RoboHelp 9 chm file doesn't run on Windows Server 2012

[DebWriter]

Hi All,

I'm running RoboHelp 9.02 and created a chm file.  Tried to run it locally on a Windows Server 2012 machine and no luck! The chm file opened and then I got an error "Microsoft HTML Help Executable has stopped working."

Here's the entire message:

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
  Application Name: hh.exe
  Application Version: 6.2.9200.16384
  Application Timestamp: 5010a846
  Fault Module Name: KERNELBASE.dll
  Fault Module Version: 6.2.9200.16384
  Fault Module Timestamp: 5010ab2d
  Exception Code: c0000005
  Exception Offset: 0000000000005d96
  OS Version: 6.2.9200.2.0.0.272.7
  Locale ID: 1033
  Additional Information 1: d79c
  Additional Information 2: d79c75a63f9539b6a08bfbdd1eda4f66
  Additional Information 3: b995
  Additional Information 4: b9956fb29c632d2c65214a46e4fba57c

Read our privacy statement online:
  http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=190175

If the online privacy statement is not available, please read our privacy statement offline:
  C:\Windows\system32\en-US\erofflps.txt

From what I understand from an engineer here, the code is some kind of access violation.

The same chm file runs just fine on Windows Server 2008 R2, so it must be something to do with Windows Server 2012. I called Adobe and their first line of support told me that the chm file has not been tested on Windows Server 2012.

Our software is distributing and registering the same HHActiveX.dll (64-bit), file version 9.0.0.228.

This is a bit of a problem for me because we are set to release in a day or two (yikes!!). I'd appreciate any help, hints, suggestions!

[Captiv8r]

Hi there

I'd try creating a small test CHM without Browse Sequences or Glossary and see if it opens. If that fails as well, it would seem to me to be more of a generic issue with the server and the CHM format. Otherwise, I might expect that the HHActiveX.DLL might be having an issue.

Cheers... Rick

[Captiv8r]

Does the server have other CHM files that are simply present by virtue of the operating system? Have you tested those?

[DebWriter]

I created a tiny chm with 2 basic topics which consisted of just text. No TOC, No Glossary, no nothing and it worked. But it probably doesn't need to use ActiveX because it is so simple? More to the story follows...

Here's a snippet from the crash dump:

RetAddr           : Args to Child                                                           : Call Site

000007fb`652e2d56 : 000000bc`44e08438 000000bc`3a25bc30 000000bc`3a3738b0 000000bc`3a467538 : KERNELBASE!WideCharToMultiByte+0xa6

000007fb`464fa075 : 00000000`00000000 000000bc`3a25bce0 000000bc`44e08438 00000000`00000006 : kernel32!WideCharToMultiByteStub+0x36

000007fb`464f7995 : 000000bc`00000000 00000000`61276034 000000bc`000a0009 00000000`6130dd38 : hhctrl!xHtmlHelpW+0x361

Unable to load image C:\Program Files\DataCore\SANsymphony\HHActiveX.dll, Win32 error 0n2

*** WARNING: Unable to verify timestamp for HHActiveX.dll

*** ERROR: Module load completed but symbols could not be loaded for HHActiveX.dll

00000000`61276060 : 000000bc`44e00f20 000000bc`3a25bf60 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000006 : hhctrl!HtmlHelpW+0x1cd

000000bc`44e00f20 : 000000bc`3a25bf60 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000006 000000bc`44e084c0 : HHActiveX+0x26060

000000bc`3a25bf60 : 00000000`00000001 00000000`00000006 000000bc`44e084c0 00000000`612756b3 : 0xbc`44e00f20

00000000`00000001 : 00000000`00000006 000000bc`44e084c0 00000000`612756b3 ffffffff`fffffffe : 0xbc`3a25bf60

00000000`00000006 : 000000bc`44e084c0 00000000`612756b3 ffffffff`fffffffe 000000bc`44e00de0 : 0x1

000000bc`44e084c0 : 00000000`612756b3 ffffffff`fffffffe 000000bc`44e00de0 000000bc`3a41e898 : 0x6

00000000`612756b3 : ffffffff`fffffffe 000000bc`44e00de0 000000bc`3a41e898 000000bc`44e00f30 : 0xbc`44e084c0

ffffffff`fffffffe : 000000bc`44e00de0 000000bc`3a41e898 000000bc`44e00f30 00000000`0005039c : HHActiveX+0x256b3

000000bc`44e00de0 : 000000bc`3a41e898 000000bc`44e00f30 00000000`0005039c 00000000`61263b92 : 0xffffffff`fffffffe

