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Is there a problem with chm output and windows 8.1?

Enthusiast ,
Jan 26, 2015 Jan 26, 2015

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We're using RH 9 (latest build) to generate our chm files.

One of the developers I work with has problems in Windows 8 (8.1 to be exact) opening up our chm help file by double-clicking on the chm and it gives a software crash. The curious thing is if he accesses the help from within our own software by pressing F1, the chm displays fine. He said the chms didn't used to do this and is wondering what could have changed. Any ideas? It's not just our help system that does this though. He reports that any help system he tries to open from within explorer crashes. To me it seems like some necessary component got uninstalled or removed in a windows update or something, but wondering if anyone has experienced this and if they know the fix.

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Community Expert ,
Jan 27, 2015 Jan 27, 2015

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Just heard something similar here and the cause was somehow CHMs had got associated with IE instead of the Microsoft Help Compiler.


See www.grainge.org for RoboHelp and Authoring tips

@petergrainge

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Enthusiast ,
Jan 27, 2015 Jan 27, 2015

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Hi Peter. Thanks for the prompt reply. I checked with the dev, and his chm has MS HTML HELP as the program to Open with, when viewing the General tab of the file's properties. Another odd thing is that the dev said another help file we create opens fine if he double clicks on it. That one was created from a tool called Document X by Innovasys. I wonder what's different on the help viewer side for one to work but another to not. Could this be due to the two different hh.exe files (one in C:\Windows, and the other in C:\Windows\SysWOW64)?

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Community Expert ,
Jan 27, 2015 Jan 27, 2015

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I thought all CHMs were crashing.

When it comes to the 32/64 bit differences I am hoping Rick can wade in.

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LEGEND ,
Jan 27, 2015 Jan 27, 2015

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Sorry, but about the only thing I can offer here is that I'm aware there is a 32 bit and now a 64 bit version of the help viewer.

As Peter mentioned, it might have something to do with the file association. I know that we used to see different results when RoboHelp launched a CHM than we did if we just double-clicked a CHM. I believe double-clicking would launch the 64 bit version of the viewer while when RoboHelp launched the CHM it launched the 32 bit version of the viewer. I'm unsure if there is a way internally to identify that one CHM should open using 32 bit while another should open using 64 bit. I mean, at this point I would think a CHM is a CHM. Then again, I'm not a developer. (LOL, how did you like that? Using the ole worn political "I'm not a scientist" line.)

So it's possible that your application is pointing to the 32 bit version while double-clicking is attempting to open the 64 bit version.

Is HHActiveX.dll involved? (Browse Sequences or Glossary Tab? If so, maybe you need to register the 64 bit version?

Cheers... Rick

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Enthusiast ,
Jan 27, 2015 Jan 27, 2015

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Thanks for the responses.

Rick I would also guess that double-clicking is launching a diff hh.exe. Though, it sounds like we're installing something (maybe an incompatible HHActiveX) that the 64-bit version isn't compatible with? I don't know, but the developer verified that if he uninstalled our 64-bit version of our software, the chm files work again when launched from Windows Explorer.

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Enthusiast ,
Jan 29, 2015 Jan 29, 2015

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Sounds like we might be running into this issue: Is there a Windows 8 version of the hhactiveX.dll?

I'm going to try the RH 11 trial to see if the 64-bit version of HHActiveX.dll they distribute there works with a chm generated from RH 9.

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