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Dan347345954jgh
Participant
January 11, 2024
Answered

Very new user! can't seem to open .chm or .hlp files with robohelp2020

  • January 11, 2024
  • 2 replies
  • 264 views

Hi,

I'm a total beginner of RohoHelp. Rather than create a project, I want to try my hand at editing an existing chm or hlp file. I'm confused as my version of RohoHelp doesn't seem to open these files even though they are supported. Am I doing something wrong? The program just opens to a New/Open project window, and either option just opens a blank project. 

 

I can't seem to find anything in the user guide.

 

The source files also have .cnt and .gid versions (not sure what those are)

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer Jeff_Coatsworth

    CHMs are the supported output of RH, not the source project files. It's possible to reverse engineer them back into a RH source project, painful - see https://www.grainge.org/RoboHelp/Reverse_Engineering/Reverse_Engineering.htm?rhhlterm=reverse&rhsearch=reverse 

    2 replies

    Peter Grainge
    Community Expert
    Peter GraingeCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 11, 2024

    As @Jeff_Coatsworth says, they are outputs and HLP files are a format that officially died with Windows XP but were out of use before that. If you only have the output, you would need to do as Jeff suggests. 

     

    You are better off trying one of the sample projects that comes with RoboHelp. There is a lot of RoboHelp information on my site. 2020 is covered here. Welcome (grainge.org). Note that 2022 is the current version.

     

    RoboHelp creates two copies of the samples on installation. 

    • The copy to use is put in My RoboHelp Projects in the Documents folder that Windows creates in your profile.
    • Another copy goes into Program Files and should never be run from there as Windows will block some of the functionality.  The idea of the copy in Program Files is that it is a clean back up if you need to replace the copy in Documents.

    ________________________________________________________

    My site www.grainge.org includes many free Authoring and RoboHelp resources that may be of help.

     

     

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    D
    Dan347345954jghAuthor
    Participant
    January 11, 2024

    Thanks for the info

    Jeff_Coatsworth
    Community Expert
    Jeff_CoatsworthCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    January 11, 2024

    CHMs are the supported output of RH, not the source project files. It's possible to reverse engineer them back into a RH source project, painful - see https://www.grainge.org/RoboHelp/Reverse_Engineering/Reverse_Engineering.htm?rhhlterm=reverse&rhsearch=reverse 

    D
    Dan347345954jghAuthor
    Participant
    January 11, 2024

    Thanks for the response

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