Skip to main content
Participating Frequently
October 26, 2009
Question

RoboHelp 8 freezes when compiling WebHelp

  • October 26, 2009
  • 1 reply
  • 2539 views

I'm working with a project in RoboHelp 8. The project was created in RH5, but has been updated and run successfully on RH8. The project is about 35 MB.

I am able to open the project and edit topics. But when I try to compile the help RoboHelp freezes, and I have to use Windows Task Manager to close RoboHelp.

I have tried to rename the CPD and use the existing XPJ to open the project, but that didn't work. I also tried to use the HHP file to open it, but I keep getting a message that the CPD is corrupt and that the project can't be opened.

This topic has been closed for replies.

1 reply

Peter Grainge
Community Expert
Community Expert
October 26, 2009

Try creating a new layout, not a duplicate.

Right click the SSL layouts in Project Manager.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

Use the menu (bottom right) to mark the Best Answer or Highlight particularly useful replies. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here.
gschoberAuthor
Participating Frequently
October 26, 2009

No, that's not helpful.

I tried to create a new layout, but the freeze obviously extended to that feature.

I had changed a few topics, but decided to delete the folder and start with the last version before I made changes last week. When I opened the new-old project I was ablt to generate a new help file. But as soon as I made changes to one topic and saved it I was back to the frozen help. I tried to generate--no luck. I tried to create a new layout--no luck.

gschoberAuthor
Participating Frequently
October 27, 2009

Are you absolutely sure you imported source files into the project rather than output files? The clue will be a red square near the beginning of the topics.

I don't think memory is the issue. I have one machine with a similar spec and that is running Windows 7 and RoboHelp quite happily. More likely is those topics.

First though, I don't think we have tried opening the supplied sample projects. Try that and make some edits. I want to prove the problem is this project. If they work OK, then it does point to the project.

No matter what you do it seems when you open a project, you can edit quite happily until you try compiling. Are you saving as you go? If you edit, save and close, then reopen, is everything OK until you then try to compile.

How big is this project? My inclination if it is not too big would be to create a new project and import a batch of files at a time, edit and compile. When it falls over, you know where the rogue file(s) are. If it is large, make a copy and trash half the topics. If it then works, you picked the wrong half, so make another copy and trash the other half, then split that. Keep doing that until you have the problem files in a small project. Or maybe you already know what the problem files are.

I would put the content of those into a text editor, then paste that into a new topic, reformat as required. That way you don't import the problem content.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips


That's helpful.

In fact, these do seem to be output files. Unfortunately, the source of the files is someone who's no longer with the company (which is why I'm now working on them). But the package came with the project file and seems to run halfway correctly.

Is there a way to convert them to source files?