Winhelp engine download -- is it available yet? When?

[Guest]

We (and probably some of our customers?) have been eagerly awaiting the
"consumer release of Windows Vista" since, in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607 , Microsoft has said of the WinHelp
downloadable engine for Vista:

"It will be available in time for the consumer release of Windows Vista
scheduled for early 2007."

That means by 1/30/07. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong places, but I see no
download, and the aforementioned article still is dated 11/28/06. Before
11/28/06, no date had been given for the WinHelp engine's availability, but
there was never a beta release of it (which we also had expected, foolishly I
guess). We've never even been given the opportunity through our TAP and
other ties with MS to try it out, in beta or final form. Could someone at MS
please clue us and the rest of the world in, so we (and more importantly, our
customers) at least know what to expect? You set expectations already and
did not meet them... what can we realistically expect now?

Thx...

 

[Larry Kuderick]

Gordie,

I'm not sure if or when MS is going to update winhlp32 however, the version
from XP works fine under Vista. Since this is a protected file you have to
make some changes to it before you can copy over the file though.

1. Get a copy of the winhlp32.exe from XP and have it on a thumb drive or
network share.
2. Navigate into the Vista Windows directory.
3. Right click on winhelp32.exe and select properties.
4. Select the Security tab.
5. Click on the advanced button.
6. Go to the ownership tab and take ownership of the file (you can't edit
the rights until you have ownership).
7. Once you take ownship you will have to apply the changes and may have to
close the properties box. If you do have to close the properties box, once
again navigate back to the security tab then click on the advanced button.
8. Select the 'user' entity from the grid and select edit and grant full
access to that entity.
9. Apply your changes.
10. Rename the Vista version of the winhlp32.exe file.
11. Paste the XP version of the winhlp32.exe file

Your done. Window's help should now work like it did in XP. I did the steps
above from memory but they should be enough to get the job done.

Hope this helps.

 

[Guest]

Hi Larry,

Thanks, I appreciate the info and steps; that may be a good way to get
someone going at the moment. However, I'm pretty sure Microsoft would not
support that, while they will (hopefully?) support their
"soon"-to-be-released WinHelp engine for Vista, and we want our customers
using something that is supported, as much as possible. Now, if it is
between unsupported but working, and not even working, I think most would
choose unsupported but working.

 

[Lang Murphy]

My preferred method for doing this, and this is not to intimate that it's a
better way to do it... no, no, no... I'm lazy...

I copy winhlp32.exe to a thumb drive, stick that thumb drive in the target
PC, boot from the Vista CD, choose repair, open a command window, copy
winhlp32.exe from the thumb drive to c:\windows and reboot. Of course one
should rename the original Vista file if one needs to "go back."

The main reason I do it this way instead of changing permissions is that if
permissions get jacked up, well, just more pain. Doing it this way doesn't
impact permissions... at least I don't believe it does... could be wrong,
but haven't had any problems thus far...

At any rate, it's just another way to do it, not necessarily THE way...

Lang

 

[Alexander Suhovey]

You don't need to *replace* c:\windows\winhlp32.exe.

Just copy XP version somewhere (like, c:\program files\), then associate HLP
files with it.

To do so, right click HLP file, select Open With.., browse to winhlp32.exe
you've copied from XP and don't forget to mark "Always use this program..."
checkbox.

 

[Max]

That will work if clicking on the .hlp files specifically, but not if
accessing help within the (older) program.

 

[Alexander Suhovey]

Oh, I see. I've overlooked this particular scenario.

 

[Lang Murphy]

Yeah, I tried that... like the OP pointed out, doesn't work from within
older applications that call their help files internally.

Lang