RoboHelp X5 wont start

[TernionSysadm]

When I try to start RoboHelp X5 on this workstation, I get a window titled "Windows Installer" displaying a small terminal with a box and CD and the text "Preparing to install..." and only a Cancel button, but it never gets beyond that. When I finally press Cancel, the Windows Installer window displays "Canceling..." but again never does anything. I finally have to kill the window from the Task Manager.
I have tried everything I can think of up to and including uninstalling RoboHelp, removing its Programs Files folder, removing any references to in from the Registry and rebooting, and reinstalling from the CD but still have the same problem.
Any ideas what the problem is?
Thank you for any help you can give!
Scott Wallace
Ternion Corporation

[J_Childs · Accepted solution]

It sounds like the windows installer is having trouble. Likely, when you are opening RH there is something that needs to be modified, (like word) using the windows installer, and it is hanging.

First thing to do would be to check the Event Viewer and see if you can verify that the installer is causing problems, or if some other application is to blame. If it is the installer, or you can't find the offending program, I would start with running the installer cleanup. You can find it here... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/290301

If you are still having issues, I would try to repair/reinstall the installer. This may take a little more research, but here is a link to get you started... http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893803/

Hope this helps.

[TernionSysadm]

Hey J Childs,
Thank you for the suggestions! I'll start checking into those things and see what I can find.
Thanks!

[TernionSysadm]

Ok J Childs, wanted to let you know that it is finally fixed! Thank you again for your help. I ended up finding an update to the Windows Installer at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=5A58B56F-60B6-4412-95B9-54D056D6F9F4&displa...

After installing the updated Installer, when I tried to start RoboHelp, it prompted me to activate it which didn't work. I called the number provided for activation and the person there walked me through going to a website:

http://kb.adobe.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=kb403696&sliceId=2

to download the X501 and X502 patches and special versions of the RoboHelp and RoboHTML executables that didn't require activation. Works great now!
Thanks again for your help!

[Guest]

What TernionSysadm did worked for me, too (to fix the problem with activation codes).  I put more details here.

Marjorie