Will RoboHelp X5 run in Vista?

[hapax_legomenon]

Can I install and run RoboHelp X5 in Windows Vista, without any problems?

I saw this tech note, which says RoboHelp 6 is not supported in Vista - so is RoboHelp X5 also not supported?
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/knowledgebase/index.cfm?event=view&id=KC.kb400353&extid=kb400353&dialog...

[RoboColum_n_]

If Vista isn't supported in X6 I'll give you one guess as to whether an older version written long before Vista was even coded is supported . I guess the question you want answered is can RHX5 or RHX6 be installed and will your existing legacy project run under Vista. To answer your first question the answer is almost certainly yes. I have apps running on my XP PC which were designed for windows 3.1 with no problems. As to whether your projects will run ok, the answer depends. The best way to answer this is to thoroughly test your project code on a Vista PC.

[donalmc]

I think what they really mean by 'not supported' is that all of the output is not supported. This is because HTML help (also known as Winhelp) is not supported in Vista (for some pretty sound security reasons).

I haven't tested it yet myself so I can't be sure but I when I ran Vista advisor it didn't see any issue. My gut says is should run fine.

Vista Advisor: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx

[Captiv8r]

Hi all

Just a bit of clarification here.

This is because HTML help (also known as Winhelp) is not supported in Vista (for some pretty sound security reasons).

This statement is incorrect. HTML Help is a compiled help format (.CHM format) This is the format recommended by Microsoft for deployment on Vista.

WinHelp is an earlier format (.HLP) and that is the format that Microsoft is urging folks to move away from. And even though it's not officially "supported", will still work in Vista. The 16 bit version of the WinHelp viewer is automatically included and the 32 bit version of the WinHelp viewer will be available by download. But not quite yet. Microsoft is still testing and it's not quite ready.

Cheers... Rick

[donalmc]

Ok my bad - thanks Rick

[Bobby_Walker · Accepted solution]

Greetings,

The RoboHelp 6 client has some incompatibilities with Windows Vista. For example, it simply will not launch with User Account Control (UAC) enabled. These incompatibilities will be addressed in future releases. I was able to get RH6 to work after jumping through a few hoops, such as disabling UAC, manually registering the OCX and DLL files, and modifying the registry. This means that you can indeed get it functioning in this environment, but you may come across certain limitations or further incompatibilities.

Here is a TechNote that explains how to get RH6 to launch in Vista. Please be sure to read the entire document, disclaimers included, before you work through this document. http://www.adobe.com/go/kb400360

We strongly suggest that you stay within the minimum system specifications listed here: http://www.adobe.com/products/robohelp/productinfo/systemreqs

As for x5 and Vista, it was not tested by the RoboHelp product team. I can tell you that I was able to get it to launch and function with the exception of one error message. Keep in mind that this was not a thorough test at all, so your mileage may vary.

Please note that Adobe Technical support may not be able to resolve Windows Vista related issues on both x5 and 6. We do strongly encourage users to report issues that they are seeing in these environments.

The above mentioned phrase of “not supported” can be taken multiple ways:
1) Does the client function in Windows Vista? Will technical support be able to assist with this environment?
2) Does it generate help content designed for Windows Vista?

Yes, you can get RoboHelp x5 or 6 to work in Vista. You may end up facing an incompatibility in these environments that Technical Support may not be able to resolve.

As for RoboHelp output being used in Windows Vista, please see Rick’s post above. Ultimately, Microsoft has not yet released the Vista Help standards to the public yet, so it is not yet available in RoboHelp.


Thank you,

Bobby Walker
Adobe Technical Support

[Erik4]

Has anyone been able to see and edit through WYSIWYG view in X5(.0/.0.1/.02) at all with Vista? I get "Unable to load component 4" when I open my project, which I'm guessing is the WYSIWYG view. Any success stories would be helpful.

[Jared Hess]

One of my co-workers is experiencing this same problem both in X5 and in RH 6 Trial on Vista. What is strange is that I'm running Vista as well with RH 6 Trial and for me I can see the WYSIWYG editor just fine. Yet we have the exact same computer system and he can't... Very odd. I hope Adobe gets on the ball and supports Vista soon with RH.

[KCITGirl]

I successfully installed Robohelp x5 on two Vista machines. The install goes fine and the first time it didnt error at all. The second time I got the "Unable to load component 4". If I hadnt already done it successfully I would have given up but I found the solution! Create a new project in Robohelp, it will automatically open the WYSIWYG with no error. I saved the project then chose Run RoboHelp HTML and opened my test project, the WYSIWYG worked again. I dont think that's necessary but it was the logical next step. Then I tried one of the demo files and woo hoo it still works! I must have done a new project first on the first install and didnt give it a second thought. Try it and let me know!

[Jared Hess]

Hi KCITGirl

Well, my RH 6 trial ran out, so I uninstalled it and installed the x5 version on Vista. I still get the missing component 4 error. Installing is fine, but working with projects new or otherwise gives the error.

What I did:
1) Installed pcdmis.
2) Manually registered .ocx files per the document link given previously.
3) Ran RH 5.
4) Created a new HTML Help project

The project opens and I get the Missing Component 4 error.

Can you clarify exactly the steps you did to get it working?

[Peter Grainge]

Perhaps a graphics card issue?

[Jared Hess]

I don't think so. We have the exact same machine (same graphics card and everything else).

[Erik4]

quote:

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Originally posted by: JaredHess
I don't think so. We have the exact same machine (same graphics card and everything else).

---

I have an ATI X550 which I didn't install a driver for, Vista seems to have installed one itself. What version of Word are you running there?

[HKabaker]

It's interesting that it works OK on one PC and not the other.

Yesterday in Win XP, I had a viariation of this problem -- a distant cousin, I guess -- that I solved by finding a post from Rick a few months ago.

If Vista has these settings, or something comparable, check them for differences between the PCs:

Settings > Control Panel > Folder Options > File Types

Scroll down to HTM and HTML. What application is associated? Same for both PCs?

The system default application for editing html files.

Both RH, or different?

Just a hunch.

Harvey

[Erik4]

Does anyone know how to change the default program to Edit certain file types with in Vista? Vista doesn't have the File Types tab in Folder Options like XP does.

[Jared Hess]

quote:

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Originally posted by: Erik@ACSS
Does anyone know how to change the default program to Edit certain file types with in Vista? Vista doesn't have the File Types tab in Folder Options like XP does.

---

Good question. Not very intuitive is it? I wonder if they hid the capability somewhere in the registry. I can see where you can change what "opens" an .htm file for viewing--but not where can you define what "edits" it. In XP this was relatively easy to do.

[HKabaker]

RH5 has a setting for the default html editor. Does RH6 have it? Will Vista accept it?

The XP File Types tab associates applications for opening files. When the IE link to open html files gets broken, RH5 will not generate WebHelp and tells you to install a browser. The fix is to re-associate IE with opening html files.

My hunch is the RH6 problem in Vista may be an offshoot of the same root cause. Or not. I haven't used Vista.

Harvey