000000bc`3a41e898 : 000000bc`44e00f30 00000000`0005039c 00000000`61263b92 000000bc`00000000 : 0xbc`44e00de0

000000bc`44e00f30 : 00000000`0005039c 00000000`61263b92 000000bc`00000000 000000bc`44e00de0 : 0xbc`3a41e898

00000000`0005039c : 00000000`61263b92 000000bc`00000000 000000bc`44e00de0 000000bc`3a25bf60 : 0xbc`44e00f30

00000000`61263b92 : 000000bc`00000000 000000bc`44e00de0 000000bc`3a25bf60 000000bc`44e01038 : 0x5039c

000000bc`00000000 : 000000bc`44e00de0 000000bc`3a25bf60 000000bc`44e01038 000000bc`44e083e8 : HHActiveX+0x13b92

000000bc`44e00de0 : 000000bc`3a25bf60 000000bc`44e01038 000000bc`44e083e8 00000000`61353070 : 0xbc`00000000

000000bc`3a25bf60 : 000000bc`44e01038 000000bc`44e083e8 00000000`61353070 000007fb`464c0000 : 0xbc`44e00de0

000000bc`44e01038 : 000000bc`44e083e8 00000000`61353070 000007fb`464c0000 000000bc`3a25bec0 : 0xbc`3a25bf60

000000bc`44e083e8 : 00000000`61353070 000007fb`464c0000 000000bc`3a25bec0 00000000`00001405 : 0xbc`44e01038

00000000`61353070 : 000007fb`464c0000 000000bc`3a25bec0 00000000`00001405 000000bc`3a25c1a8 : 0xbc`44e083e8

000007fb`464c0000 : 000000bc`3a25bec0 00000000`00001405 000000bc`3a25c1a8 00000000`00000000 : HHActiveX+0x103070

000000bc`3a25bec0 : 00000000`00001405 000000bc`3a25c1a8 00000000`00000000 000000bc`44e084c0 : hhctrl!_xc_a <PERF> (hhctrl+0x0)

00000000`00001405 : 000000bc`3a25c1a8 00000000`00000000 000000bc`44e084c0 000000bc`3a3e8110 : 0xbc`3a25bec0

000000bc`3a25c1a8 : 00000000`00000000 000000bc`44e084c0 000000bc`3a3e8110 00000000`0005039c : 0x1405

00000000`00000000 : 000000bc`44e084c0 000000bc`3a3e8110 00000000`0005039c 000000bc`44e00ff8 : 0xbc`3a25c1a8

After much poking around, we found that if the HHActiveX.dll was renamed (in effect removing it), then our Help file opened and ran. The only problem that I found is that the glossary does not appear. That's something that we can live with until RoboHelp deals with the Windows Server 2012. So apparently the HHActiveX.dll is not compatible with Windows Server 2012.

If anyone has suggestions for the missing glossary, I'd be happy to hear it.

Is there a way to start a "trouble ticket" so that RoboHelp will test and work on chm compatibility for Windows Server 2012?

[Captiv8r]

Uhhhhh, ohh-kay on the memory dump. I'd fall over and pass out if one of us mere mortal users were to be able to decipher that and say "Well you can clearly see the problem is...". LOL

To ensure Adobe is aware of the issue you need to submit a bug report at the link below:

http://www.adobe.com/go/wish

Cheers... Rick

[Captiv8r]

Oh, and only the Glossary feature and Browse Sequences are what relies on the HHActiveX.dll file.

Cheers... Rick

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Frankly, .CHM is antique technology - why you would expect Adobe to deal with a Microsoft product that even they have ceased developing is a bit beyond me.

However, I suspect that your Server 2012 is running 64-bit software; are you sure that you're registering (a) a 64-bit version of the dll & (b) that you're using the correct regsvr32.exe tool to do it? (there are 2 of them in 64-bit o/s's)

[Captiv8r]

Hey now... You may consider it "antique technology", but if it still works...

[DebWriter]

LOL!! Antique technology is right!  We also provide a Web version. But some of our customers run the software in labs where they cannot use an internet browser. For those cases, we provide the chm.

Yes registering 64-bit version. We've been doing that since Windows Server 2008 R2 and the chm works fine.

I started a trouble ticket, looks like I need a compatible HHActiveX.dll for Windows Server 2012 .

Thanks for your advice, Rick.

[Gesuu]

We have the same problem with the HHActiveX.dll on windows 8 64bit.
Any solutions?

Urs

[Peter Grainge]

I have already answered your question elsewhere. Please don't cross post.

Also this thread is about CHMs on a server. Doesn't work for about the past eight years.

---

See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge