Windows 7/RH 9 Conflict

[namedujour]

We upgraded to Windows 7 a couple of weeks ago, and since that time we've experienced problems using the Search feature. When you type in a word that is DEFINITELY in one or more topics, the Search results are "no topics found." It doesn't matter if the word is in quotes or not in quotes. It doesn't matter if it's a single word or phrase.

I've asked the programmers to look into this, but wondered if anyone else has addressed this and has a solution. If so, please advise.

Thanks!

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

You said you used an old XP version of the project, then recompiled it in your Win7 environment - right? That doesn't prove or disprove anything - you need the original help output from XP, not the project, to test with.

[namedujour]

I guess I misunderstood something because I moved the latest version of the project including all files and the SSL folder over to another drive to totally get it all out of the way. Then I copied the old XP version of the project, including all files and the SSL folder, to C:\Robohelp , where it lived before I archived it three weeks ago. I then compiled and published it to the server, and Search didn't work.  I can't think of any other way to do it, and I can't tell from your description how I did it incorrectly. Could you please explain?

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

Just a small suggestion of something to try here. When you examine the Single Source Layout recipe, look at the Search options. Is the option for enabling Substring Search enabled? If so, try disabling it and see what happens. LIkewise, if it's not enabled, try enabling and see if anything changes.

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

[Peter Grainge]

The point Jeff is making and that I don't think you are picking up on is to simply get the XP output from a backup and put that on the server, not to  generate it again.

In your XP project we are assuming you have generated an output and then that has been published to the server. What you need to do is go back to the XP backup and extract it again so that it has not been worked on under Windows XP. Locate the output that is there from when you generated using XP and simply copy that up to the server using Windows Explorer or an FTP client. Do not even open the project in RoboHelp.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[namedujour]

I copy/pasted the old SSL folder into the new output, and I still have the problem, so apparently it's Windows 7, right?

I also tried Captiv8r's suggestion - the box was NOT clicked. When I clicked it and published, and typed "manufactured" into Search, it found a .doc file (it hadn't done this before), but NOT the HTML topic. It also found a couple of PDF presentations with the "appraisals" keyword, but again no HTML files. At least it got me a little closer: it's now finding baggage files.

I also copy/pasted the content of the original Word document containing the problem topic into a new document, and imported it. Sometimes that works if a file gets corrupt. It didn't help.

Any thoughts? Does this give you any ideas?

Edited: I went back and looked, and "appraisals" pulls up a PDF that contains "manufactured." Whereas, the Search term "manufactured" didn't pull this PDF up. So it's still only half-working.

[Peter Grainge]

You are copying the old output into the project but then how do you get that to the server?

You have to copy it manually to the server from the old project output. You must not touch it with RoboHelp. Use an FTP client such as FileZilla. Talk to your developers if you have not done that before.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[namedujour]

Back story: The test server is on a shared drive. So all I have to do is copy/paste the folder into the Published directory with the other files that Robohelp generates. Since Robohelp doesn't publish to Unix servers correctly (long unresolved discussion over several months last year with Adobe developers over why their files won't go to the root directory and why they can't fix it - a whole nother story), our programmer created a script I use to upload to the live server.

This script does not permit me to selectively upload files or folders, so I'm going with the shared drive where I have some control. The project behaves the same way on that server as it does on the live one, so for now the test is valid.

I will call in the programmer as I need him. That may be soon, but he can't really do much with broken software he didn't code.

What I have proved, Jeff, is that it's messed up. You can check my link and see for yourself. I have done all the testing I can think of and that you and the others have suggested, ("flailing" as it were) and whether or not it's Windows 7, please tell me what it IS.

Thanks

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Can you zip up the backed up old XP \!SSL!\WebHelp\ output folder and e-mail it to me - send me a PM to get my e-mail address. I'd be happy to test it out.

[namedujour]

Message sent. Thanks much!

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Just thought I would post an update on this thread. @namedujour sent me the whole archived project all zipped up.

I unpacked it on both a WinXP and Win7 with an instance of RH9 on both machines. The "raw" SSL WebHelp output was tested first on the XP machine to see if it "worked" with the search terms that were giving @namedujour an issue before. It worked fine - so the next step was to rename the original output and open the project in RH and regenerate the WebHelp. Next I tested it and it worked fine again.

