running Windows XP Pro, SP2. 9. InterNed Says:
January 26th, 2010 at 5:30 pm

didnt work for me either. i got the same errors as everyone else when it came down to the last step and the link provided is broken. i tried finding another i6comp.exe on the web, i got the files scrolling but i get teh same error the other guy is getting. snip tool has encountered and error and needs to close. o well. 10. PBradz Says:
February 11th, 2010 at 1:04 pm

i6comp can be found here, and it worked for the extract: http://www.cdmediaworld.com/cgi-bin/dl.cgi?f=i6comp02!zip 11. Hos Says:
February 13th, 2010 at 6:02 pm

same error Microsoft Snipping Tool has encountered a problem and needs to closeThen another error shortly: DDE server did not acknowledge the command. App=, Topic=. any ideas? 12. PBradz Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 1:14 pm

I get the Microsoft Snipping Tool has encountered a problem and needs to close; but not the second error? Looking to see if moving some files to system32 helps. 13. PBradz Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 3:14 pm

Grabbed a Tablet and checked the directory structure: Add these: SnippingTool.cur SnippingTool.exe.manifest SnippingTool.exe SnipMgr.exe SnipMgr.exe.manifest SnippingTool.chm interop.shdocvw.dll

to directory C:\Program Files\Microsoft Experience pack\Snipping Tool The following REG Keys are there too: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\snipfile HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Applications\SnipMgr.exe HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\snipfile HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Applications\SnipMgr.exe Ill copy/create them and test 14. PBradz Says:
February 17th, 2010 at 4:13 pm

No luck, still do not get the second message everyone else does: DDE server did not acknowledge the command. App=, Topic= The snipfile reg key contains info for App= and Topic= Application data is SnippingTool Topic data is system snipfile structure is: snipfile --> Name-(Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- Microsoft Snipping Tool file | DefaultIcon --> Name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Experience pack\Snipping Tool\SnippingTool.exe shell --> name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- (value not set) |--> Open --> name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- (value not set) |--> command --> name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- C:\Program Files\Microsoft Experience pack\Snipping Tool\SnipMgr.exe /dde | --> ddeexec --> Name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- Open(%1) |--> application --> Name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- SnippingTool |--> topic --> Name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data- system SnipMgr.exe is SnipMgr.exe --> Name- (Default) Type- REG_SZ Data (value not set); NameNoOpenWith Type- REG_SZ DataThats all I can find 15. David Says:
June 28th, 2010 at 12:58 pm

I was looking for the solution to the Microsoft Snipping Tool has encountered a problem and needs to close message too. The discussion of this work around seems to have died off. Was a solution ever found to the problem? Or have people given up on the problem?

Thanks 16. Colin Says:

August 13th, 2010 at 5:39 am

@David I have gotten it to work by doing the following: Download the [url=http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx? familyid=b46d4b83-a821-40bc-aa85-c9ee3d6e9699&displaylang=en]Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition SDK 1.7[/url] Choose custom install and install ONLY the Tablet PC Runtime Components and Ink Controls. Red X everything below that as you do not need it. Let the installer finish and now you can enjoy your new Microsoft Snipping Tool utility without any errors. Alternatively, I have upped a ZIP with the extracted tool ready to go and it includes the XP Tablet PC SDK installer as well. I used these same steps with the newer i6comp02.zip and IsXunpack and everything worked peachy. Download: http://www.mirrorcreator.com/files/SSUBSUYP/SnippingTool.zip_links