Links to external files broke upgrading to RH8.0

[R_Getter]

Our Online Help files have always had links to other documentation pdf files that get installed with the product software.

These files have NOT resided in the same directory as the WebHelp output, but have been in a predictable location.

When the product is installed the Webhelp files reside in C:\Company\WebHelp and the PDF files we need

to link to reside in C:\Company\Documentation. Before RH8, the links were coded as:

<a href="file://C:/Company/Documentation/filename.pdf">

After we upgraded, these links seem fine in the project and look the same if we view the source of the

generated .htm files, but when we actually try to click on the hypertext link in the Help output,

it does not seem to be doing anything. There is no error message and nothing opens. We have tried

to copy the shortcut, and see that it is looking for file:///C:/Company/Documentation/filename.pdf

I thought that the added "/" might be the issue, but I can copy that address into the browser and it

will resolve. So, now we are at a loss to know how to solve the problem. The link in the html looks

like it is properly coded, but it never opens. Is this something that is defined in one of those whdata

files?

I have a manager breathing down my back asking why it used to work but does not now that we

"upgraded!"

thanks,

Renee

[Captiv8r · Accepted solution]

Hi there

I think we need more information. Where is the WebHelp when you (or more accurately, your user) is running it?

I ask because if you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer as your browser and you have generated using the "Mark Of The Web" (MOTW) option, links to content such as PDF or Microsoft Word documents will fail if you are running things off the local C drive. If you place the same content on a Web Server, it should work fine.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[R_Getter]

Rick-

Thanks for the fast response. The customers do have to run the Help from each machine's C: drive.

When I removed the Mark of the Web setting, the links worked again. Thanks!

One more question. Which output (!SSL!) files and/or folders changed due to my removing the Mark of

the Web? Basically, for change management, my release manager always wants me to identify and move

only the files that have changed. He completely balks when I ask him to replace ALL the files in the directory.

For example, can  I just replace the resource.xml file or are there others? (Clearly, I do not know what files

do what!)

Thanks again for solving the problem. If you do not know which files changed, I will just

have to push for uploading the whole project.

Renee

[Captiv8r]

Hi Renee

Unfortunately you are probably better off just replacing all the files.

Here's the deal. With MOTW, a line of code is added to each HTML file during the generation process.

The code looks as below:

MOTW is only good for Microsoft Internet Exploder. Firefox and other browsers will simply ignore it.

If your users will be on IE, you may need to instruct them on how to prevent the Yellow Information Bar (YIB) from appearing. That's likely to happen if they are using IE and you aren't using MOTW.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 within the day - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcerStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks