RH 2020 - CHM output - Search not working, Favorites tab missing

[edcannon]

I upgraded a legacy CHM project from RH 2017 to 2020. The output is missing the Favorites tab and the Search tool shows "No topics found" even when I search on exactly rendered topic names. The Favorites tab and the Search tab worked properly in the RH 2017 CHM. I unfortunately do not have access to RH 2017, but I do have the source project files.

Any workarounds or hacks are greatly appreciated!

Also, FWIW I find that the online Adobe RH help does not have keyword search for its own help, which is VERY aggravating.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Is your version of RH2020 running patch 5? You should try upgrading your RH2017 project with that version. If there are still problems, you will need to make a copy of the RH2017 project and run the project through RH2019 Classic first, then jump to RH2020. Supposedly your RH2020 subscription includes RH2019 to be able to be downloaded. 

[edcannon]

Thanks for the info about patch 5. I did upgrade to RH2020 patch 5. I did get the Favorites tab to work, but Search is not working. 

I visited the download page and saw this: "Please note that Adobe only supports the current (n) and the immediate previous (n-1) releases of its products. Versions older than that are outside the scope of support." RH2019 would be n-2 and thus outside the scope of support. Using unsupported software is contrary to my company's CIS best practices. I hope there is another solution. So far, I am very disappointed with RH 2020.

[edcannon]

Sorry I just realized that my mistake; the year is 2021, but the RH version is 2020. Adobe downloads keep pointing to RH2020; RH2019 is not easily found.

[Peter Grainge]

I just tried the supplied About RoboHelp sample project and search is working fine. Please try that and it will tell us whether it is your project or your environment.

________________________________________________________
See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information

[edcannon]

Thanks for the help. I also built the sample project as CHM. The sample project had broken Search functionality and the topics did not display in the topic frame, so the problem seemed to point to something missing in my machine.  I spent a lot of time sleuthing this issue last night and was able to resolve it. Apparently my fairly new Windows 10 laptop was missing HTML Workshop and the essential DLLs (required for CHM output) that install with the software. After I installed HTML Workshop I was able to build the CHM and everything performed as expected.

It appears that CHMs are slowly being deprecated because it took a lot of digging to find a download site for HTML Workshop that was still viable http://www.helpgenerator.com/html_help_workshop.htm#.YPGGV-hKiUk

Also, the once-robust configuration form for Microsoft HTML Help that was easily found in RoboHelp of the past has dwindled to an obscure, limited, hard-to-find form in RH 2020. Adobe appears to be quietly sunsetting CHMs by making them more difficult to configure and omitting key information about configuring Microsoft HTML Help in their online help -- for example, the online help has no information about the all-important Default Window selection on the Layout tab and offers no information on how to configure the default window in the Window Settings form.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

"slowly being deprecated" - ?!?! - super, antique technology nowadays!

[Peter Grainge]

It looks like you installed 2020 when it was at 2020.0. That version did not install the Microsoft Help Compiler. Can't generate a CHM output.

To be fair it is not Adobe who are sunsetting CHMs. Microsoft stopped them working on networks back in 2004 for security reasons and Microsoft have not updated the compiler since then. Because of that many authors stopped using them. 

________________________________________________________
See www.grainge.org for free Authoring and RoboHelp Information