Knowledge hub
XPC and XPC Lite: what the difference is
Two deployment architectures for the same controlled endpoint experience — shell replacement, or Windows kept operating underneath and hidden from the user.
The short answer
What is the difference between XPC and XPC Lite?
XPC replaces the traditional Windows shell the user sees, so the machine starts into the XPC environment and the desktop, Start menu and local file system are not presented. XPC Lite keeps the underlying Windows graphical environment operating for applications, utilities and services that depend on it, while still hiding the Windows desktop from the user and presenting the same controlled XPC experience. XPC gives the strongest lockdown model; XPC Lite is the premium compatibility architecture for endpoints with additional application requirements.
XPC — maximum endpoint lockdown
The endpoint boots into the branded XPC environment and stays there, with the traditional Windows desktop replaced. This is the configuration used for shared machines, labs, counters, agent desks and any endpoint whose job is to present approved applications and sessions.
- No Windows desktop, Start menu or settings presented
- Branded screen with only the published entries
- Returns to the same state after sign-out
- Configured per PC from the XPC Cloud Portal
XPC Lite — maximum application compatibility
The Windows graphical environment continues to operate underneath, hidden from the user, so software that depends on it keeps working: line-of-business applications, system tray utilities, device and management software, agents and background services. The user still receives the simplified, controlled XPC experience and still has no route to the normal Windows desktop.
- Windows GUI remains operational for dependent software
- Windows desktop stays hidden from the user
- Same portal, device groups and branding controls
- Selected per endpoint or per device group
Choosing between them
This is an architectural and application compatibility decision, not a feature or price decision. Choose XPC for the cleanest and most tightly controlled endpoint. Choose XPC Lite when the endpoint must also run Windows applications, utilities or services that cannot operate correctly once the traditional Windows shell is replaced.
Last technically reviewed: August 2026.
Keep reading
More technical answers.
What the XPC MSI installs on a Windows PC
A standard MSI, deployable by any RMM or software distribution tool, with no imaging step.
ReadHow XPC configuration reaches an endpoint
Configuration is defined centrally in the XPC Cloud Portal and applied to the PCs you choose.
ReadBranding the screen your users see
Logo, colours and wording, applied per tenant — so the endpoint looks like your organisation.
ReadGetting a focused endpoint back to a full desktop
XPC Mode is reversible from the portal, and your existing support tooling still reaches the machine.
ReadTry it on five PCs, free.
Log in to the XPC Cloud Portal, install the MSI, enable XPC Mode.