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Robohelp 9 WebHelp does not display in Google Chrome. Help!

Aug 19, 2011 1:00 AM

This may have already been answered, but WebHelp will not display at all on my Google chrome browser. I have RoboHelp 9, and using Google Chrome v.13.0.782.112.m. I checked my other browser, IE8, and WebHelp displays perfectly on there. Any suggestions?

4693 Views 31 Replies Latest reply: Kel/y_H, May 9, 2012 12:08 PM

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1. Peter Grainge,

Aug 19, 2011 1:15 AM in reply to kregerj

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Are you viewing the help from a local drive or a webserver? See Snippets on my site.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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2. Jeff_Coatsworth,

Aug 19, 2011 6:28 AM in reply to kregerj

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Versions of Chrome starting last summer busted all forms of local WebHelp (HTM or HTML files) to plug a "security hole" - they are unwilling to fix it. Your only workaround (provided you don't want to move your files to a web server (real or fake)) is to modify the Chrome shortcut to launch with --allow-file-access-from-files in the command line. See this blog post about the issue: http://techcommdood.com/techcommdood/chromewebhelp-issue-update-with-t houghts-from-a-hat-vendor/

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3. kregerj,

Aug 19, 2011 11:33 AM in reply to Peter Grainge

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I'm viewing webhelp from my local drive. I heard you can change a setting in the Chrome command line, in order to view files on local folder. Do you know how I can do this? I'm on XP pro OS.

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4. Jeff_Coatsworth,

Aug 19, 2011 11:45 AM in reply to kregerj

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Check out Bill Swallow's blog post (techcommdude) I referenced.

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5. kregerj,

Aug 19, 2011 2:37 PM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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Thank you, Jeff. I'll check it out.

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6. Peter Grainge,

Aug 19, 2011 11:33 PM in reply to kregerj

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Snippet 130 on my site shows the actual string for calling webhelp locally.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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7. kregerj,

Aug 20, 2011 12:05 AM in reply to Peter Grainge

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It worked. Very simple fix, and appreciate your help. I did not want to go back to IE for my project. Now, let's hope the folks at Google will fix this problem.

Thanks again for your superb help.

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8. Peter Grainge,

Aug 20, 2011 12:13 AM in reply to kregerj

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Google have made it very clear they do not intend changing anything. It does only affect locally installed webhelp but nonetheless that is a pain as many webhelp outputs are installed locally.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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9. kregerj,

Aug 20, 2011 2:23 PM in reply to Peter Grainge

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Ok, now I have another problem: When I generate and view the WebHelp output, everything appears fine, EXCEPT the webhelp screen does not have the 'previous' and 'next' screen navigation arrows (which should appear in the horizontal box above the TOC.I then tried viewing in WebHelp Pro, and though the arrows now appear, they do not work. Is there a setting for this? Or is this another one of those Chrome issues?

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10. Captiv8r,

Aug 20, 2011 2:30 PM in reply to kregerj

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Hi there

Perhaps you are unfamiliar with their function?

Click here to view

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links
RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form
Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7, 8 or 9 within the day!
Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training
SorcerStone Blog
RoboHelp eBooks

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11. kregerj,

Aug 20, 2011 3:10 PM in reply to Captiv8r

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It worked, sort of. I added the browsing sequence, clicked the box to enable browse sequence, and yes, the arrows are now there. BUT, they don't work from WebHelp. Interestingly, the arrows appear AND work perfectly in WebHelp Pro output. What gives?

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12. kregerj,

Aug 20, 2011 3:23 PM in reply to Captiv8r

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Nevermind. I created a new single source layout, deleted the old one, and now everything works as it should. Thanks so much for your excellent tutorial on the browse sequence editor.

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13. SpectrumCNC,

Sep 26, 2011 10:10 AM in reply to kregerj

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My issue is a bit different. Latest Google Chrome 14.0.835.186 running on Windows 7 Pro (x64) After inserting the string "--allow-file-access-from-files" string to the Chrome Shortcut. we launch our WebHelp system (running on the local PC) like this file:///C:/Multi-DNC/program/webhelp/multi-dnc.htm and get this:

This system is generated using RoboHelp 7.0.3.1 The Multi-DNC Help project topics are fine, but there are (8) other embedded Help systems. If you click on their intial topics, the sub topics appear and work correctly. When the TOC topic compressed, the

"Loading, click here to cancel" reappears. Will this work correctly in an updated version of RoboHelp?

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14. Jeff_Coatsworth,

Sep 26, 2011 10:39 AM in reply to SpectrumCNC

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I don't think it's got anything to do with RH; I think it's just spinning away trying to load the other content. How does it behave in other browsers?

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15. SpectrumCNC,

Sep 26, 2011 10:50 AM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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IE 6,7, 8, 9, Firefox 3.xx, Opera, Safari, Android browsers - all OK. The issue is just in Google Chrome.

