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Search Error: Failed to initialize database

Guest
Mar 01, 2011 Mar 01, 2011

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I have been using RH HTML version 8.02 for several months. Recently, after compiling, the Search results do not work. The Search tab shows Error: Failed to initialize database. This occurs when I compile locally and to the server. Running MJ's Diagnostics did not fix the problem.

Thanks.

BillSearch Tab.gif

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Community Beginner ,
Feb 27, 2015 Feb 27, 2015

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If anyone else is looking for a solution for RH10 for this problem:

I have RH10 and was having the problem from the original post. I contacted Adobe support and they were able to fix it by uninstalling RH and then installing it again with this patch: https://helpx.adobe.com/robohelp/kb/robohelp-output-issues-ie-11.html‌ (For some reason installing just the patch didn't work without a full install again.) This solved the problem and search works again.

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New Here ,
May 03, 2011 May 03, 2011

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Working in RH9 on Windows 7 in a merged project with WebHelp output, one of multiple child projects also displayed the Error: Failed to initial

ize database message in the child project's version of webhelp output.

In the master project > !SSL! > webhelp, opening index.htm and conducting a search on a term specific to the child project resulted in a failure to identify the content. This, despite the fact that the same term was active in the index and the topic was displayed in the workspace window of the help screen.

After multiple failures to resolved issue, the following solution worked.

1. Deleted .cpd.

2. Deleted all project folder > child project > !SSL! > output folders (i.e., deleted WebHelp, deleted Microsoft_HTML_Help, etc.)

3. Opened child project xpj.

4. Generated WebHelp and published.

5. Opened master project > !SSL! > webhelp. Clicked index.htm.

Voila' ! Success.

All honors belong to my manager who tried it first with one of my backups. I tried it with the current project and found it worked.

I might add that I was initially struck by the fact that the child project's webhelp files didn't include an index_1.htm file (while the other child projects' webhelp files did. Conversely, the problem child project webhelp included an index.opf and an OdinOption_IndexOnPpf.xml file not present in other child projects' webhelp files.

In the regenerated webhelp, the child project's own webhelp still lacks the index_1.htm, but doesn't display the opf and xml files referred to above. Meanwhile, the master project's > !SSL! > webhelp > mergedProjects > child project folder does now include the  index_1.htm. It doesn't hold the opf and xml files referred to above.

Hope this helps someone.

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Community Beginner ,
May 21, 2012 May 21, 2012

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Using RH9.  A very recent fresh install on a WIN7 PC.

I am experiencing the same issue of generating Webhelp > Opening in IE8, and the search function does not work.  Instead I get the "Error: Failed to initialize database."  There is no master/child project.  It is a rather small project.  I am an experienced RH user, but previously we have used the CHM and printed output only. 

I tried the answer of deleting the CPD and the output directories, but no luck.

What other setting can be involved here? 

Thanks,

kb

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New Here ,
Jun 08, 2012 Jun 08, 2012

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I'm having exactly the same thing happening.  The search works fine in a CHM but fails in any other format (AIR, WebHelp,WebHelp Pro, etc.).  I found a thread that indicated this problem was related to having Chrome installed so I tried uninstalling it.  That didn't help either.  We really need to get this resolved or I will have to continue using CHM for the help files we are creating. 

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Community Expert ,
Jun 08, 2012 Jun 08, 2012

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The posts in threads are numbered. See 20 and delete those folders in your project. You can move them somewhere outside your project if you are uncomfortable about deleting them.

If that fails, try right clicking in the layout pod and creating a new layout, do not use the Duplicate option.

I am assuming that having found this thread you have tried all the other suggestions.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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LEGEND ,
Jun 09, 2012 Jun 09, 2012

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sjUnlimited, I'm not sure what you are doing or how you are attempting to reply, but you keep posting blank messages.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links

RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7, 8 or 9 within the day!

Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training

SorcerStone Blog

RoboHelp eBooks

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Community Expert ,
Jun 09, 2012 Jun 09, 2012

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... which I had deleted. J

I encountered that with emailed replies. When that happens there is no option but to use the web interface.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 11, 2012 Jun 11, 2012

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"no option but to use the web interface?"  no idea what that meant here.

Anyway, I tried all of the suggested ideas here and none worked (yes the list of required files was helpful because some of them were indeed NOT being created, but no idea why). 

EXCEPT re-installing.  This was a pain, but it did work. 

I find it odd, and un-hopeful because one of the reporters above apparently had this problem show up late after previous successful use.  So it could return at any time.  Yikes.

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Community Expert ,
Jun 11, 2012 Jun 11, 2012

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The "web interface" bit was related to the fact that five or six replies you posted came through with no content. When emailed responses do not come through, then the only way to post is to access the forums via the web.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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Community Beginner ,
Jun 11, 2012 Jun 11, 2012

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Hey that was not me, that was SJunlimited.  I am kathyb999.  I just posted today because I saw this activity and wanted to let people know that there is no real satisfactory solution or reason for this bug other than to re-install, painful as that can be in a large corporate environment.

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Community Expert ,
Jun 11, 2012 Jun 11, 2012

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When you stated you "no idea what (web interface) meant" that seemed to link with someone who was just using emails and not succeeding. No offence was meant.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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New Here ,
Jun 11, 2012 Jun 11, 2012

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I did send one reply by email from home and apparently it doesn't work with that email.  If there were multiple blank responses, the email system must have done that.

Anyhow, I didn't try the steps in entry 20 because that used master and child projects and mine is a very simple single project. I'll take a look and see if those steps also work for a standalone project.  If all else fails, I can pursue uninstalling and reinstalling RoboHelp.  However, that is a last resort since it will require getting IT involved and that complicates things a lot.

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New Here ,
Feb 23, 2013 Feb 23, 2013

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I'm unsure if I should start a new threat or just post to this one, so if this is not the correct place, please let me know.

I am experiencing the same failed to initialize database error.  It started 2 weeks ago and a reboot/restart of Robohelp would fix the problem and I could generate the project successfully.  As of yesterday, I got the error on every attempt at generating. 

I've reinstalled RH, as well as asking someone else to generate the project on their own machine.  Neither solved the issue.  I started digging through the generated project files as mentioned above and that's when I found that most of the xml files that are usually created were not.  I copied the xml files from a "good" generation (published to a server) and copied them into my "bad" local output.  This didn't change anything.

I'm unsure as to what to do next.  I'm looking at three options:

  1. Hopefully someone here has experienced the "missing xml file" anomaly and can help troubleshoot it.
  2. I have an old, archived version of the project that generates correctly, however bringing it up to date would be very time consuming.
  3. Is there a way to "reverse engineer" a compiled project into a fresh project?  It would be easier if I could take the compiled project from the server and start anew.  found that answer, it would be more time consuming than just using the old, archived project as a foundation.

Thank you for your time.

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LEGEND ,
Feb 25, 2013 Feb 25, 2013

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Willam van Weelden's site has a solution to reengineer output files. See his site at http://wvanweelden.eu/

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New Here ,
Feb 25, 2013 Feb 25, 2013

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a few years ago, I had to convert compiled CHM to a new RH project and it was actually easy.  I know Peter Grainge has steps.  But I also have some files on CD that I used then and it looks like i used HTML Help Workshop and HHP builder.  I do remember that it seemed incredibly easy and I have never sweated it since.  Peter Grainge's steps include info on revealing conditional texted text (but you will have lost text that was excluded from that build).

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Community Beginner ,
Jul 02, 2015 Jul 02, 2015

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I had this problem in RH9 and 11. Here is what I did to fix it (Ashish at the Adobe Help Desk provided the names for the MSXML files to load...and a lot of troubleshooting as well. :-)).

