RoboHelp 8 freezes when compiling WebHelp

[gschober]

I'm working with a project in RoboHelp 8. The project was created in RH5, but has been updated and run successfully on RH8. The project is about 35 MB.

I am able to open the project and edit topics. But when I try to compile the help RoboHelp freezes, and I have to use Windows Task Manager to close RoboHelp.

I have tried to rename the CPD and use the existing XPJ to open the project, but that didn't work. I also tried to use the HHP file to open it, but I keep getting a message that the CPD is corrupt and that the project can't be opened.

[Peter Grainge]

Try creating a new layout, not a duplicate.

Right click the SSL layouts in Project Manager.

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[gschober]

No, that's not helpful.

I tried to create a new layout, but the freeze obviously extended to that feature.

I had changed a few topics, but decided to delete the folder and start with the last version before I made changes last week. When I opened the new-old project I was ablt to generate a new help file. But as soon as I made changes to one topic and saved it I was back to the frozen help. I tried to generate--no luck. I tried to create a new layout--no luck.

[RoboColum_n_]

Where is the project's source? If it is on a network drive that could have caused your corrupt project. Move it off to a local drive and delete the .CPD file to see if that helps.

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[gschober]

The project is on my local drive.

As I explained in the original question, the first thing that I tried to do was delete the CPD file. After reading your suggestion, I just tried it again with the newly extracted project. The project opens and I can edit files, but it will still not compile nor let me create a new layout.

[RoboColum_n_]

Can you successfully generate another output format (e.g. CHM)?

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[gschober]

No.

I can open and modify topics, but I can't generate any format.

[RoboColum_n_]

OK. If you have the Output View displayed (View > Pod > Output View) when you generate the output is any error displayed before the freeze.

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[gschober]

The precipitating event seems to be editing a topic. As soon as I've edited a topic I'm unable to generate or create a new layout.

I've just experimented a little, and that blanket staement isn't entirely accurate:

As I mentioned a couple of e-mails ago, earlier today I replaced the problem help with the original files (which had been zipped and archived). I just now deleted the problem folder and replaced it a second time. It generated properly. Then I chose a random file, made a small change, and saved it. It generated properly. Then I selected the default topic, changed something in its title (which needed to be changed), and saved it. That time it froze. It seems to be changing and saving the default file that precipitates the freeze.

It gets stranger--once it's frozen, I have to use task manager to exit. But the files save, and this time I've been able to reopen the project (after Task Managering it closed) and generate it. The changes appear in the generated help.

Could it have something to do with memory usage? At the moment, the TM shows that it's using 108,000 K. Does it freeze when a certain level of memory is exceeded? (The PC has a 1.86 GHz processor and 2 GB of RAM, and there's plenty of hard disk space.)

[Peter Grainge]

Are you absolutely sure you imported source files into the project rather than output files? The clue will be a red square near the beginning of the topics.

I don't think memory is the issue. I have one machine with a similar spec and that is running Windows 7 and RoboHelp quite happily. More likely is those topics.

First though, I don't think we have tried opening the supplied sample projects. Try that and make some edits. I want to prove the problem is this project. If they work OK, then it does point to the project.

No matter what you do it seems when you open a project, you can edit quite happily until you try compiling. Are you saving as you go? If you edit, save and close, then reopen, is everything OK until you then try to compile.

How big is this project? My inclination if it is not too big would be to create a new project and import a batch of files at a time, edit and compile. When it falls over, you know where the rogue file(s) are. If it is large, make a copy and trash half the topics. If it then works, you picked the wrong half, so make another copy and trash the other half, then split that. Keep doing that until you have the problem files in a small project. Or maybe you already know what the problem files are.

I would put the content of those into a text editor, then paste that into a new topic, reformat as required. That way you don't import the problem content.

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[gschober]

That's helpful.

In fact, these do seem to be output files. Unfortunately, the source of the files is someone who's no longer with the company (which is why I'm now working on them). But the package came with the project file and seems to run halfway correctly.

Is there a way to convert them to source files?

[RoboColum_n_]

No. You have to understand that output files are VERY different from source files and contain lots of additional information. By far the easiest way to get a working help file is to find the original source. Was it backed up somewhere? Ask around.

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[gschober]

I already know that it wasn't. What I have is all that there is.

Can I create a new project and import the topics into it?

[RoboColum_n_]

No. Importing the "topics" would give you what you currently have. I used inverted commas around the word topics because they aren't the original source code. If you can't lay your hands on the source your only option is to create the topics from scratch. You could try copying / pasting the output from a browser. This would give you the text but not any images or DHTML.

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[gschober]

I think that that settles my problem. There are no images or DHTML in this particular project, so it can be done.

Thanks.

[Peter Grainge]

Sorry but it is possible. It involves quite a bit of work so finding the originals is always worth the effort. Click below for the instructions.

http://www.robowizard.com/RoboWizard/NewProject.htm#MonthlyScry/062004.htm

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