Windows 10
When I looked through this forum, it was said that the palettes XML file was in the Program Files folder under "ColorPic" folder name. In some cases, depending on the ColorPic version, Windows 10 will install the program into a Program Files (x86) folder.
I was using Windows 10, this information may be helpful for Windows 7 or 8 as well.
palettes.XML File
Yes, this exists in the install folder, but this is not where the actual XML file used by ColorPic is stored. The XML file stored in the installs folder under Program Files (or x86) is a default XML and is not the active one used by ColorPic.
Where is it stored?
I had to use a file search program called "AstroGrep Search" to locate the active XML file because Windows search is really useless. The AstroGrep program searches by file contents, not by file names. I used the text search <Palettes> and found the active XML to be stored in the following location:
C:\Users\(username)\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files (x86)\ColorPic
It was stored rather deep into the folder system of Windows 10.
How to Open XML file
Use Notepad or Notepad++. Do not use Doc editors like WordPad or MSWord or OpenOffice. It has to be a text editor.
Reordering Contents (Palettes)
In the active XML file you can re-order the palettes. The order they are in the active XML is how they will appear when ColorPic opens, so you can change which one shows first by default.
Make sure ColorPic is closed first, before opening and editing the active XML file.
Review the XML file before changes, select all the content and copy it and save it to another text file as a backup before changing anything.
Proper Syntax
Inside the XML file, you see characters very similar to HTML, where names are inbetween < > characters which makes a "tag". Each tag has an opening tag and a closing tag.
Example:
<Palettes> (content) </Palettes>
Opening tag - (content) - Closing tag
Review the XML file before changes, select all the content and copy it and save it to another text file as a backup before changing anything.
When you reorder the palettes, each palette,
Begins with <Palette name="(Name of Palette)">
Ends with </Palette>
...everything in-between is what makes up the color boxes.
Cut, everything between and including the beginning tab and ending tag. Paste it after the end of one palette and before the beginning of another palette,
Example:
<Palette name="(Name of Palette)">
(content of palette)
</Palette>
-- paste here --
<Palette name="(Name of Palette)">
(content of palette)
</Palette>
If you have to separate lines of XML tags, because it may show all grouped together, ensure you see where one palette ends and another begins, then you can move an entire palette down a few lines and create separations between them. (this is where you save all contents elsewhere incase you make mistakes).
Main XML Container
In the XML file, there are two main XML tags that must be there to wrap all palettes. These tags are,
<Palettes> (this one is at the very top)
</Palettes> (this one is at the very bottom)
(Note the difference between <Palettes> versus <Palette>, these two are not the same.
All palette tags and colors are between those two main tags. Ensure they exist after you do all the editing.
NotePad++
This program is free and far superior to Windows Notepad, but there is one thing you need to remember if you already use this program.
NotePad++ Auto-Backups - if you use the setting for notepad++ to make auto backups of your work, turn this feature OFF before editing the XML file for ColorPic, otherwise you will get a save-error.
Hope this helps
I noticed a lot of posts asking the very questions that the above information answers, so I hope this helps.