RoboHelp 8 hangs, locks up, when rearranging / adding folder in Project Manager

[Guest]

'Afternoon everyone,

I'm working on a client's project that has 329 topics; I have imported it from RH5 into RH8 HTML.

In Project Manager, the project files are arranged into about 20 folders. I wanted to rearranging the order of these by drag and drop.

This worked OK for the first two moves; but the third move made RH hang; it locked up. After waiting 15 minutes, I used Ctrl+Alt+Del to shut it down.

Opened it again. I tried to add a new folder into the Project Files folder, but it hangs / locks up again. Can't do anything except crash out of it and try again. Then I get the same problem again - it hangs when I try to add a new folder.

The project files only take 26Mb on disk, but in Task Manager, RoboHelp is running at 45% CPU, 114 Mb Mem Usage, on a fairly high-spec PC. And there it hangs.

Any ideas, anyone?

[Peter Grainge]

You don't say if you have both patches applied and if you have tried deleting the CPD.

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Guest]

Hello Peter,

Thanks for your reply.

RH8 Version is on auto-update, now at v 8.0.2.208, so I think that includes the patches.

Menu > Tools > Options > General is set to clear project cache CPD before opening any project.

There are now no Conditional Build Tags. With the customer's agreement (they didn't need them any more), I removed these build tags after importing the project from v5, because when trying to generate the webhelp output, they were causing RH8 to crash. (Seems to be a known issue, already mentioned elsewhere in this forum).

I've rebooted the PC, but adding a new folder to the Project Files still causes RH to hang.

It's worth mentioning that

• Opening this project takes about a minute and a half; is this about right for 329 topics?
• If I open a different project, I can add a folder into Project Manager > Project files OK.

Any ideas for a fix for this project?

Best regards,

Philip

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Philip.

I wonder if the deletion of the CBTs are the issue? It maybe a red herring but if you rename the project's .PSS file and reopen the project, just maybe this will help. If the build tags were created at the folder level, the .PSS file may be causing RoboHelp to choke - the file contains references to CBTs. Worth a shot anyway.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

CBTs: I had tracked down each CBT in each topic and removed them one at a time until none showed in the report. Then I deleted the tags from the CBTs pod.

On your suggestion, I renamed the PSS file and opened the project. It recreated the PSS file with much less in it.

However, when I try to add a new folder to the Project files, it hangs again, just as before. I had to crash out of it.

I checked Peter G's suggestion about the CPD file and deleted it manually before reopening the project. It was recreated at the same file size. But the new folder I added was actually in the Project Files.

Tried adding a folder again, but I still have the same problem.

Why, oh why?...

Anything else I should try?!

Philip

[Guest]

I don't know if this is a 'red herring', but I tried a utility called "Dependency Walker", which looks

at a file and finds links to all dependent files.

(See http://www.dependencywalker.com/; recommended by Microsoft Support (e.g. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256872/en-us)

Running this on RoboHTML.exe tells me that two DDLs are not found: IESHIMS.DLL and WER.DLL

"Warning: At least one delay-load dependency module was not found. Warning: At least one module has an unresolved import due to a missing export function in a delay-load dependent module."

Is this relevant?

Philip

[RoboColum_n_]

Hi Philip.

I've just run that app and got the same results so it maybe a red herring. Not sure what else to suggest apart from creating a new project and importing the topics. I don't suppose the folder name you are using has any weird and wonderful character in it?

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

Folder names are fairly simple:

01_Introduction

02_Start

03_ etc...

Images

Just adding a folder called 'Test' makes it lock up!

I'm trying an import. 329 topics into 20 folders, some of which have multiple sub-folders! It's getting slower and slower. (70 seconds to import 3 topics of 3kb each!) And a fistful of broekn links to unravel... There must be an easier way!

I'll cintinue after lunch and let you know.

BTW, I've imported Master pages; all the topic files; css; what else do I need: My mind is spinning!

Philip

[Guest]

Now what?!!  Cannot edit topics!

When I created the new Help Project in a new folder, I used Create New Blank Project. It creates a new topic. But I couldn't open it to edit it.

OK, try importing files from the 'old' project. It tooka while; BUT - in the new imported rebuild, when I try to open any topic file, I get the same message,
"The file {path}{filename}.htm is associated with a 3rd party editor and may be open in the editor. If so, please close the file in the other application before continuing." (It wasn't open in anything).

