XP "Help and Support" missing ...

[Guest]

Not simply disabled in Menu Items, also unsuccessful with ... "Open the
folder c:\windows\inf and right-click the PCHealth.inf file,nthen choose
"Install". If you have a Service Pack installed, select
c:\windows\i386\ServicePackFiles\PCHealth.inf instead." ... the whole thing
has disappeared. How to re-instate the facility, is there some other way?

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

also unsuccessful with ... "Open the folder c:\windows\inf and right-click the PCHealth.inf file,nthen choose "Install"

Please provide as much information as you can.

What happens when you right-click on PCHEALTH.INF and choose "Install"?
What happens when you run Help and Support Center (helpctr.exe)? Do you get any error message?

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Not simply disabled in Menu Items, also unsuccessful with ... "Open the
folder c:\windows\inf and right-click the PCHealth.inf file,nthen choose
"Install". If you have a Service Pack installed, select
c:\windows\i386\ServicePackFiles\PCHealth.inf instead." ... the whole thing
has disappeared. How to re-instate the facility, is there some other way?

 

[Guest]

First of all, it can't overwrite files if the help service is running, so you
have to use "net stop helpsvc"
Then it will go through the process without any errors - but the help centre
still doesn't work.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

First of all, it can't overwrite files if the help service is running, so you have to use "net stop helpsvc"

Overwrite *which* files, and why?

What happens instead? Any error messages?
Type in Start, Run:

%windir%\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\helpctr.exe

Press {ENTER}

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


First of all, it can't overwrite files if the help service is running, so you
have to use "net stop helpsvc"
Then it will go through the process without any errors - but the help centre
still doesn't work.

 

[Guest]

What happens when you run Help and Support Centre (helpctr.exe)? Do you get
any error message?â€
No. Just a short burst of disk activity, apparently the same effect as the
menu button gives.

I have tried re-registering the components using:

start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install
and
start /w helpsvc /register

but without any success.

Help and support service is set to automatic start and is running.

I tried a registry patch but all that did was to destroy the app path to
helpctr.exe so that the menu button gave the error that it could not find it
and I had to roll back the registry.

I also ran sfc /scannow but it found no errors or missing files.

I am starting to suspect that there is a flag in the registry to prevent
help and support from running - like other ones which prevent access to
control panels, taskmanager or restrict the ability to change things.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Start with DLL registration. Proceed to next method if one fails to resolve
the problem.

Type in Start, Run dialog:

helpctr -regserver
regsvr32 itss
regsvr32 hhctrl.ocx
regsvr32 jscript

Fix Windows XP Help - from Doug's site:
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/fix_windows_xp_help.htm

In that does not help, try reinstalling Help and Support Center using this method:

Click Start, Run and type "%systemroot%\inf". Right-click the file PCHealth.inf file and choose "Install". Insert your XP CD when prompted. If you have a Service Pack installed, be sure to point to the %Windir%\i386\ServicePackFiles folder, or your slipstreamed XP CD (if available).

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


What happens when you run Help and Support Centre (helpctr.exe)? Do you get
any error message?â€
No. Just a short burst of disk activity, apparently the same effect as the
menu button gives.

I have tried re-registering the components using:

start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install
and
start /w helpsvc /register

but without any success.

Help and support service is set to automatic start and is running.

I tried a registry patch but all that did was to destroy the app path to
helpctr.exe so that the menu button gave the error that it could not find it
and I had to roll back the registry.

I also ran sfc /scannow but it found no errors or missing files.

I am starting to suspect that there is a flag in the registry to prevent
help and support from running - like other ones which prevent access to
control panels, taskmanager or restrict the ability to change things.

 

[Guest]

Had already completed the suggested options. Unfortunately, without success.
Perhaps only reinstallation of XP will fix the problem, so on this occasion I
will continue without the facility. Thanks for all of your proposals.
Cheers, Ramesh.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Another possiblility is that some of the Help and Support Center files may be missing. Do a directory listing of "C:\Windows\pchealth\helpctr" ( including sub-directories ) and compare the listing with that of another Windows XP system where Help Center works fine.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Had already completed the suggested options. Unfortunately, without success.
Perhaps only reinstallation of XP will fix the problem, so on this occasion I
will continue without the facility. Thanks for all of your proposals.
Cheers, Ramesh.

 

[Guest]

Well, there were none missing, but I overwrote the entire directory and,
guess what, IT WORKS!

One of the files must have been corrupted somehow, although I fail to see
why reinstalling using pchealth.inf did not replace all of the files anyway.

Heartfelt thanks to Ramesh.

 

[Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Excellent! Thanks for the feedback, Krobbie.

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com


Well, there were none missing, but I overwrote the entire directory and,
guess what, IT WORKS!

One of the files must have been corrupted somehow, although I fail to see
why reinstalling using pchealth.inf did not replace all of the files anyway.

Heartfelt thanks to Ramesh.