"robgraham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:8LOdna-(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "robgraham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> When I click on Help & Support I get a message saying that Windows can't
>> find helpctr.exe. But if I search for it I can, and in more than one
>> place. How do I re-link Help & Support with this file?
>>
>> Rob Graham
>>
>
> The file is in the correct location and the registry link is correct But
> there is no reference to it in services. How do you run the routines as
> suggested by JohnW?
>
> Rob

Did you try the numerous tips mentioned in the link that JohnW quoted? If
yes, what exactly happened?

It seems your desktop has an incorrect association set for .vbs files so
that they now open with notepad.exe. You can get around the problem by using
this command from the Command Prompt:

cscript.exe "c:\fixwinxphelp.vbs"

You may have to replace c:\ with the actual location of the script on your
machine.

"robgraham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> v' v' strange. When I open them on my laptop (which is not the problem
> machine) I'm invited to save or run the prog. However, when I open them my
> desktop, I don't get this invite. I simply get a load of lines such as
>
> 'fixwinxphelp.vbs - Repairs the damage done by Toni Arts EasyCleaner
> '© Doug Knox - Modified 3/25/02 to account for XP over 2000 upgrades
> 'Based on information provided by Bill James (http://www.billsway.com)
>
> On Error Resume Next
>
> 'Declare variables
> Dim WSHShell, MyBox, p, p1, p2, p3, p4, q1, q2, q3, q4, t
> Dim jobfunc
>
> 'Set the Windows Script Host Shell and assign values to variables
> Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
>
> p1 =
> "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\TypeLib\{FC7D9E00-3F9E-11D3-93C0-00C04F72DAF7}\1.0\0\win32\"
> p2 =
> "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\TypeLib\{FC7D9E00-3F9E-11D3-93C0-00C04F72DAF7}\1.0\HELPDIR\"
> p3 =
> "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\TypeLib\{FC7D9000-3F9E-11D3-93C0-00C04F72DAF7}\1.0\0\win32\"
> p4 =
> "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\CLASSES\TypeLib\{FC7D9000-3F9E-11D3-93C0-00C04F72DAF7}\1.0\HELPDIR\"
>
> Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
> Set q = fso.GetSpecialFolder(0)
>
> q1 = q & "\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe\1"
> q2 = q & "\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe\"
> q3 = q & "\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe\2"
> q4 = q & "\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe\"
>
> Rob"Pegasus [MVP]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>
>> "robgraham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:8LOdna-(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>
>>> "robgraham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> When I click on Help & Support I get a message saying that Windows
>>>> can't find helpctr.exe. But if I search for it I can, and in more than
>>>> one place. How do I re-link Help & Support with this file?
>>>>
>>>> Rob Graham
>>>>
>>>
>>> The file is in the correct location and the registry link is correct But
>>> there is no reference to it in services. How do you run the routines as
>>> suggested by JohnW?
>>>
>>> Rob
>>
>> Did you try the numerous tips mentioned in the link that JohnW quoted? If
>> yes, what exactly happened?
>>
>
>

*** See below.

"robgraham" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>I checked the association first and .vbs files were set to open with
>Windows
> Based Script Host rather than notepad. So I presume that is correct even
> though it doesn't work.
>
> I tried the cscript.exe "c:\fixwinxphelp.vbs" from command prompt. I had
> to
> bring the file from my other machine because the desktop machine could not
> find it.
*** Which file?
> I thought I would copy the file
*** Which file?
> into System32 file and use cscript.exe
> "c:\fixwinxphelp.vbs" from there but it still couldn't find it
*** could not find which file?
> it so I used it direct from the memory stick and it found it and then said
> it had cleared the problem of Help and Support not being linked. But when
> I tried to open Help & Support I found it still hadn't.

Here are a number of recipes to repair Windows Help. I picked them
up from other threads but I have not tried them myself:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/fix...ws_xp_help.htm
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/top10faqs.htm
Or re-install Help:
Open the folder c:\windows\inf and right-click the PCHealth.inf file,
then choose "Install". If you have a Service Pack installed, select
c:\windows\i386\ServicePackFiles\PCHealth.inf instead.

For another cause see here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896358
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896054

Rob Graham brought next idea :

> I tried all these options but none worked. One problem is that I have SP3 and
> some are for SP1.
>
> I did download winhlp32.exe, though, and strangely, when I clicked on it to
> open it up I found that I was taken to My Documents.
>
> I also tried to re-install Help as you described. Now, when I click Help &
> Support I get a different message, one that says "Windows cannot open Help &
> Support because a system service is not running. To fix this problem start
> the service named Help & Support". Seems odd to me!

To check you have the corresponding service enabled. Go to your Start
Menu / Run. Type in "msconfig" and hit OK. You will get the System
Configuration Utility. Click on the Services tab and make sure the
"Help and Support" service is checked. The next thing to do is make
sure your Start Menu is set to display Help and Support. Open your
Start Menu and right-click on any blank area of the menu and choose
Properties. Then, click on Customize, hit the Advanced tab and then in
the list of start menu items, make sure "Help and Support" is checked.

Rob Graham wrote on 29/09/2009 :

> ***Help & Support does not appear in the list of services.
>
> The next thing to do is make sure your
>> Start Menu is set to display Help and Support. Open your Start Menu and
>> right-click on any blank area of the menu and choose Properties. Then,
>> click on Customize, hit the Advanced tab and then in the list of start menu
>> items, make sure "Help and Support" is checked.
>
> ***Yes, it's checked.

"***Help & Support does not appear in the list of services."
Did you also check here?

1: Start, right click on My Computer & select Manage.

2: Click on the + alongside Services and Applications.

3: Click on Services.

4: Scroll down to Help and Support.

5: Double click on it & make sure Service Status is started. My Startup
type is > Manual

Rob Graham brought next idea :

> It's not there either.

Thanks, I know the question had been asked before, just had to be sure
after all the work you had done.

I googled the question ( I have been googling all along )

Help and Support services missing

http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&sour...fbc323c9147fb8

Go to this section & try.

Download helpsvc.zip file.

Rob Graham presented the following explanation :
> Johnw wrote:
>> Rob Graham brought next idea :
>>
>>> I tried all these options but none worked. One problem is that I have SP3
>>> and some are for SP1.
>>>
>>> I did download winhlp32.exe, though, and strangely, when I clicked on it
>>> to open it up I found that I was taken to My Documents.
>>>
>>> I also tried to re-install Help as you described. Now, when I click Help &
>>> Support I get a different message, one that says "Windows cannot open Help
>>> & Support because a system service is not running. To fix this problem
>>> start the service named Help & Support". Seems odd to me!
>>
>> To check you have the corresponding service enabled. Go to your Start Menu
>> / Run. Type in "msconfig" and hit OK. You will get the System Configuration
>> Utility. Click on the Services tab and make sure the "Help and Support"
>> service is checked.
>
> ***Help & Support does not appear in the list of services.
>
> The next thing to do is make sure your
>> Start Menu is set to display Help and Support. Open your Start Menu and
>> right-click on any blank area of the menu and choose Properties. Then,
>> click on Customize, hit the Advanced tab and then in the list of start menu
>> items, make sure "Help and Support" is checked.
>
> ***Yes, it's checked.
>>
>>

Opp's, this link.

http://windowsxp.mvps.org/helpsvc.htm