When I click OK, it then opens RoboHelp Explorer, and then displays a RoboHelp for Word dialogue telling me:

"This file is not an HPJ file. Please select an HPJ file to open."

I clicked OK and got a RoboHelp for Word message telling me "The file cannot be edited. Make sure the file exists and it is accessible."

Looking in Windows Explorer at the new folder, there is indeed no HPJ file.

Also: when importing the 329 topics, I got a few "cannot copy file" errors for whmsg.js, whver.js, whproxy.js, whutils.js, whtopic.js. I found these in an original backup copy of the project and copied these across. Closed the project, reopened it; But I still cannot edit topics.

(I have also imported Index, Glossary and ToC files.)

Never seen this problem before. I've spent hours trying to sort this out.

Now what? HELP!!

[Guest]

I gave up on the imported project and went back to yesterday's project. AND I CANNOT EDIT THOSE TOPICS EITHER! I get the same problems.

I tried a completely different Help Project that I wrote from scratch some months ago, haven't touched for a while, and I get the same problems.

Has something happened to the RH8 installation, I wonder? Where does the 3rd Party editor com into it?

Click OK and it starts RoboHelp for Word! (should be HTML > WebHelp).

Then get this:

Click OK and get this:

Click OK and I'm back to where I started.

RH8 Help throws no light on the matter, and cannot find it in the Forum either.

[RoboColum_n_]

Does D: in the path refer to a network or partitioned drive?

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[RoboColum_n_]

The absence of an HPJ file is nothing to worry about. In RH8 the "Blank New Project" option creates a project with a default single source layout of WebHelp. HPJ files are only really used by Microsoft HTML Help (CHM) output so I'd expect there to be no HPJ file. Out of interest what is your default HTML Editor set to? Check the Associations tab in Tools > Options.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Captiv8r]

Colum, are you sure?

I thought HPJ files were used by RoboHelp for Word to create WinHelp outputs. WinHelp is the predecessor to CHM.

Then again, maybe I'm having an off day.

Cheers... Rick

Helpful and Handy Links RoboHelp Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form Begin learning RoboHelp HTML 7 or 8 moments from now - $24.95! Adobe Certified RoboHelp HTML Training SorcererStone Blog RoboHelp eBooks

[RoboColum_n_]

No you're not having an off day Rick. I am

Getting confused with the HHP file which isn't created in a WebHelp project until rather bizzarely you compile it.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

Getting there! Tools > Options > Associations was the answer.

I had seen an HTML editor listed called "Design View", which appeared to be a Microsoft editor of some kind. The RH8 Help Guide talks about "RoboHelp Design Editor" - which isn't shown under Associations.

CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY, CONSISTENCY. It's something I bang on about in my Tech Writing Course. If you give something a different name, the user thinks you mean something else." Funny, that...

Anyway, I had set something else as the default... and that's what messed it up.

I've put it back now, and we're rolling. "Finger trouble" - but not helped by the help. (If there's an error message, then surely the text should be in the Help Guide?)

[The D:\ drive is a partition where I keep all data; all progs are on C. I understand that Networks are a no-no (unless you use RH version control?)

Thanks Colum (and Peter and Rick). 

[RoboColum_n_]

When things came down a little your end feel free to add a comment to the RoboHelp Community Help. All contributions are warmly received.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

Hi Colum,

Sorry, $100-worth of wasted hours make me cross.

Er... how do I "add a comment to the RoboHelp Community Help"? This is new to me.

[RoboColum_n_]

Check out the annotated image below. All comments, suggestions and links go to help others in future and also improves future content.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Guest]

I too am getting ".htm is associated with a 3rd party editor and may be open in the editor" error when trying to open a topic. I am not clear on what the HTML Editors default should be set at under Tools>Options>Associations>HTML Editors. Can someone please be more specific to what I should have coded there? Thanks!!

[Peter Grainge]

See http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/editors/topic_editors.htm

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See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[calilaura]

Thanks for this! I was having the problem with lockups every time I created or moved a folder in an RH HTML project on RH9. I deleted the .pss file, and reopened the project, and voila--problem fixed! I am so grateful for this forum!

Thanks again,

Laura S.

[Guest]

I too am getting ".htm is associated with a 3rd party editor and may be open in the

editor" error when trying to open a topic. I

am not clear on what the HTML Editors de

fault should be set at under Tools>Options>Associations>HTML Editors. Can someone please be more specific to what I should have coded there? Thanks!!