Compiler Error

[Felnic]

Hello,

While trying to complie a project, I'm receiving this error:

Fatal Error: Unexpected error from Microsoft HTML compiler.

At the end of this error the compiler window states when the project finished compiling, and that the compilation is complete even though the compiler quits without finishing the compilation. Out of curiosity, I went to the location of where I compiled the project and when I opened the .chm file it gives this message:

Cannot open the file: mk@MSITStore:

I have received this fatal error before several months ago when trying to compile this same project. What's strange is that I was able to compile this same project last Thursday just fine. I'm constantly having to update help files whenever there are new features to a program, etc. What can I do to make the compiler work without quitting and giving this fatal error?

I know that there should be no special characters used in file names, but I took all of those out.

Please HELP!

Felicia (Felnic)

[Guest]

Hello Felicia.

From what I have found, there is a problem with the registration of the hhctrl.ocx file.

Click here for a reason/resolution.

If it doesn't help, please post back.

Brian

[Felnic]

Hello Brian,

Thanks for the response. When I typed in the registry line in the Run: Open: window, and press OK, this error pops up:

LoadLibrary("%") failed - The specified module could not be found.

I'm not sure if I'm typing in something incorrectly or not. I just tried to recompile the project and I received the Fatal Error again.

Felicia

[Guest]

Try the following. If it doesn't help, i'll keep searching.

Open a CMD window, type the following on the command line:

regsvr32 %systemroot%\system32\hhctrl.ocx <press enter>
regsvr32 %systemroot%\system32\itss.dll <press enter>



Brian

Done a bit more digging. It could be that the .dll file(s) are corrupted. Can you get a copy from another machine and copy into your windows\system32 directory, then carry out the above instruction.

From what I've read, it should hopefully work.

Good Luck

Brian

[MergeThis]

Felicia:

You're not working the project over a network, are you?

If so, don't do that anymore. Best practice for RH:

Edit on local machine.
Generate to local machine.
Publish to network (and/or local machine).


Good luck,
Leon

[Felnic]

Hello Brian,

I work in a very small company. I'm the only tech. writer, and the only person who uses RoboHelp, so there's only one machine w/ RoboHelp, and that's my machine. When you ask if I could get a copy from another machine do you mean a copy of the RoboHelp program? Could I uninstall, then re-install the RoboHelp program on my machine? What specifically would I copy into my windows\system32?

Thanks,

Felicia

[Guest]

Just a copy of the 2 .dll files from another computer running the same version of Windows. Both in the system32 folder.

Brian

[Felnic]

Brian,

One last question about the .dll files you said to get a copy of. You said to get a copy of the 2 .dll files. Specifically, which 2? Is one of the files the itss.dll file (the second file that I typed when trying to re-register)? If so, what is the second .dll file?

I hope I'm not being a bother. No one else here is familiar with RoboHelp well enough to assist me...

Thanks,

Felicia

[Guest]

Felicia,

Sorry my mistake.

The two files are:

hhctrl.ocx
itss.dll

Brian

[Felnic]

Hello Brian,

I was able to get copies of the hhctrl.ocx and itss.dll files, and I ended up doing a complete uninstall and re-install of RoboHelp X5. I still was not able to compile the project. I ended up using Microsoft's compiler (HTML Help Workshop) to compile the project. It compiled with no errors. I wonder could there be something wrong with my RoboHelp's compiler. Is there ever updated versions of the RoboHelp compiler? Maybe the compiler needs to be updated??

Felicia

[Captiv8r]

Hi Felicia

As far as I'm aware, there is no "RoboHelp" version of the compiler. RoboHelp simply uses the Microsoft compiler. I believe this is supported by the message you initially posted.

Fatal Error: Unexpected error from Microsoft HTML compiler. One thing I've not seen suggested that will probably help is this.

If you are using RoboHelp X5, make sure RoboHelp is closed, then look inside Windows Explorer and locate your ProjectName.CPD file. Delete the file. (Don't fret, RoboHelp will create a new one and this is what you want it to do) Then restart RoboHelp and re-open your project. See if the issue clears.

If you are using a version older than X5, make sure RoboHelp is closed, then look inside Windows Explorer and locate the ProjectName.MPJ file. Rename the file (so you can easily recover if you need to) Then restart RoboHelp and open your project by aiming RoboHelp at the ProjectName.HHP file.

