Contents, Index, and Search pane missing

[Kykiedoll]

I am attempting to make a CD to distribute my Help project. The SSL is Microsoft HTML Help.
I have read that the .chm file is all I need for my help file to be viewed.

When I complete the CD and access the .chm file, the Contents, Index, and Search information, along with
the books, topics, and pages do not show up.

What am I missing?

Thanks.

[Captiv8r]

Hi Kykiedoll and welcome to our community

I'm confused. You said the Contents, Index, Search and Topics are missing? That's basically the entirety of your help system. So what do you see? Nothing? Just a frame?

I provide CD handouts in every RoboHelp and Captivate class I conduct. These all have a .CHM file that serves as the "Front End" to the information on the CD. To the best of my knowledge, they work fine. So I don't believe the issue is related to the fact the files are on CD.

Cheers... Rick

[Vernon_Robinson]

I am having a similar problem. I am trying to call Robohelp 7 HTMlHelp from within Microsoft Access. I found that the Contents/Index/Search Panes appear to be missing, but were actually hidden. In the top menu bar there is a button that toggles between Hide/Show. I can't seem to get it to come up in a fully opened state. It seems to work ok when I click directly on the .chm file, but not when called from within Access. It gets even worse when calling from Access within Windows Vista. I will start another thread for my issues, but thought this might help as a starting point.

[Kykiedoll]

Hi Rick,

The main window appears, without the Contents, Index, and Search pane. Yes this is the entire help file that is not displaying in the chm file. I am using RoboHelp 5.02, when I click on my chm file from my computer or windows explorer, everything is fine. It is only when I make my CD that the chm file just displays the main window.

Questions:
Is there something on RoboHelps HTML Help setup that I should be checking or doing before I generate?
On the CDs that you distribute in your class, does that only include the chm file or are there other supporting files?

I have received some feedback on this issue. There is a MS Security Update that has prevented the chm files from working properly. See website: http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/chm_mspatch/896358.htm

Thanks for your input.

[RoboColum_n_]

Just checking that the window in your RH project has the relevant options selected? Or are you saying that the CHM operates perfectly on your hard drive and only has a problem when copied to a CD. As Rick says, copying to a CD should not in itself cause the TOC, Index, etc to be suppressed.

BTW the link you gave only affects the display of topic content when there CHM is run on a network drive.

[Kykiedoll]

Hi Colum-

Yes, I am saying that the CHM operates perfectly on my hard drive and only has a problem when copied to a CD. I am trying to find out what I am missing. Is there something in the HTML Help Options or Properties that I am missing? Is there something wrong with where the output folder and file name location is mapped? etc.

Thanks.

[johnmccallum]

I have also had trouble copying to CD. I have even had the frame open as you did without the full file (I think the help engine might do this with any file with a .chm extension). But my problem was not with CHMs, it was with poor CD writing technology. My CD writer has trouble with all large files. Some of my CHM files are about 20MB and they don't copy well. You will want to check your CD version and PC version to make sure they are the same file. Can you copy it from CD to your hard drive and have it work? I suspect not.

John

[Kykiedoll]

All,

Another thing I noticed is the size of my CHM file. If this file is to contain the entire help file, it appears to be quite small (771 KB). This doesn't make sense to me.

Any input on this is greatly appreciated. Thanks. kt

[RoboColum_n_]

On the one hand you are concerned with the file size and the next you say it is small. 771K is small by CHM standards. That said, it does depend a lot of what is contained in the file (e.g. images, image file formats, hyperlinks, etc.). You can ensure the CHM is compressed by ensuring the "Optimise CHM File Size" is checked in your single source layout properties.