The next test was to check the "raw" output on the Win7 machine - it behaved fine there too. Opening the project and regenerating the help produced WebHelp that had no problem finding the search terms that weren't working before.

I communicated my results back to @namedujour. I think that I've proved fairly conclusively that Win7 has no impact on the WebHelp output created.

[Amebr]

Could the topic in the Windows 7 copy somehow have the Exclude from Search setting turned on?

Also, it may not be relevant, but when opening the URL above using Opera (browser) the Search pane displays "Error: Failed to initialize database", then 'null' when Go is clicked. Just wondering if this could help identify the problem, even though IE does not display this error?

Amebr

[namedujour]

Amebr, Thank you, that's really helpful. I don't have Opera, so I wasn't aware that there was an error message. I'm still not sure where to look for the source of that error and see if I have any control over it, but I'll pass the information along to the programmer.

I'm not familiar with "Exclude from Search" - never used it, and I can't seem to find it when I right click the topic. Where do I look for it?

Thanks!

[Captiv8r]

When you right-click and choose Properties...

Look at the General tab.

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

[namedujour]

Well, it wasn't "Exclude from Search."

Jeff, were there any modifications at all to your Win 7 workstation that might have enabled you to get Search to work when you tested my project? Now that two of us have the same issue, we may want to look at why yours works so we can figure out how yours is different from ours.

Thanks!

[Captiv8r]

Hi folks

I know that Windows 7 is a nervous Nellie when it comes to things like scripting and all that. My thought here is that perhaps you are seeing an issue where when running your content locally, the scripts aren't able to properly execute.

Things to try.

Have you tested the Search after copying the content to a web server? If things work after the content is copied to a web server and accessed that way, you have a good indication that this is the issue. If you still see the same behavior after copying the content to a web server and accessing it that way, then it indicats something is amiss with whatever RoboHelp is doing or has done to the files.

Assuming you find that things work on the web server but not locally, you then need to determine what changes to make on your local PC so you can properly test before copying the content to the web server. One way is by configuring your browser. But that likely only helps if you are using IE to test. I'm unaware of any configuration changes for Firefox or other browsers. One way to easily test for IE would be to enable the option to Add Mark of the Web.

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

[namedujour]

Captiv8r, things don't work anywhere. They don't work locally, and they don't work when they're published. They don't work on a regular server, and they don't work on an HTTPS secure server. I covered all those bases on Page 1.

I had to speak to an Adobe developer on an unrelated issue for another Adobe product, and forwarded a link to this discussion, asking that they pass it along to a Robohelp developer. Our testing resources here are very limited - now that someone else stepped up I know it isn't just me, so I think Adobe needs to address it.

[namedujour]

I'm upgrading to Robohelp 10 next week. If this solves the problem, I'll keep you apprised.

[namedujour · Accepted solution]

Update: I just loaded Robohelp 10 and tested. It appears that the problem with the Search feature is resolved - at least in a preliminary test. I have other people testing as well, but so far so good.

So that appears to be the fix to the problem.

Thanks everyone!

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

It’s a Win 7 Pro SP1 laptop running in 64 bit mode with 8 GB RAM. I’ve got full local admin rights to my c:\ drive. I only used one browser to check out the help output – IE 9.08112.16421 – and I was also just checking the output of your project in a C:\temp\_Broker_Underwriting\!SSL!\WebHelp\ structure – I didn’t try it out on a webserver or anything.

[namedujour]

We don't have SP1 yet (working on it) and we have an earlier browser version (IE 8.07600.16385). Everything else checks out. (No info on our server though - I'll get that later)

VolvoCADAdmin, do you have SP1? And what is your browser?

Thanks

[Guest]

Jeff,

I have the exact same issue between a project compiled on Win 7 failing the search and XP64 Search working.

I just don't agree there is not issue here. I have the project  on two different laptops on running Xp the other running win 7 with the project on my USB drive and it works just fine on XP but fails every time on Win7.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Not necessarily - you need to take that old XP SSL output & FTP/copy it to your webserver; then test it - still screwed up? Then it's nothing to do with Win7; works fine? - now we're getting somewhere.

You haven't proved this basic point yet in all your flailing around.