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RH7 hangs frequently; unable to remove/repair/reinstall

New Here ,
Apr 28, 2010 Apr 28, 2010

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I have been working with the same project file for about 5 years in RoboHelp, most recently in RH7. The program goes through cycles of hanging very frequently, to the point that it is unusable. I try to open a topic and it hangs. Sometimes it hangs in the Starter, just clicking any link: opening my project, or even going to an outside link (support, for example). The problem is global and doesn't have anything to do with my project, and I've never gotten error messages with my project.

I tried removing the program from my computer, both with the original disk and with Add/Remove Programs. It will not uninstall. And if I click Repair or Remove in the install program, the install program hangs. I'm not sure what to do. I feel like I'm in a black hole. I use this program for about six months out of the year to produce an HTML help system for one client. I had no problems last year, with the same project and the same install.

The one different thing I did this year was attempt to create a PDF version of my Help file which crashed and burned so badly it wasn't even funny.

I run it on Windows XP. Everything is local, and I don't share files with anyone. I don't have Source Control installed, and I've never run it on a server. I've also submitted a help ticket to Adobe.

Any help on this issue would be much appreciated. I need to finish up this help build and submit it in the next couple of weeks. After that I will be recreating the file as the software I'm documenting is undergoing a huge overhaul.

Linda Hefferman

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LEGEND ,
Apr 29, 2010 Apr 29, 2010

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Hi Linda.

Presumably the problem also happens on one of the supplied demo projects shipped with RH? If so, was RH7 installed either by you, provided you have local admin rights at the time of installation, or an IT administrator? I am also wondering if there is some conflict with another application (e.g. a virus checker).


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New Here ,
Apr 29, 2010 Apr 29, 2010

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I work independently and I am my own IT person. I'm the only person who ever does anything on this computer. I have recently installed System Mechanic Pro on my system and removed Norton.

The Clownfish project does not seem to hang, though I don't go into it as often as my project. And I just opened my project and it is working at the moment.

It doesn't seem that the project is the problem if I'm not even able to repair/restore/uninstall the program, though. That doesn't make sense.

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New Here ,
Apr 29, 2010 Apr 29, 2010

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The other weird thing that happens is that a topic will randomly get deleted and I didn't delete it. I then have to restore it from a previous backup. This has happened about three times.

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LEGEND ,
Apr 29, 2010 Apr 29, 2010

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What happens if you disconnect your virus checker for awhile?


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New Here ,
Apr 29, 2010 Apr 29, 2010

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I'll try that. I'm also going to try installing and running it on another computer and see if it works okay. I'll let you know.

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New Here ,
May 03, 2010 May 03, 2010

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Four days of uninstalling RoboHelp, scouring my system, rebooting, having trouble reinstalling RoboHelp and now getting it successfully re-installed, and I'm still having the same trouble. I spent 3 hours on the phone with Adobe Support today and they told me they thought the topics I was trying to open had spaces in them. But that is not the case. I've worked in HTML for years and am well aware of the importance of saving topics with no spaces in the filenames. Is that even possible in RoboHelp?!

My one other RoboHelp project (much smaller) does not cause the program to hang, nor do new projects or the test projects shipped with RoboHelp.

The maddening thing is that it will work for a little while, and then it starts hanging again, randomly. But the uptime is about 5% to 95% program hang.

Is there some file in the project that could have gotten corrupted? I never get an error message, the program just hangs.

Any help would be appreciated. If I have to rebuild my 900 topic project, I have to get to it immediately, since I have to turn it in for testing this week and provide a final build on May 12.

Again, I am running the program on a stand-alone, local computer. No source control is used. I am the only user. I have full admin rights to the computer. This is not a fancy setup here!

Assistance would be most appreciated, and, if no one can help me, guidance on the shortest way to create a new project and keep this content if I have to rebuild the project.

Thank you, Linda

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Community Expert ,
May 03, 2010 May 03, 2010

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You don't say if you have tried renaming the CPD and reopening the project forcing RH to create a new one. Have you tried that?

I have recently installed System Mechanic Pro on my system and removed Norton.

Has the start of this trouble coincided with the change? You said you were going to try on another PC, did you?

It doesn't seem that the project is the problem if I'm not even able to repair/restore/uninstall the program, though. That doesn't make sense.

Whilst that doesn't rule out the project being the problem, it does point to the installation having a fundamental problem. The first confirmation of that would be trying the same project on another PC without System Mechanic on it.

  • If it then works, install System Mechanic and see if it then screws up.
  • If it does not work, whilst it leaves you with the uninstallation problem, you know something is wrong with your project and we can tackle that. The uninstall problem will still need to be addressed but you will know you are dealing with two problems.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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New Here ,
May 04, 2010 May 04, 2010

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Hi Peter,

Thanks for weighing in. It took me almost an hour and a half to get RoboHelp properly installed again, with the help of Adobe Support. I'm going to try today to install it on a different computer w/o System Mechanic Pro, and hopefully it won't be such a long process.I believe I have to deactivate it first before reinstalling on another computer?

I will also try renaming the CPD file, as you mentioned.

One change that has occured since all my work with Adobe Support yesterday is that a) now I can't open any topic anywhere in the program ever w/o it hanging (so uptime has slipped to basically just starting the program, but not doing work). b) when I try and open a different project from the Starter, like the canned Clownfish project, the title bar displays (Not Responding) but then it does open the project. I'm then able to open all the topics and save changes. I have not tried to compile the sample project.

Here's another thing I recently discovered: In the !SSL! folder there is a folder called !doc_temp_folder_0 which contains a complete duplicate of my project. I believe this was created when I tried to create a PDF version of the project back in January and the program crashed in every way possible. It may be this instance that has led to so many problems. I don't exactly remember. Should I delete this folder and all its contents?

If I still have these problems after trying these two things, I feel I'm looking down 2 very time-consuming paths:

1) Rebuild the 900-topic project as another project

2) Wipe my computer completely and clean install Windows then install just RoboHelp

Neither of these are attractive prospects and I'm running out of time. I have to act quickly to meet my deliverable. Any advice is helpful.

Thanks.

Linda

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Community Expert ,
May 04, 2010 May 04, 2010

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You are allowed to have a copy on two PCs provided only you are using it, you cannot do that so that two people are using the same copy. Your scenario is such that you are OK, as I understand it. On the problem PC, you will need to deactivate before you rebuild as the activation information will be lost in the rebuild so it would count as another life. For test purposes on the second machine, you could just install it as a trial and not use a life.

I would take a backup asap if not already done and then rename the CPD and trash !doc_temp_folder_0. If you still have trouble, then go to the second machine and see what happens.

Let's consider what to do next after you have tried that.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

Help others by clicking Correct Answer if the question is answered. Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts.

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New Here ,
May 04, 2010 May 04, 2010

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Hi Peter,

I was able to work with the project successfully on another computer that does not have System Mechanic installed. And before I opened it, I renamed the CPD file, as you suggested.

I'm now in the process of wiping my laptop and doing a fresh install of Windows. I'm going to put System Mechanic back on before I install RoboHelp to see if that's causing the conflict, but not much else. My computer had 4 long years of solid use and acumulating stuff. Could have been anything that was causing the problem. At least if I put only a few programs on, there's not much to loose if I have to wipe it again.

Thanks so much for your help.

Linda

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