Generating Primary Layout Freezing

[ShoppersTrial]

I'm wondering if someone can help - we use RoboHelp 7 as our online help editor.  Typically, we select File/Generate Primary Layout/Finish to generate our files - this month, none of us can get the system to work.  After we've selected these actions, the hourglass displays for an indefinite period of time and no generation occurs.  Nothing has changed since our last deployment.

Can anyone suggest some troubleshooting ideas?

[RoboColum_n_]

Things to consider:

1. Are the RoboHelp project source files located on a local drive. It is OK if they are source controlled or backed up to a network drive but if they are on a network drive whilst you generate, this maybe the issue.
   
2. Is this only occuring on one project? Try generating the output from one of the supplied projects. If it is just this one project, try closing it, renaming the <projectname>.cpd file and reopening it.
   
3. Is the output path to which you are generating the output local or on a network. If the later, do you still have access to it.
   
4. Try creating a new Single Source Layout of the same type (don't duplicate the existing one).
   
5. Does the Output View (View > Pods > Output View menu item) give any clues?

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[ShoppersTrial]

To answer your questions:

1 and 3.  They are housed on a network drive, always have been, and we still have access.

2.  This only occurs on my project - the provided topics work fine.  However, I must confess to being rather untechnical minded - I don't know what specifically you mean by closing the project and renaming the .cpd file.  (sorry!)

4. I haven't yet tried this.

5.  The Output View says "not responding".

[RoboColum_n_]

If your RoboHelp project's files are located on a network drive whilst you work on them, I'd strongly advise you to move them to a local drive straight away. This is each RoboHelp project has a database file that when run on a network drive can cause all sorts of untold misery. That file is called <projectname>.cpd where <projectname> is the name of your project, look for it in a Windows Explorer window. Move the files to a directory on a local drive (e.g. C:/Source) rename the CPD file (e.g. to <projectname>old.cpd) and reopen the project. The file gets rebuilt. If this doesn't solve the problem, try generating the output to a local drive as well.

Let us know how you get on.

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The RoboColum(n)

@robocolumn

Colum McAndrew

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

In addition to what Colum advised, I noted your mention that you weren't "technical minded". Picking up on that it strikes me that you may not know exactly how to go about renaming or deleting the .CPD.

From RoboHelp HTML, right-click a topic and look at its properties. You should see a tab labeled File. Click the File tab and on the properties you should see a button labeled Open Folder. Click the button and Windows Explorer should open at your project location where the topic exists. From there it should be simple to locate your .CPD file.

Cheers... Rick

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