Search function not working. I have upgraded from RH8 to RH11 (WebHelp), now search function brings no results, 'Error: Failed to initialize database' appears.

[Amyb21841505]

Upgraded from RH8 to RH11 (WebHelp), now search function brings no results, 'Error: Failed to initialize database' appears.

Referring to the solution to a similar issue with RH2015 provided by Ankit (26Aug15), my generated output has no "topictable_12_xml.js" file nder whxdata.

By stephenb21841505

[Willam van Weelden]

Did you also try the suggestions as set in the thread? (Installing/Reinstalling some software?)

The easiest to try is to uninstall and reinstall RoboHelp.

[surbhi_maheshwari]

Hi,

Do you have any baggage files in your project?

Try excluding the baggage files from search indexing before publishing the output.

I have highlighted this setting in the image below:(WebHelp> Properties)

Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

Also, On which browser are you facing this issue?

Thanks and Regards,
Surbhi Maheshwari

[Amyb21841505]

Hello William and Surbhi thank you for responding. I have excluded all manner of baggage files and republished. When I click Search, the same error message 'Error: Failed to initialize database' appears. When I look at the generated output: in the whxdata folder, should there be a file with a topic list? When I compare it with the generate from my old RH8, there was a file topictable.xml and topictableindex.xml. I will now have our IT department reinstall the program and see if it solves the issue.

[Amyb21841505]

Oh, I am using Internet Explorer.

[av_gchale]

I experienced the same error with the Search function not working in help compiled using RoboHelp 2015. I uninstalled and reinstalled RoboHelp, but that did not fix the problem. I was finally able to fix the problem by installing MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 2 and MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 3 Parser on my laptop.

[Amyb21841505]

Hello, What are MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 2 and MSXML 4.0 Service Pack 3 Parser? Are they from Microsoft? In the meantime, I have had RH11 de-installed and re-installed but to no avail.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Yes, but did you have RH11 installed with full Admin rights? And then do all the latest patches to it? Then regenerated your help?

[Amyb21841505]

I had RH11 installed by our company help desk. Have there been patches issued since June last year (2015)?

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I think so – check either downloads page on the Adobe site or Willam’s patches page on wvanweelden.eu

[Gravenstein]

I experienced something similar with our help, which was generated using RH9. The help works fine in IE9, but gets a little flaky in newer versions of IE. In IE11, the RH help search function says 'Error: Failed to initialize database.' If I go ahead and do a search anyway, it just returns 'null.'

Upgrading the help project to RH2015 seems to have solved the problem.

HTH,

G

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

That's because browsers keep "updating" their security & it forces RH to play catch-up to compensate. Seems like a never-ending cycle these days.