See if that helps any... Rick

[Guest]

Hello Rick,

Thanks for joining in.

When Felnic reports that the problem has been solved, after banging my head on the desk a few times, I will write out "I will stop being too techy" one hundred times.

Happy new year.

Brian

[Felnic]

Hello Rick,

Boy do I feel a little dumb. I do know that RoboHelp uses Microsoft's compiler ( as I have have it chosen as my primary layout under Single Source Layouts). I guess my brain has become dazed and confused after racking it trying to figure out why I keep getting that fatal error.

I will be updating this same project soon, and when I do, I will do what you said and see if that works.

Thanks for all the responses. I really depend on them.

Felicia

[Felnic]

Hello Rick,

Boy do I feel a little dumb. I do know that RoboHelp uses Microsoft's compiler ( as I have have it chosen as my primary layout under Single Source Layouts). I guess my brain has become dazed and confused after racking it trying to figure out why I keep getting that fatal error.

I will be updating this same project soon, and when I do, I will do what you said and see if that works.

Thanks for all the responses. I really depend on them.

Felicia

[Felnic]

Hello Rick,

I made some updates to this project this morning. After saving, then closing RoboHelp, I deleted the ProjectName.cpd file and restarted RoboHelp. When I tried opening my project, it acted as if it were going to open, but as it was updating the latest version (I have this project under version control), the program just stopped and became non-responsive. Now I'm not able to open this project in RoboHelp. Have you ever seen this happen before when deleting the .cpd file??

I tried opening another project in RoboHelp, and it worked fine. Any ideas on how I can get this project to re-open in RoboHelp??

[Captiv8r]

Hi again

If I recall correctly, I believe this can happen if you have Framesets involved. However, I also note that there was never a response on the question that asked if you are working on a network. If you are, this could be a strong possibility as to why it's not working as well.

Cheers... Rick

[Felnic]

Hello,

I'm not working over the network. I'm working on a local drive.

Felicia

[Felnic]

Hello,

I just thought I would post that I'm still receiving the fatal compilation error with this specific project after doing all of the suggested troubleshooting. I compiled it using HTML Help Workshop, and it compiled fine with no errors. I think I will end up re-creating this project under a different name, then recompile it to see if that makes a difference. Until then, it's HTML Help Workshop that I will use to compile this particular project.

Thanks for all the help.

Felicia

[slpamb10]

Hi Felicia,

I am, as of today, having the same exact error that you are. My project also compiles fine with the HTML Help compiler but gets a fatal compiler error when compiled with Robohelp. I am compiling my project locally and have reregistered the two files hctrl.ocx
and itss.dll.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks.
Pam
www.stuffablepals.com
www.jerky-shack.com

[Guest]

Felicia,

I really thought that Rick's suggestion of deleting the .cpd file was a step I had missed.

Anyway, I have done a bit more searching and found the following steps that someone used to clear the problem. It includes 2 extra steps that I didn't know about.

1. install Service Pack 4 (SP4) for Windows 2000
2. install Critical Update 811630
3. unregister and then re-register the HTML Help ActiveX control:
regsvr32 /u C:\winnt\system32\hhctrl.ocx
regsvr32 C:\winnt\system32\hhctrl.ocx

Everything I have read to date points to the hhctrl.ocx file. Maybe by installing the service pack and the critical update it may clear the problem.

You are certainly challenging us.

All the best,

Brian

[Mark51172]

I don't know if this is of any help, but I also had the same problem as Felicia when trying to create my chm file from Robohelp for Word by running the HTML single-source layout wizard. Copying over new ocx, dll etc didn't sort it out.

I then stumbled on a solution. I looked at the Tools within Robohelp and noticed the Robohelp HTML icon. When I clicked on this it asked if I wanted to open an existing project so I pointed it to my .hpj file and after a good 10 minutes or so it converted it to HTML and I am now up and running. The TOC is intact and the context-sensitive bits we have in our software still work, so we're really pleased.

I don't know if this is any use to anyone else but thought I'd mention it.

Regards,

Mark

[really-seth]

Ooops, posted in the wrong spot. Sorry.

[DenisKD]

We found that we have 'Fatal Error: Unexpected error from Microsoft HTML compiler.' when one of our *.h files contains comments like /* something */