Problem updating RH8 with Windows 7

[Tamazze]

I've been using RH8 with XP, but I got a new Windows 7 machine last week so I had to do a fresh install of RH8. I got through the install with no problems and the un-updated version of RH seems to work OK, but I need to apply both the 8.0.1 and 8.0.2 updates.

I attempted to run the install for 8.0.1 from the Adobe installer and though it seemed to go too fast, I received a message that the install was finished. However, when I tried to install 8.0.2, it said that I had to install 8.0.1 first, so apparently that install hadn't worked after all.

I downloaded 8.0.1 directly from the Adobe support center and tried to install it that way, but it dies directly after choosing the install language (English). I've restarted several times, restored the computer to a point before my first attempt in hopes of getting a clean try, etc. All to no avail.

I typically use RoboHelp HTML and the unpatched version is working, but I really need the 8.0.2 patch because I'm concerned about the integrity of the links and folders as the project grows. I'm at my wits end as far as what to do next (reinstall the whole thing?).

I would really appreciate any suggestions as to what to try next.

Thanks,

Tamara

[Captiv8r]

Hi Tamara

Are you able to download the updates and run them from your local PC? If so, you may need to try right-clicking the file and choosing to run it in "XP Compatibility mode".

Perhaps try that?

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

[Tamazze]

Thanks Rick, that was a great suggestion. I had not even thought of trying that, but after 12+ years of using the various incarnations of RH, I feel like I've REALLY stepped off into the wildness of weirdness now because when I clicked the file I got a completely bizarre (to me) error message.

I downloaded the files again and put them in a different folder, but I got the same message. I'm at a complete loss. Any ideas?

Best wishes,

Tamara

[Peter Grainge]

Does 8.0.1 show in Add/Remove programs?

Which version of Windows 7 are you using?

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

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[Tamazze]

I'm sorry to be so slow getting back to reply, Peter. I took a holiday last week and forgot to log back in to see if anyone else had any suggestions. I'm afraid I don't know what you mean by "which version of Windows 7 am I using" -- I wasn't aware there was more than one version. 8.0.1 did not show in Add/Remove programs. I say that in the past tense because I have thrown in the towel and reinstalled XP this morning as I don't have any more time to waste fooling with this thing. I'll have another go at installing Windows 7 in a few months when I don't have a help file waited to be updated. I've been holding off, waiting for 8.0.2 since my links have been broken since I installed 8.0.1 on my earlier incarnation of RoboHelp with XP.

Thanks to you (and Rick) for your attempts to help me; best wishes to you both.

Oh, and for the record, once I had reinstalled XP, both updates installed with no problems.

Tamara

[Peter Grainge]

It sounds like you were trying to install Windows 7 without the 8.0.1 patch applied. That must be applied, hence the trouble you encountered.

UPDATE 16/10/10 Looking at this nearly a year on, the above is not making sense! Please ignore.

Windows 7 comes in four versions Starter, Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

Follow me @petergrainge

[Tamazze]

Sorry; I didn't know what you meant by "version." It was Windows 7 Professional. I wasn't trying to install Windows 7 without

the 8.0.1 patch applied. I had a new Win7 pc upon which I had installed RH8 with no problems, but I was not able to install the 8.0.1 patch, which meant that I could not install 8.0.2 either. The unpatched version of RH8 was working, but I felt I needed to obtain both patches to continue, so the fastest way to get up and running was to remove Win7 and install XP until I have more time to troubleshoot. When I installed XP, RH8, including both patches, installed like a charm.

Best,

Tamara

[Allen_53]

Hi,

I am having exactly this issue now. I recently received a new DELL laptop at work that used the 64 bit version of Windows 7 Enterprise initially. I had installed RoboHelp 8 as a part of TCS2, but when trying to update the program with 8.0.1, the same thing happened for me as for Tamara (after selecting the installation language, the install reports very quickly that the installation has been completed, but it hasn't). When I download and try to install the 8.0.1 file directly, it simply disappears shortly after selecting the install language never to be seen again. 

I did try to use RoboSource Control in connection with the installation, and I was able to connect to the database/access the projects directly with the program but not when opening a project through RH). It was workable if I checked everything out using RSC, worked on it with RoboHelp (albeit the un-updated version), and then checked everything in again with RSC. The only way I was able to get the program to work and update as it should was by working in a VMWare image of XP, which was not optimal as has been stated elsewhere in this forum.

We opened a case with Adobe support, but their only response was that something must be wrong with the RSC server (which they no longer support).

In an attempt to fix the issues, our IT department just reinstalled the OS using the 32 bit version of Windows 7. I can now access projects stored in RSC through RH, but I am still not able to update the program (i.e., RH-despite attempts to use XP compatibility mode, administrator rights, etc., that have been mentioned previously in this thread). In both scenarios (32/64 bit OS versions), the other programs included with TCS2 were updated successfully without issue.

I know the development team is hard at work on RH9, but considering that you can hardly find XP anymore, for a company like Adobe to have a released program like RH8 that is obviously unstable in more than one common scenario with basically the only generally-used OS available on a new PC) and which is used by a large community, is totally unacceptable. One has to wonder about their commitment the their current customer base. I have seen a lot of references on this forum by users that feel they should maybe start looking for alternative solutions, and that thought has certainly crossed my mind as well.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

I'm having the same problem...32 bit Win 7 (Premium?)

I ended up reinstalling TCS2.5 to clean out various issues with Presenter and Acrobat incompatability...

Now I can't get 8.0.1 (and then the 8.0.2 and Capt 5 updates) to install.

I tried running the updater "as Administrator" and still have 8.00xxxxxxx showing as version.

Any thoughts?

[Peter Grainge]

Try running RevoUninstaller. Whereas Windows shows just 802 if installed, then when you uninstall that it shows 801, then 800, Revo shows all three.

Maybe that will reveal something.

I have seen a mismatch between what Programs and Features shows and what Help > About shows.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

UPDATE: FIXED!!

Hi Peter, I'll file your RevoUninstaller tip for next time...and I hope all is well on that side of the pond!

My problem appears to be with the semantics of the installer.

When ran the 8.0.1 updater, I was presented with a dialog that only allowed me to remove program and all related components. (uncomfortable phrasing, but refers simply to the updater, not RoboHelp itself)

Once I ran the "uninstall" on 8.0.1, I was able to run the "install" successfully.

This was also the case for the 8.0.2 update and the Captivate 5 update

SUGGESTION:

restructure the offending dialog to explain why a user might get the uninstall option, and explain that only the update will be uninstalled.

I'll certainly be writing a blog post and also posting at adobe.com/go/wish!

-Matt

[Allen_53]

I tried this, but it wasn't easy to know what to "run" considering the umpteen options there appeared to be. Since the only viable listing that I could find was "Technical Communication Suite 2", I double-clicked it, and the program went through an uninstall process, but nothing of any interest appeared to come up, and RoboHelp was re-installed without any change. I still can't update the program and am none the wiser.

Allen

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So you tried running the Revo tool Peter talked about? What version of RH8 are you stuck at?

[Allen_53]

8.0.0.203

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

So what happens when you run the 8.0.1 update from here (http://www.adobe.com/support/robohelp/downloads.html)?

Ensure that you're a local admin in Windows & that if you are, you've explicitly given yourself full rights to your own C:\ drive (that often isn't the case starting with Windows editions like Vista & Win7 - they still want to "protect" you from yourself).

[Allen_53]

What do you mean by "explicitly given yourself full rights to your own C:\ drive"? Both I and our internal IS administrator have at least thought we've done this multiple times, to no avail unfortunately.

Allen

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Go into Explorer, browse to the root C:\ drive, right click & take a look at Security or Permissions (I forget which) - also make sure that User Account Control is turned off in your Control Panel.

[Allen_53]

User Account Control is turned off, and even though I am already an administrator on the computer, I explicitly added myself for the C drive as you suggested, but the results are unchanged. After I select the installation language, the installation stops after a couple of seconds and disappears.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

That behaviour sounds suspiciously like an anti-virus scanner shutting down a process because it thinks it's a virus. Try either adding the installer as a safe app or temporarily turning off the anti-virus.

[Allen_53]

I not only turned the anti-virus software off, our IT guy removed it to make sure it wasn't interfering, but alas, there was no difference. The behavior is still the same as before: the RH update (8.0.1) installation disappears only a few seconds after having specified the desired language.