Unable to Generate Printed Documentation in Word

[ascentiswm]

I'm upgrading from RoboHelp 5 to RoboHelp 7 because the old version is incompatible with MS-Word 2007. However, I'm unable to generate the printed documentation with RoboHelp 7. It keeps giving an unclear error message:

"Microsoft® Word has not been started on this computer.
Launch Word and click the 'Start using Microsoft® Word' option before generating Printed Documentation again"

I launch Word, but there is no "Start using Microsoft® Word " option on Microsoft Word or RoboHelp 7. I thought that it might have something to do with my regular users account. Yet, I still have the same error message after upgrading my account to an administrator.

I found articles with a similar problem, but I do not have open office installed.

Can someone help?

[Peter Grainge]

You cannot just upgrade your account. RH has to be installed with the admin logon. You cannot just add admin rights later.

The Start Using Word option appears when you install Word. If you have used Word with the same logon, that is all that matters.

Take a look at Print Issues on my site.

[ascentiswm]

Thank you very much for your quick reply. I thought the reply would take at least a couple of days.

Word 2007 was installed in my pc by the network administrator last year and I have been using it since then. RoboHelp 5 was also installed in my pc last year. I did not find any problem of using RH5 until I need to generate printed documentation this year and learn that RoboHelp 5 is incompatible with Word 2007. I requested the network administrator to upgrade to RH7 last week. Yet, I am still unable to generate printed documentation due to the problem I posted two days ago. The admin suspected that was caused by my limited profile, so he added my user id as the local administrator of my pc. Still, I am having this problem. He then asked me to post the problem here.

I've taken a look at the Print Issue on your site, but I do not see anything with this message to launch World and click "Start using Microsoft Word" option.

Do I need to ask the network administrator to re-install MS-Word 2007 in my PC? Please tell me what to do here.

[Peter Grainge]

So X5 was installed when Word 2007 was on the PC and no compatible version of RH. That may well have caused a hiccough.

Also the uninstall of X5 was not as clean as the current version so that may have left a trace, especially as it was installed without a compatible version of Word.

There are no guaranteed steps in this scenario but this is what I would do. I would uninstall RH7 and deep uninstall X5. That means you uninstall it including manually removing some registry entries.

See this article for instructions and involve your IT guy in the process.

http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/opening/opening_projects.htm

I explained before, "Start using Microsoft Word" is something that appears in a dialog when you are installing Word. You have done that already so you cannot go back to it.

[ascentiswm]

Thanks again for your advice.

I have worked with the IT administrator. He uninstalled RH7 and X5. He also went through the registry entries to delete all entries like "roboh". Afterwards, he installed RH7 without including the Robosource Control 3.1 and Adobe PDF Creation Add-On 8.1. Still, the error message appears and blocks me from generating the printed documentation.

I saw someone mentioning in the Print Issue of your site that he started RoboHelp for Word and it solved the problem. However, the RoboHelp for Word gives another problem. When I try to run the sample project (features.hpj), it keeps prompting a message

"RoboHelp template C:\users\ascentiswm\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\RoboHELP.dot cannot be located. Please re-install RoboHelp."

even though the IT guy has re-installed the RoboHelp twice.

Any other suggestion that he should do?

[Peter Grainge]

Go out and get roaring drunk in the best old traditions?

OK.

1] Have him check this out.

http://www.grainge.org/pages/authoring/printing/findword.htm

2] Post back the result. I want to get someone to check out that path and will do that tomorrow.

[ascentiswm]

This is the result I got from the IT guy.

Key name: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.doc
(Default) = Word.Document.8
Content Type = application/msword

Key name: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Word.Document.8\shell\Open\command
(Default) = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\WINWORD.EXE" /n /dde
command = w_1^V7!!!!!!!!!MKKSkWORDFiles>tW{~$4Q]c@5d1`,xaTO5 /n /dde

The only difference I'm seeing is the command from my pc does not have the tailing value "w_1^VW!!!!!!!" after "/n /dde". Not sure if it matters.

[ascentiswm · Accepted solution]

After some research, I am finally able to generate the printed documentation. Not sure which actions that I did truly solved the problem. Anyway, this is what I did:
1. Downloaded and applied this security fix for printed documentation.
http://download.macromedia.com/pub/robohelp/files/downloads/sr/x3/rhx3sr1.exe
2. Downloaded and applied this patch.
http://download.adobe.com/pub/adobe/robohelp/win/7.x/Setup.exe
3. Downloaded these templates and placed them under the target folders C:\users\ascentiswm\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\
http://download.macromedia.com/pub/robohelp/files/downloads/sr/x5/rhx5_word2003_update.zip
Then, enabled the macro of PrintDoc.dot

[MergeThis]

Once you're sure that this fix has truly cleared things up for you, please mark your last post as the answer. As you might not be aware, there have been dozens and dozens of threads about Word problems, so forum users could be greatly helped if you indicate success.


Good luck,
Leon

[Peter Grainge]

Whilst I am glad that has fixed it for you, it is not something I could recommend because it is a mix of patches.

You are using RH7.

The first link is for X3. The third link is for X5. The third link does not identify the version. Notwithstanding that it fixed it for you, I would personally be wary of other consequences manifesting themselves later.

[Peter Grainge]

The second link is in fact the first patch for RH7 so that is probably what fixed it. Did you also apply the second patch for RH7?

[ascentiswm]

Yes, it is indeed a mix of patches. That was why I wasn't sure which one solved the problem.

However, I did have X5 installed in my pc. I doubted that the X5 was 100% cleared from my pc even though my IT guy had done a deep un-installation for X5.

As I recall, the third link actually solved my problem of using RoboHelp for Word which kept prompting an error message "RoboHelp template C:\users\ascentiswm\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\RoboHELP.dot cannot be located. Please re-install RoboHelp."

I did not continue to install the second patch for RH7 since my problem got resolved already.

[Peter Grainge]

Patch 2 contains browser compatibility improvements and RH performance improvements. You should always keep up to date with the patches.

[ascentiswm]

Thank you for your advice. I have applied the patch 2 now.

[ascentiswm]

Thank you for your advice. I have applied the patch 2 now.