Windows 7 64 bit + IE10 = no pdf in HTML Help

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

1. When I generate a .chm in RoboHelp and click to view the result: the .chm becomes displayed; when I click in the .chm on a link for opening a .pdf the .pdf is displayed correctly in the main .chm window.
2. When I doubleclick the same .chm in the Windows Explorer: the .chm becomes displayed; when I click in the .chm on a link for opening a .pdf the .pdf is NOT displayed; instead a small grey icon is displayed in the main .chm window. This occurs on any pdf-link. It is impossible to show a .pdf included in a help-.chm.

It occurs on Windows 7 64 bit + IE10.

It does not occur on Windows 7 32 bit + IE10.

It does not occur on Windows 7 64 bit + IE9 or IE8.

Is there a solution?

[RoboColum_n_]

How should we address you. I don't think we've had an enobled member on these forums before. Hopefully me tugging my receeding forelock will suffice

IE10 is not offically supported with RoboHelp output so this may just be something you'll have to live with until it is. Can you tell us what version of RoboHelp you used to create the CHM. Also can you tell us whether you are trying to open the CHM via Windows Explorer from the same PC on which it was compiled?

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

It is RoboHelp 10.

And the problem occurs on the same PC as well as on other PCs.

[Peter Grainge]

This fix is really for WebHelp but I have reason for thinking it might work here. I emphasise "might".

http://helpx.adobe.com/robohelp/kb/help-visible-using-win-8-ie.html

Try and post back, either way.

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@petergrainge

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

I tried this fix (http://helpx.adobe.com/robohelp/kb/help-visible-using-win-8-ie.html) but it didn't solve the problem.

Remark:

I had no folder "[RoboInstallDir]\Webhelp5Ext" - so I created it and tried the fix. Without success.

[Peter Grainge]

That folder is part of any Rh installation. If you don't see that, something is wrong with your installation.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

Thank you for this hint.

Didn't find the folder at

"[RoboInstallDir]\Webhelp5Ext" but found it here:

"[RoboInstallDir]\RoboHTML\WebHelp5Ext".

Overwrote the existing folders with those from FixForRH10Install.zip.

But it didn't solve the described problem.

PS:

Over the years we distributed many versions of our software together with the .chm help. Now everyone who is working on Windows 7 64 bit (or Windows Server 2008 R2) and upgrades to IE10 cannot view the integrated pdf-files.

[Peter Grainge]

Do you have both patches installed? Help should show 9.0.2.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

- Do you have both patches installed?

I was following the instructions of "New WebHelp output from RoboHelp 10" and copied the two folders to the specified destination ("[RoboInstallDir]\RoboHTML\WebHelp5Ext") - overwriting the existing ones. Then I generated the help file.

- Help should show 9.0.2.

Where? My RoboHelp Version is 10.0.1.292. I updated it today.

Anyway, as we are using HTML Help and not Web Help this fix "might" not solve the problem.

Thank you for your efforts!

[Peter Grainge]

Sorry, I was quoting the highest patch for 9 rather than 10.

I did indicate the fix might not work but there was a reason it might just have done.

Please create a small project with no glossary and no browse sequence. If that fails in Windows 7 64 bit with IE10, I will then take it up with Adobe.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

I created a new project consisting of only one page with some lines of text and one link to a pdf file.

Still the same result...

[Peter Grainge]

I am seeing the same results and did wonder if it was an HHActiveX.dll issue. However after registering the 64 bit version manually just in case and after turning off Glossary and Browse Sequences in the Windows property (so that the dll is not required), the problem persists.

I will be reporting it to Adobe.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

Thank you very much for your assistance!

[Peter Grainge]

Thread moved to CHM forum.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Peter Grainge]

Just to confirm that I have reported this. It helps if anyone seeing this problem also reports it.

Please follow this link.

http://www.Adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform&product=38

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Sir_Alfred_Oppenheimer]

I found an explanation for this problem in another forum:

http://helpman.it-authoring.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=12508

[Magic_Peter]

Good evening All,

it works for me now, though I can't say what gave the impulse.

1. I set maxallowedzone to 1

2. I installed Adobe reader XI.

now pdf are oopend in external Adobe Reader (not hh embedded), but they are displayed at least.

It still works when uninstalling Adobe Reader XI and going back to V9.x

I can say it will only work with set MaxAllowedZone to 1

What changes the installation of Adobe Reader XI did, to make it work is part of crystal ball work.

I could reproduce this positve outcome on a second notebook and I hope the next Windows update won't shoot it down again.

Regards, Peter

[Peter Grainge]

@Magic_Peter

Can you please advise where in the Registry you set the maxallowedzone to 1.

Was it

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\ItssRestrictions

so that your CHM could run on a network drive?

I'm thinking that Adobe Reader 11 fixed the problem and the above was just to do with the location of the CHM. Does that sound right?

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Good Morning Peter,

good morning All,

yes the reg key you assumed is correct.

MS KB 896358 explains very profound the reason and possible workarounds for the disobedient chm files. The workaround discribed did not work for me though.

The values for maxallowedzones are defined as followes:

0 = My Computer
1 = Local Intranet Zone
2 = Trusted sites Zone
3 = Internet Zone
4 = Restricted Sites Zone

(found in techulator resources 4302)

Spend a nice day, Peter

[Peter Grainge]

There is information on my site about that KB item.

I'm thinking the link was fixed by adding Adobe Reader 11 and that would have been sufficient for the CHM to work if it was local and that the maxallowedzone was also required because you have the CHM on a network.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Keith_dk]

I recently moved to Windows 8 and now have the problem described above.

I have tried all the solutions suggested: modifying the necessary Registry files, installing the lastest version of Adobe Reader etc, etc. But the problem persists.

Does anyone have anything new that solves the problem?

[Guest]

Good evening, Keith

no news, on some machines I had to decompile the chm to make the help usable. This is of course not the intention of using a chm, but some machines are really disobedient...

Regards, Peter

[Guest · Accepted solution]

I too encountered this problem, and have found solution for it.

Add the following attribute to your PDF hyperlinks in the html: target="_blank"

This attribute is used on webpages to instruct the browser to open a new window/tab to display the link in, rather than loading it in the current window/tab. In the HtmlHelp viewer, this causes the external PDF viewer (Adobe Reader) to start, and open the PDF file specified in the link. This enables you to get around not being able to view PDFs in-frame in the HtmlHelp viewer on 64bit systems (as described by the post http://helpman.it-authoring.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=12508 )

Example:

Before: <a href="/path/to/document.pdf">Click here to view PDF document</a>

After: <a href="/path/to/document.pdf" target="_blank">Click here to view PDF document</a>