Context Sensitive Help Not Functional

Report · Oct 30, 2008

Weird problem - here's the scenario. I produce a localized version of a Help system developed by our sister company. The techwriter there sends me new topics, sometimes her whole project, and then I insert anything new into my project, rather than working with hers. The two projects are totally separate. She also sends me her .ali and .h files so that I can create map ID entries for each topic (typically screen descriptions) that require them.

So here's the problem. Context sensitive help topics are not opening from my compiled (.chm) Help. Click on Help, nothing happens. The screen description topic is available; you can find it via Search. I verified that the entry was still in the .ali and .h files for the project.

Just for giggles, swapped out my Help file from the program directory, and replaced it with the one from our sister company. Sure enough, the Help topics I expected to see do indeed pop up from the Help button.

So the sister company's Help works. Mine doesn't. But my .ali and .h files are fine - the entries are in there, with the correct map ID number and .htm file reference.

Any ideas? Are there any other project files this information is stored in?

Report · Oct 31, 2008

Here is a problem that I have had for some time and haven't been able to figure out. I tell it now on the off chance that it could be related to the problem you are seeing.

My company have several versions of the same software product - all have the same name. I have every version on my computer as well as the most current beta versions. When we update a beta version, I simply copy it over the old version. This is apparently confusing to Windows. Sometimes the help will not fire. I cannot even get a message with BugHunter or HelpWorkshop that I tried to connect to the help. There is absolutely no indication that the help was summoned. I can fix this by deleting the hh.dat file, so it seems there is something in that file that is keeping track of the application version and causing it to ignore the help message.

I have never had a customer report that their help doesn't open. This is only on my computer which is used for development and at our company help desk, so I think it is due to the multiple unregistered versions of the software and help.

John

Report · Oct 31, 2008

I didn't notice that this was a duplicate post. click here for the original thread.