1. Delete the .cpd file from the offending (affected) RoboHelp project folder.

2. If using RH11, ensure that RH11 is patched through 11.0.4.

3. Install the following Microsoft updates on your computer (the "KB" numbers are important. There are many updates with the same name, but different "KB" numbers):

-- MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 2 (KB954430)

-- MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 2 (KB973688)

-- MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 3 Parser (KB2758694)

4. Reboot your machine (even if it doesn't ask you to).

5. Regenerate your project.

Doing this worked for broken search functions in both my RH9 and RH11 projects.

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Community Beginner ,
Oct 06, 2015 Oct 06, 2015

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lagonkd skrev:

I had this problem in RH9 and 11. Here is what I did to fix it (Ashish at the Adobe Help Desk provided the names for the MSXML files to load...and a lot of troubleshooting as well. :-)).

1. Delete the .cpd file from the offending (affected) RoboHelp project folder.

2. If using RH11, ensure that RH11 is patched through 11.0.4.

3. Install the following Microsoft updates on your computer (the "KB" numbers are important. There are many updates with the same name, but different "KB" numbers):

-- MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 2 (KB954430)

-- MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 2 (KB973688)

-- MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 3 Parser (KB2758694)

4. Reboot your machine (even if it doesn't ask you to).

5. Regenerate your project.

Doing this worked for broken search functions in both my RH9 and RH11 projects.

This solves the issue. I had about given up and exercised everything but woodoo. Your steps Work like a charm for Webhelp in RH11. Thanks Iagonkd!

Cheers,

Erik

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 12, 2016 Apr 12, 2016

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Yeay!  Glad I could help!

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Community Beginner ,
Dec 09, 2016 Dec 09, 2016

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I have been struggling to get MSXML4 working on my machine. I've gotten the patches you list, but I had to jump through hoops to get msxml 4 back on my machine first. So, I did that and they gave me msxml4 and 4r. I have noticed some people have 4a. Is it necessary? So far, I am having no luck with 4 and 4r and the patches.

David

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Community Beginner ,
Nov 04, 2015 Nov 04, 2015

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I experienced the same problem with RoboHelp 2015. Uninstalling and reinstalling RoboHelp did not resolve the problem; however, installing MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 2 and MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 3 Parser did solve the problem. Interestingly enough, MSXML 6.0 was installed on my laptop when I was experiencing this problem.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 27, 2016 Apr 27, 2016

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I don't suppose anyone has a solution for this issue in RoboHelp 2015 that does not involve MSXML 4.0? My IT department does not allow end-of-lifed software like MSXML 4.0 on my machine. I upgraded from RH 11 to 2015 specifically to try to resolve this issue, but that appears to have been fruitless. Thanks!

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LEGEND ,
Apr 28, 2016 Apr 28, 2016

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How did you install RoboHelp? I believe that when you run the installer on your computer (not auto install), the MSXML 4.0 gets installed as well. So not perfect, but it may get it to work.

You can submit a bug with Adobe to ask them to solve this in a new version: Home

Other than that, telling IT that you need this software to be able to do your job is the only option I can think of.

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Community Beginner ,
Apr 28, 2016 Apr 28, 2016

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Thanks for responding, William. My IT department continuously seeks and removes MSXML 4.0, so a re-install only buys me a day or two of full functionality before it gets removed

I did go ahead and submit a bug to Adobe. If that fails, I suppose I'll either plead with IT for mercy or ask them to buy me a new help-system solution.

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Community Beginner ,
May 12, 2016 May 12, 2016

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Yes, our IT does this as well. I don't understand why Adobe has not fixed this!  They have known about it for years!

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Community Expert ,
May 13, 2016 May 13, 2016

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Have you submitted a feature request to Adobe to make Search work without relying on MSXML? If not, please follow this link. The more people who do, the more likely it is to get considered.

https://bugbase.adobe.com/index.cfm


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring information

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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