In order for python based windows programs to use 
the right widget (e.g. common control) versions on
XP, a manifest file must be present for both executables 
(python.exe and pythonw.exe).
I believe Python2.2 installs these per default.

If these are not present, weird graphical artifacts may 
show up on windows XP in tree and list controls when 
high-color icons are used.
A sample of a manifest file ('pythonw.exe.manifest'):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?
>
<assembly xmlns="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:asm.v1" 
manifestVersion="1.0">
<assemblyIdentity
    version="0.64.1.0"
    processorArchitecture="x86"
    name="Controls"
    type="win32"
/>
<description>Python Interpreter</description>
<dependency>
    <dependentAssembly>
        <assemblyIdentity
            type="win32"
            name="Microsoft.Windows.Common-Controls"
            version="6.0.0.0"
            processorArchitecture="X86"
            publicKeyToken="6595b64144ccf1df"
            language="*"
        />
    </dependentAssembly>
</dependency>
</assembly>

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Mark, does this mean anything to you?  We've (PLabs) 
certainly never installed anything like this before.

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I may have put them there myself, It is a known problem 
though, lookup section
'2.4.2.1 Windows XP and Python 2.2.2'
of the wxpython Wiki at: 
http://wiki.wxpython.org/index.cgi/Frequently_20Asked_20Que
stions
It would not hurt to have these installed by default for the 
Windows platform

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Welcome to .NET <wink>.  I can believe this would help some
GUI programs, but am hard pressed to call it critical enough
to bang in 2.3 at this late stage.

A concern is that how do we know the assertion about what
control library we want to use is true for *all* programs
hosted by our executables?

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I've googled around a bit more,
http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/moinmoin/PythonQuestions
section '4 Windows XP look-and-feel'
advises against it, apparently somebody ran into problems 
with this.
Mark is right, we don't know what the right control library is 
for any program run with the python.exe interpreter.
sigh, I guess for microsoft a program is only a program when 
it is an .exe :-(.
As far as I am concerned this is also not very critical.

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I'm closing this, for lack of a sane way to proceed at this 
time.  The

http://www.python.org/cgi-bin/moinmoin/PythonQuestions

link has a claim that adding a manifest file caused Tkinter to 
crash ... until it's clear what to do, I'm not touching this.

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I can confirm that this works fine with the cross-platform 
Python controller we are shipping with Plone 2.0, if that is of 
any use. We use Python 2.3.3 and wxPython 2.4.2.4. 
Stumbled over this issue when I was searching for information 
on Python and Manifest-files, and thought I'd add my 0.02 
euros.

Screenshots on http://download.limi.net/xcontroller/ if you're 
curious about how it looks. :)