Fatal Error Compiling CHM File in RoboHelp 7

[Guest]

Hi all,

I get a fatal error in the Output View when compiling a CHM in RoboHelp 7. The application has crashed numerous times when I've moved or deleted folders in the Project Manager. As a result, I believe the hhp file is referring to files that don't exist anymore. For instance, I found the file paths to 2 deleted topics. Could this be the cause of the CHM compilation error?

The project contains no broken links or special characters.

Help!

Sugar the Beet

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the forum.

Who knows? One way to find out. Make a copy of the project and then edit the HHP in Notepad.

If that fails, delete the CPD and then reopen the project.

[Guest]

Thanks Peter.

Is there any way I can compare my topic list with the topic list in the HHP file? I recall doing something like this before and using MS Excel to compare. I can't remember how I got the project topic list.

STB

[Peter Grainge]

Reports Menu?

[Guest]

Deleting the CPD produced a functional CHM file, but only after compiling in HTML Help Workshop. I did, however, receive an error message regarding 2 URLs.

I was unable to find the URLs using the Adobe GoLive search function, but the HTML Help Workshop error log insists I have two addresses with backslashes (\) instead of forward slashes. I don't get it: my URLs are correct in Project Manager, and I can't find the backward URLs anywhere.

When I try compile the CHM using RoboHelp, the application fails to present the CHM after the output is complete. When I open it in explorer, I get the classic: "Cannot open the file: mk:@MSITStore:[filepath]".

Any ideas on what I should do?

[Pete_Lees]

Hi, ewiqoujfdsaklfjlaksj,

> the HTML Help Workshop error log insists I have two addresses with
> backslashes (\) instead of forward slashes.

Like this?

HHC5003: Error: Compilation failed while compiling http:\www.google.com.
HHC5003: Error: Compilation failed while compiling http:\www.adobe.com.

If so, these errors are benign if you've associated the Web addresses with custom "Jump" buttons in the toolbar of the help viewer. This is a known glitch in the HTML Help compiler.

Pete

[Guest]

Exactly. So you don't think it's the reason RoboHelp won't compile?

[Pete_Lees]

I don't think so, no, but you might try removing the Jump buttons and then recompiling with RoboHelp to confirm this. Presumably there are no other errors in the log?

Pete

[Guest]

Would they be the Related Topics buttons?

[Pete_Lees]

Hi,

By "Jump" buttons I mean the two additional buttons that you can add to the toolbar of the help viewer and that take the user to an author-designated help topic or Web page — the latter in your case. You would have set these up when customising the window for your help file.

Specifying Web addresses as the targets of Related Topics links shouldn't cause the HHC5003 errors. In fact, I suspect that it's only by assigning URLs to Jump buttons that you'll receive the (false) error messages.

Pete

[Guest]

The CHM file, as I anticipated, won't compile in RoboHelp properly. I end up with a 1KB chm file and an error message when I attempt to open it (mk:@MSITStore). I'm getting tired of seeing that error message. 😉

[RoboWizard]

Hi Jennifer

One thing you may wish to try is to create a totally new layout. Just right-click inside your Single Source Layouts pod and choose New Layout.... Define a new one and try again.

This isn't a surefire fix, but a long shot. In the past, we have seen that for some reason a layout file will become corrupt and creating a new one from scratch will correct things.

Cheers... Rick

[Guest]

That worked for HTML Help Workshop. Thanks. 🙂 Now I'll test it in RoboHelp. Fingers crossed.