Qbasic on XP can't open Help:

[Guest]

I copied qbasic.exe and qbasic.hlp (no way to tell the version ?) from my Dos
6 Install floppy into a folder. Qbasic.exe executes ok either from within or
outside the folder, but can't access its help file. I used the qbasic options
'help path' tab to enter the correct path but xp is using the wrong prog to
open it with. The Qbasic.hlp file 'property' shows that xp is trying to use
winhelp32 stub to open it but can't. Apparently a .hlp file needs a helper
file to work?? What other file from xp or my Dos 6 floppy can I redirect the
"property open with" field?? Or is there an alternate qb help file I can make
work??

I want only a help file that xp can execute. Please no 'switch to vb'
program suggestions.

Perhaps this post would be better understood in the xp or Basic forum??

 

[smlunatick]

I copied qbasic.exe and qbasic.hlp (no way to tell the version ?) from my Dos
6 Install floppy into a folder. Qbasic.exe executes ok either from within or
outside the folder, but can't access its help file. I used the qbasic options
'help path' tab to enter the correct path but xp is using the wrong prog to
open it with. The Qbasic.hlp file 'property' shows that xp is trying to use
winhelp32 stub to open it but can't. Apparently a .hlp file needs a helper
file to work?? What other file from xp or my Dos 6 floppy can I redirect the
"property open with" field?? Or is there an alternate qb help file I can make
work??

I want only a help file that xp can execute. Please no 'switch to vb'
program suggestions.

Perhaps this post would be better understood in the xp or Basic forum??

The old "help" in DOS used the DOS "edit" editor, which does not
"seem" to be the "same" style as the newer one.

 

[Bill Sharpe]

I copied qbasic.exe and qbasic.hlp (no way to tell the version ?) from my Dos
6 Install floppy into a folder. Qbasic.exe executes ok either from within or
outside the folder, but can't access its help file. I used the qbasic options
'help path' tab to enter the correct path but xp is using the wrong prog to
open it with. The Qbasic.hlp file 'property' shows that xp is trying to use
winhelp32 stub to open it but can't. Apparently a .hlp file needs a helper
file to work?? What other file from xp or my Dos 6 floppy can I redirect the
"property open with" field?? Or is there an alternate qb help file I can make
work??

I want only a help file that xp can execute. Please no 'switch to vb'
program suggestions.

Perhaps this post would be better understood in the xp or Basic forum??

Try copying edit.com (or possibly edit.exe) from a DOS disk into the
same folder you put qbasic.exe and qbasic.hlp. Then open a command
prompt, switch to that folder, and try running qbasic.

Bill

 

[Guest]

Qbasic.hlp is not a text file. Edit does not reveal.

 

[Bill Sharpe]

Try copying edit.com (or possibly edit.exe) from a DOS disk into the
same folder you put qbasic.exe and qbasic.hlp. Then open a command
prompt, switch to that folder, and try running qbasic.

Bill

I copied qb.exe and three help files (*.hlp) from some old zip files I
had on floppies and was able to run QBasic from a command window in XP.
Clicking on the help file contents didn't work, but selecting the menu
item with the mouse and then hitting Enter brought up the help screens,
which are pretty minimal by Windows standards.

I have QB 4.5, with file dates from 1988. That's 19 years ago -- I
suggest that it's time to move on to something more recent.

Bill

 

[Guest]

That's the way it's supposed to work & does in my w98 partition. I tried
what you described in XP but clicking the qbasic action bar Help tab gets
'bad file mode' popup.