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16. Jeff_Coatsworth,

Sep 26, 2011 11:19 AM in reply to SpectrumCNC

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What happens if you take one of the sample projects and create WebHelp for Chrome - does it have the same issue?

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17. SpectrumCNC,

Sep 26, 2011 11:37 AM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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My RoboHelp 7.0.3.1 does not have that feature. But maybe that is the answer, if I update to the RH9 will this problem be resolved? Do you use multiple embedded Help files in one system in RH9 with Chrome? If so do you have to compile a special Chrome version? And have different versions for other browsers?

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18. Jeff_Coatsworth,

Sep 26, 2011 12:02 PM in reply to SpectrumCNC

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You could try out the trial version on another machine with a copy of your project and see if makes any difference. I don't do multiple help files within my WebHelp.

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19. Peter Grainge,

Sep 27, 2011 12:41 AM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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JEFF

You are talking about creating WebHelp for Chrome. WebHelp is just that, it is not written for any specific browser so I'm not sure what you mean.

SPECTRUMCNC

Chrome was not supported in your version of RoboHelp and your version of RoboHelp was not supported on Windows 7. I think Jeff's suggestion to try this all out on a separate machine using the trial version of RoboHelp 9 is the way to go.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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20. Jeff_Coatsworth,

Sep 27, 2011 5:56 AM in reply to Peter Grainge

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No Peter, I was just suggesting that he try RH9 to see if it had any impact on the project when he tried it with Chrome. Frankly, I was suspicious that it was a RH issue at all - if RH9 had no effect, then the issue was likely to be something in Chrome. If it did fix it, then it's a RH7 issue.

BTW - I wasn't aware that any version of Chrome was supported - in which version did that change?

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21. Peter Grainge,

Sep 27, 2011 6:03 AM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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Chrome is supported in 9. I think the whole problem is the versions of RoboHelp and Windows.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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22. Kel/y_H,

May 9, 2012 10:24 AM in reply to kregerj

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I just talked to a support engineer and they told me Chrome was not supported in RH9. I tried installing HM2GO but I am not sure how to form the URL, since my WebHelp index file is local (///file:C:/ etc.)

Any ideas?

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23. Jeff_Coatsworth,

May 9, 2012 10:41 AM in reply to Kel/y_H

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Are you just trying to test it? If so, just invoke Chrome with the -local_file_access argument; or you can install a freebie local webserver to place the help file on.

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24. Kel/y_H,

May 9, 2012 11:23 AM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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I tried calling the index file using Chrome with the --allow-file-access-from-files argument but the frame contents still will not load. I was able to view it with a freebie local webserver, but that won't work for our customers looking to view help files installed with the product, will it?

Thanks for everyone's help

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25. Peter Grainge,

May 9, 2012 11:40 AM in reply to Kel/y_H

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The Support Engineer is wrong if they stated that Chrome is not supported but is that what they said? Chrome is supported from RoboHelp 9 but you need to understand it will not run locally so to that extent it is not supported. When the help is on the server, your customers will be able to view it using Chrome.

If you are installing webhelp locally for your customers, then I believe your engineers can set it up to run within the HM2GO but whether or not that is acceptable is another matter.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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26. SpectrumCNC,

May 9, 2012 11:42 AM in reply to Kel/y_H

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I have not tried compiling my multiple Help files that are done in RH7 in the Trial version of RH9 as yet, I will do that. If that resolves the Chrome browser issue, great, if not, our software product uses its own ActiveX based Web Server so if I could form the URL correctly for Chrome that might work too.

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27. Jeff_Coatsworth,

May 9, 2012 11:42 AM in reply to Kel/y_H

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If using the argument method, you have to change your Chrome shortcut first & then open the index page of the help. This "security change" of Google's affected all providers of webhelp, not just RH. In my case our product gets installed on the client's LAN server and it still affected us. I had to tell people that they couldn't use Chrome to view it - IE & FF were fine.

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28. Peter Grainge,

May 9, 2012 11:49 AM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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@Jeff Isn't that because the help was on a LAN server that was not configured as a web server?

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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29. Jeff_Coatsworth,

May 9, 2012 11:55 AM in reply to Peter Grainge

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Yes, it still falls into Chrome's definition of "local" therefore = "dangerous" ;>)

I know that the argument method of launching works, but it was easier to tell our clients to just use another browser.

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30. Peter Grainge,

May 9, 2012 12:02 PM in reply to Jeff_Coatsworth

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Thanks for confirming that. I didn't want anyone reading this thread later to see the word Server and not appreciate Chrome has to be on a Web Server.

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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31. Kel/y_H,

May 9, 2012 12:08 PM in reply to Peter Grainge

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Yes - the support engineer told me Chrome was not supported with RH9. I tried to politely tell him he was wrong, but his response did not change.

Our hosted WebHelp works just fine in Chrome for our customers. For the WebHelp that gets installed with our products, we'll just have to point them to another browser or access the hosted WebHelp on Chrome.

Thanks for all your help, folks.

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