RoboHelp 6.0 crashes on opening RH X5 projects

[NeedsHelp_37]

Our company has just "upgraded" from RoboHelp X5 to 6.0. We have had nothing but problems with this new version. Some of our X5 projects we can open, some of them we cannot. When we try to open some of our X5 projects, the RoboHelp application crashes. We have tried deleting the cpd files, etc. and nothing seems to work but deleting the index (hhk file). But then we have no index. Even if we create a new index from scratch, then as soon as we open it the next time, it crashes again. What's worse is that I've talked to Adobe technical support and installation support about 20 times over the last month and a half and they have been absolutely worthless!!!! They also keep promising to call us back by promised times and it NEVER happens. Our company has ordered 10 licenses for RoboHelp 6.0 and NONE of them are working correctly AND the results of our different projects varies by each user. We are all getting errors and the errors vary between our users. This product is NOT GOOD and we would NOT recommend it to anyone. Adobe needs to serious improvements to their 6.0 product AND to their support teams! We are going to spread the word to ALL Adobe blogs we can find since they will not help us or until they do help us.

[Peter Grainge]

Let me make it clear I am not an Adobe employee, I am a user like yourself. You are the first to report anything like this problem with the crashing on opening so I would urge you to hold off any such comment for now. Such comment would only be reasonable if it were common. I am not saying it is anything to do with your projects but it is a possibility.

On the support issue, I have flagged your observations with a senior person at Adobe.

I can understand your frustration but posting it here will not get you anywhere with Adobe as they do not monitor these forums. Let's first try to deal with this constructively. Do you have a project that fails in this way every time and that you could send to me? If you do, please post the size of it zipped up and I will see what happens when I open it.

Would you please also advise the following:

Are these projects on a network? If they are have you tried moving them locally to see what happens then?

Was RH installed with the users logon and with admin rights attached?

Is there any form of source control being used?

Have you tried on at least one PC uninstalling and reinstalling with your virus checker disabled? Yes I know everyone blames the virus checker, I'm not but it has to be considered. What virus checker do you use?

[NeedsHelp_37]

We have been over and over the items you listed with Adobe Technical Support and got nowhere. No the projects are not on a network. No, we're not using RoboSource, of course I have full admin rights (I work at a software company), yes, the virus software was disabled, I have installed and uninstalled and followed the Adobe TechNote #rb_10492 for cleaning the registry after uninstalling.

Here are the facts:

The existing project opens in X5 version of RoboHelp.

The existing project opens in RoboHelp 6 IF and only if X5 version was not ever installed on that machine.

The existing project will NOT open on a machine that had RoboHelp X5 installed, then uninstalled and RoboHelp 6 installed. Trying to open the project crashes the application. This has been tried 2 times with 2 ways of uninstalling RoboHelp X5: 1. uninstalling using Add/Remove programs and 2. uninstalling using the RoboHelp 6 CD installation CD that removes it.

If Adobe technical support could get back to me at least one time as when they "promised", it would help. But like I said, after over 20 phone calls and their unresponsiveness, it's ridiculous.

There is something wrong with how this works on an upgrade from X5. It's like they've only tested this with a new install only and not an upgrade.

[Bobby_Walker]

Hello eNerd,

I apologize that you had a difficult support experience. I assure you that this is not the norm. Hopefully either Peter or I can help you out.

At this point, I see three possible failure points:
• RoboHelp itself
• The project you are working with
• A 3rd part application/service conflicting with RoboHelp

With the information you provided, I am unable to determine which one is the culprit. Let’s try opening up one of the sample project provided with RoboHelp 6. If this works, then we know for sure that RoboHelp and or any 3rd party items on the system are fine.

I will also collect the project from Peter once you have distributed to him to see if I can help identify any issue(s) with the project itself.


Thank you,

Bobby Walker
Adobe Technical Support

[Peter Grainge]

You know you have been over them but I don't know what you have been over. There's no "of course" about it.

First I have ramped this up for you with Adobe. It's not something we do often but it seemed to be needed here.

Second, please accept my assurance, and bear in mind I see every post on these forums, that this has not come to light before. I've upgraded loads of projects and not hit this, not even once.

Third, I offered to try to open one of your projects and I have a pretty good track record. No guarantees but it must be worth a try.

[NeedsHelp_37]

Dear Bobby Walker,

I spent over 2 hours on the phone today with Adobe Technical Support (Jay). I'm sure he'll be glad to share all his notes with you. The case # is 172735468. Something seems to be wrong when there is an index file. I might also guess that something other application or registry entry or something is interfering with RoboHelp but neither Jay or I have any idea what. He also has a copy of my project file.

This is very frustrating since I've wasted over 20 hours on this problem already and our projects are getting behind because of this.

Tracey

[Linux Rules]

Hello eNerd -

First of all I am NOT an expert with RH. That being said, I think this is the clue:

"The existing project opens in RoboHelp 6 IF and only if X5 version was not ever installed on that machine."

Just thinking out loud here...could be a DLL, a Register entry, left over X5 files/directories, master boot record entry not correct, a flakey Microsoft patch (the June, July and especially August updates have caused us a number of problems to the point where the updates had to be uninstalled).

Just for grins, could you try reinstalling to a "problem" workstation but NOT accepting the RH default installation directory (try creating C:\RH6)? Also, before doing the install, log in as "Admin" and not a "User" who has full admin privileges.

Regards,
GEWB

[HKabaker]

If you ever installed the RH X5.02 upgrade, you must uninstall it separately. Perhaps you have already done so.

If you had installed RoboPDF with X5, did you uninstall it? Did you run the RoboPDF cleanup utility?

In addition to the recommended registry cleanup, did you try searching the registry for any stray RoboHelp and eHelp entries that may remain?

Also, please clarify: Earlier you said it works if you kill the hhk file, but it crashes after you create a new index. Later you say it varies by user.

If the hhk file is common to all failures, have you checked (assuming you're running Win XP -- you haven't said which OS you use) the file association for the .hhk extension under "Folder Options" in the Control Panel?

Harvey

[HKabaker]

A shot in the dark -- do you have any file names that contain spaces or special characters? I think of special characters as anything besides hyphen and underscore.

Also, no extra dots, such as weekday.monday.htm.


H

[NeedsHelp_37 · Accepted solution]

Working with my company's IT team, we have resolved this problem on my machine by reinstalling Microsoft Windows. However, there are 2 others in my department who are having the same problem and they will be reinstalling Windows XP as well.

We have not found the actual problem with Adobe 6 vs. X5. Our resolution seems to be a work-around.

I have spent way too time on this problem. I'm glad OUR IT team could help.

Still not impressed with Adobe 60 or their "customer service."

[Peter Grainge]

You are so gracious eNerd. I spent hours trying to resolve this working with one of your colleagues. With the project I was sent that demonstrated the problem on my PC, I found a solution that worked on my installation.

OK it didn't work for you but the emphasis on OUR IT team as opposed to others here who spent their free time trying to assist indicates that you have no gratitude for the effort.

Good luck next time you encounter difficulties.

What you eventually found was not conclusive that RH was the cause.