Vista and .hlp file incompatability question

I distribute a Windows application written in VB 6, and i am using InstallShield to install the app on the clients systems.

A client has recently contacted me, saying that Vista will not open or display the help system that is installed along with my application. The application installs and runs fine, only the help system will not run.

The help file is compiled with VbHelpWriter compiler, and it produces a (xxx.hlp) file. I have never had any problems until this one client running Vista.

I am not sure if all versions of Vista will not recognize the .hlp file.

Can anyone shed any light on this, as well as any fixes for this ?

Would the use of a different help compiler solve this problem? (which ones are compatible with Vista?)

thanks for your help,
Robert

Welcome to the Forums.

I havent seen anything yet on the help file issue but what error is the client getting other then "it will not open"? Where are your help files located and do the users have access to them. Sounds like they may be located in an area that they will require admin credentials for. Try running as Administrator by right clicking on the exe and selecting it. If it runs fine then its a permission issue of the files location.

Moved

Unfortunately, Vista does not support .hlp files natively since they rely on 16-bit technology, that is deprecated by Microsoft.

When the user tries to launch a .hlp file, he gets a message explaining to him that the help file was created with technology belonging to the past.

Anyway, I have read MS gives the Vista user the opportunity to download a patch that will allow him to open .hlp files.

I have run into this issue already, and thought that my best bet was to re-create the .HLP file as a .CHM file (which I think is supposed to be the new standard?)

Then I found that Windows will not open a .CHM file across a network unless you make either a local copy of the .CHM file on every users' workstation, or else make a registry entry in every users workstation.

Not really sure what the ideal solution to this would be, at this point...?

thanks for the help!

you are correct that vista does not support .hlp files. the new (and improved?) format is html.

i found a help authoring tool that compiles to html file format for vista users.

robert

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sigid

I have run into this issue already, and thought that my best bet was to re-create the .HLP file as a .CHM file (which I think is supposed to be the new standard?)

Then I found that Windows will not open a .CHM file across a network unless you make either a local copy of the .CHM file on every users' workstation, or else make a registry entry in every users workstation.

Not really sure what the ideal solution to this would be, at this point...?

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that is correct about needing a .chm file in vista.

i am hoping the more experienced members can help us out on your second point. many of my clients are installing my application on networks, and this will be an important consideration for me too.

Alternatively, you could tell your users to download the Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) for Windows Vista from Microsoft's Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

HelpMaker CHM Register is one way to use .chm files across a network. Their .chm authoring program is pretty good too. Both are free.