RoboHelp for Word: The Help file opens a blank page

[gchandu]

Hello,
The Help files were working fine all these days. Today when i click on the help on the webpage, it shows a blank page. I am using RoboHelp for Word X5. I do not get any error message on the screen. I can just see the progress bar just blinking and also our website link which says transferring. None of my help files on the live applications are working Please help.

Regards
Chandrika

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Chandrika. Is this problem just on one PC? It sounds like a server/application problem but just want to check.

[gchandu]

Hi Colum,

The problem is not only with my PC. Its with everyone in the network. The generated output is webhelp. I am surprised to see this it was working fine all these days suddenly it goes offline like this with all the 3 application's help files. Is it something to do with the license of the RoboHelp? Or shall I download trial version for RH 7 / RH8 and then check it out if its working fine? Please suggest.

Regards
Chandrika

[Peter Grainge]

The output does not need a licence.

Check if it runs if you put the path to the startpage in the browser address bar.

My guess is that either the output is corrupted, and the above will test that, or the links from the applications are broken.

[gchandu]

Hi All,

Thanks Peter and Colum for your response. Peter, when i pasted the path on the browser bar, the help file runs. It was working good. So the problem was not with the output. We figured out the problem. It was with the cache. When we tried connecting to the help file outside the network it was working good. Now after clearing the cache its working fine.It took one whole day to find out what the problem really was!

Regards
Chandrika

[gchandu]

Dear All,

The clients are having the same problem again. It seems that the help page keeps refreshing again and again in their systems. When i checked it at office network, the systems that are connected through proxy are giving the problem. The other systems which are not connected through proxy are working fine.

I tried taking output once again and uploading it, even then the issue persists. I pasted the output link on the address bar, the output is good. The output file is not corrupted. My concern is when it can work on few systems why not on all the systems? If it is problem with our network why the output at client system is facing the issue? Can anyone please address this issue.

Here are the details

Robohelp Version: Robohelp for Word X5.
Output: WebHelp.

Thanks in advance
Chandrika

[Peter Grainge]

What is the difference between this post and your other one?

Are you using Firefox or IE?

[gchandu]

Hi Peter,

Its the same issue. Earlier when it worked on the other systems i thought it was some problem with my pc and i dint bother about it too much. Now customers are complaining about it. So was trying to figure out where is the problem.
I use firefox. I tried in IE also. In both the explorers it keeps refreshing.. Pls suggest wht can i do to correct it

Regards
Chandrika

[Peter Grainge]

It would have been better to explain that in the earlier thread.

There was a problem with FF that was fixed in a RH7 patch. However, there was not a problem with IE so I suspect it is something else.

1] You are using a webhelp output and not webhlelp pro?

2] If a customer browses to where the help is located, do they still get this problem? It could be something to do with the help call.

3] Do you have access to another machine where you could install the trial copy of RH8? If you have a tame customer, I would generate an output from RH8 and ask them to test that.

[gchandu]

Hi Peter,

I use X5 and the output generated in webhelp (Primary layout). Yes all the helpfiles are located in http://help.ableinternetpayroll.co.uk , i can't access this webpage. It keeps refreshing on my machine. But it works fine with other machine without proxy. May be if you can try accessing this webpage you might understand the problem. I will try installing RH8 and take the output and check it its working fine.
Peter, i uploaded the helpfiles to local templates, its working fine in my machine as well. But when i upload it to the live server, it is not?? As you told it might be the problem in calling help... but how do i rectify it??

Regards
Chandrika

[Peter Grainge]

That link works for me in IE and FF so I think we can rule out your output.

If the problem is the call, anyone who accesses it via the link you gave me should be OK and only see the problem when the help is called via the application.

If the problem is the help, anyone will see it, no matter how they access the help.

I think both can be ruled out as they do not fit what you describe. I would therefore be inclined to forget the RH8 idea.

You said
"The clients are having the same problem again. It seems that the help page keeps refreshing again and again in their systems. When i checked it at office network, the systems that are connected through proxy are giving the problem. The other systems which are not connected through proxy are working fine."

This is consistent but it is something IT will have to resolve.

[gchandu]

Hi Peter,

Yes, you were right. The issue was with the IT guys. They had restricted the websites which contained a list of words. The list had "proxy" in it. The Robo help automatically creates "whproxy.js" when we generate output. As the word "proxy" was blocked, i assume that when calling the helpfile, our server blocked this file and hence it kept on refreshing.... This could be the problem with the client as well... After the IT admin unblocked this, the help files were working through out the network and also on my machine 🙂

Am afraid if we can rename "whproxy" file after taking the output? or is there any alternative to overcome this issue?? Your suggestions please

Regards
Chandrika

[Peter Grainge]

I would say that as this is not a problem I have seen here before, it would seem logical that no one else is blocking "proxy". If everyone else is happy not to, maybe your IT guys could give it a rethink.

I would not tamper with any of RH's own output files. Something is likely to break.

[gchandu]

Yup. I think that is the best option. Thanks a lot of your help Peter.

Regards
Chandrika

[Govadica]

Look like you know everything about this peter. Thank for the help.

mbt