Help! My help system just vanished...

[kmaddox1]

Ok, I know I've done something really stupid, but I just for the life of me can't figure out what. After looking at a file in TrueCode view, I returned to WYSIWYG view only to discover that the screen was blank. At first the problem was limited to just the one file, but now (after some experimental clicking and selecting of options), I can't open a single one of my HTM files in Robohelp. I've tried all the ways I know to open a file--double clicking it from Project Manager, selecting the file and pressing Enter, accessing the file from Topic view and so--but I can't get anything to appear in WYSIWYG or TrueCode view.

I even tried restarting my computer and Robohelp in case the problem was related to some weird computer glitch.

I know that the files are still there since I can: generate a help project, show links, index entries, and the table of contents. I just can't get Robohelp to display the darn files.... Any ideas?

I'm using Robohelp HTML 6.

[Peter Grainge]

Don't panic.

I don't know the answer to this one but I do believe it has cropped up before and I think it was Rick Stone who resolved it. He is US based so you will have to wait for the US to wake up.

Meantime there are three things you can try if you need to press on.

1] You can try searching the forums but it was some time ago.

2] Right click a topic and try to open a topic selecting WYSIWYG there. Maybe that
will manually force it.

3] It might be as simple as uninstalling and reinstalling RoboHelp.

I have seen this on occasion but going to another topic has always fixed it.

[Guest]

Found a similar problem thread. The resolution was to Close Robohelp, rename the .cpd file to .old, then restart Robohelp and open the project.

Hope this helps (Peter's solution)

Brian

[kmaddox1]

Uh oh. Renaming the .cpd file to .old and starting Robohelp made the problem much worse. Now, my project includes only two of my original six folders, but there are no topics shown in either folder. "Broken Links" displays a list of every link that was in my original project. In fact, the only files I can open in WYSIWYG or TrueCode are my two template files and my Image files. To compound the problem, now I can't get ANY of my old projects to work in Robohelp--it won't let me open any topics.

I'll try uninstalling and reinstalling, see if that fixes the problem. What a pain.

Thanks for the comments though. You guys are much better at searching the archives than me!

K

[Peter Grainge]

Looks like I need to USB memory stick to shove in my right ear!

[Guest]

I find it easier just to put it down to a senior moment, pc brigade can't do me for referring to myself in this context (yet)

[Peter Grainge]

Probably all you need to do is recreate those folders. At worst you will also need to reimport the files, they are still there.

[kmaddox1]

Thanks for your help, Peter. The topic on your website about Opening Projects provided the clue I needed to solve my little problem, which *seems* to be fixed. For now. Here's what I did:

(1) I uninstalled and reinstalled RH 6, then tried opening two different XPJ files. Result: same as before. Folders were missing, no topics except my two template files were listed, all my links were reported broken, and I couldn't open any topics.
(2) I opened the .HHP file for a project instead of the .XPJ. Result: all the topics and folders were listed (whew!), but I still couldn't open them in either WYSIWGY or TrueCode view. My supposedly broken links were all okay as well (whew!).
(3) I right clicked on one of the topics and selected Edit With > Robohelp WYSIWGY. Result: the file opened, after prompting me that "changing HTML editors could change my HTML code". Which led me to wonder if somehow, somewhere I had inadvertently changed my default HTML editor from Robohelp.
(4) Sure enough, I discovered that under Tools > Options > HTML Editors, the Auto-select Editor checkbox was checked. I checked Use Default Editor instead. Result: suddenly I was able to open all topics in WSIWYG and TrueCode views.
(5) I saved and closed the project. Result: I can now open either the .HHP file or the newly created .XPJ file and everything *seems* good to go. All my other projects are working again as well, which makes me wonder if the HTML editor setting applies to all Robohelp projects and isn't overwritten when Robohelp is reinstalled...