Windows XP help file

[Guest]

When I click on the Windows help, I get an error window. I notice that in
C:/Windows the two folders, winhelp.exe and winhlp32.exe, have a yellow ? in
front of them. Is there a way to repair these files? Thanks.

 

[Guest]

1. It is important to note if you have recently made alterations
to your computer before this problem occurred, or if the Help and
Support Center ever worked correctly. If you have recently made
alterations to your computer before this problem occurred, try
to undo the changes you made or uninstall the hardware or software
that could have caused the issue. After you do so, test to determine
if the issue is resolved, and if it is, skip the remaining steps. If
the issue is not resolved, continue to the next step.
2. Remove the .cab files from the Packagestore folder, and then
rebuild the original Help and Support Center:
a. Click Start, click Run, type "cmd" (without the quotation marks),
and then click OK to open a command prompt. Type "net stop helpsvc"
(without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
b. Type "cd /d <windir>\pchealth\helpctr" (without the quotation marks),
where <windir> is the Windows folder, and then press ENTER.
c. Type "rd packagestore /s /q" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.
d. Type "cd binaries" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
e. Type "start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install"
(without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
f. If any of the following processes are running, stop them:
helpsvc.exe
helphost.exe
helpctr.exe
To stop a process, right-click the taskbar, and then click Task Manager.
Click the Processes tab, click the process you want to stop, and then click
End Process.
g. At the command prompt, type "net start helpsvc" (without the quotation
marks), and then press ENTER.
3. If the Help and Support Center has not been customized by an OEM, skip
to the next step. If the Help and Support Center has been customized by an
OEM, completely refresh the Help and Support Center:
a. Click Start, click Run, type "cmd" (without the quotation marks), and
then click OK to open a command prompt. Type "net stop helpsvc" (without
the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
b. Type "cd /d <windir>\pchealth\helpctr" (without the quotation marks),
where <windir> is the Windows folder, and then press ENTER.
c. Type "rd packagestore /s /q" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.
d. Type "rd installedskus /s /q" (without the quotation marks), and then
press ENTER.
e. Type "cd binaries" (without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
f. Type "start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install"
(without the quotation marks), and then press ENTER.
g. Type "start /w helpsvc /register" (without the quotation marks), and
then press ENTER.
h. If any of the following processes are running, stop them:
helpsvc.exe
helphost.exe
helpctr.exe
To stop a process, right-click the taskbar, and then click Task Manager.
Click the
Processes tab, click the process you want to stop, and then click End Process.
i. At the command prompt, type "net start helpsvc" (without the quotation
marks),
and then press ENTER.
NOTE: The preceding procedure should not negatively affect an OEM-customized
Help
and Support Center. However, it does remove any other .cab files from the
Packstorage
folder, such as the Windows XP support tools (which adds their table of
contents into
the Help and Support Center).
4. If the preceding steps do not resolve the issue, use the Windows XP
CD-ROM to start
your computer, and then run a repair (in-place upgrade) installation.

 

[Gerry]

The yellow questionmarks forming part of the icons in Windows Explorer
for winhelp.exe and winhlp32.exe are not indicating an error.

Are you ensuring that Internet Explorer is Online before trying to
access
Help? You need to be Online to get answers to many questions.

What is said in the Error Window?

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

The only alteration made to the computer would be any automatic updates in
Windows, Norton Works or Webroot Spysweeper. I don't know how long the help
hasn't worked since I rarely use it.
I started your instructions in #2 and 2a worked fine, got a message "Help
and Support Service was stopped successfully."
However, the response to 2b, 2c, 2d, & 2e were "The system cannot find the
file specified."
I looked for the files and found them all in C:/WINDOWS/PCHEALTH/HELPCTR,
but don't know how to adjust the entries so it does what you are instructing.
As far as I know, all were entered exactly as you instructed. I stopped after
that as I didn't know if it was important to perform each step in exact order.
Would appreciate any further instructions you can give me. Thanks.

 

[Guest]

Yes I am online. I get a page that states "This page cannot be displayed."
After thinking about it, it may all be part of my IE7 installation problem.
I'm going to uninstall it and go back to IE6 and see if that solves the
issue.\
Thanks for your help.

 

[Gerry]

All pages affected or just some pages?

Could be Firewall or a security setting in Internet Explorer blocking ?


--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[Guest]

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install:
http://michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm