Some CHM files don't work

  • Thread starter Thread starter Pete
  • Start date Start date
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Pete

When I try to access the Help function of some applications, the
associated CHM file won't open. Instead, I get a typical Windows Help
window, with the correct application name in the Title Bar and the
correct contents listing (if I select the "Contents" tab), but the right
pane of the window shows what is between the ***** below. The same
thing happens if I go directly to the application's folder and double
click on the *.CHM file.

In particular, this happens with a couple of utilities from Sysinternals
(like AutoRuns).

Is there something I can do to get these help files to open correctly?

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Pete said:
When I try to access the Help function of some applications, the
associated CHM file won't open. Instead, I get a typical Windows Help
window, with the correct application name in the Title Bar and the correct
contents listing (if I select the "Contents" tab), but the right pane of
the window shows what is between the ***** below. The same thing happens
if I go directly to the application's folder and double click on the *.CHM
file.

In particular, this happens with a couple of utilities from Sysinternals
(like AutoRuns).

Is there something I can do to get these help files to open correctly?

*****************************************
Action canceled
Internet Explorer was unable to link to the Web page you requested. The
page might be temporarily unavailable.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please try the following:

Click the Refresh button, or try again later.

If you have visited this page previously and you want to view what has
been stored on your computer, click File, and then click Work Offline.

For information about offline browsing with Internet Explorer, click the
Help menu, and then click Contents and Index.




Internet Explorer
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Click to expand...
This article might help: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896054
 
Pegasus said:
This article might help: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896054
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. Although the CHM files in question are on the
local machine and not on a network shared folder, I tried the registry
modifications anyway and they didn't work.

I also tried copying the "bad" CHM files to directories that had other
CHM files that did work because the restriction in the KB article seems
to be directed at the enclosing folder rather than at individual CHM
files. That didn't work either.

Maybe the autoruns.chm and some other Sysinternals help files are simply
corrupted.
 
Pete said:
Thanks for the suggestion. Although the CHM files in question are on the
local machine and not on a network shared folder, I tried the registry
modifications anyway and they didn't work.

I also tried copying the "bad" CHM files to directories that had other
CHM files that did work because the restriction in the KB article seems
to be directed at the enclosing folder rather than at individual CHM
files. That didn't work either.

Maybe the autoruns.chm and some other Sysinternals help files are simply
corrupted.
Click to expand...

The CHM files are not corrupted.

I still can't get the files to open from the Help menu within the
application or by double clicking on them, but the CHM Reader add-on for
Firefox does the job nicely.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/3235
 
Thanks. That was it. I'm not surprised it was something that simple (but
yet not made clear by the error message).
 
Bill said:
See my earlier post for a description of my issue.
".chm help files"

Bill
Click to expand...
"Blocked" is an attribute placed in an NTFS Alternate Data Stream when a
file is downloaded from the Internet using Internet Explorer. It doesn't
apply to all files, only those that "might be unsafe." If it has been
applied to a file but not yet removed, you'll see it in a "Security"
section at the bottom of the General tab of the file's property sheet,
below the read-only and hidden attribute check boxes.
 
Lem said:
"Blocked" is an attribute placed in an NTFS Alternate Data Stream when a
file is downloaded from the Internet using Internet Explorer. It doesn't
apply to all files, only those that "might be unsafe." If it has been
applied to a file but not yet removed, you'll see it in a "Security"
section at the bottom of the General tab of the file's property sheet,
below the read-only and hidden attribute check boxes.
Click to expand...

I meant to include these links (and I see that the second article says
that Firefox 3 is doing the same thing):

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/883260
http://smallvoid.com/article/ie-attachment-manager.html
 
Got it! I had to go to the client's offending machine
before I could see any mention of "block" or "un-block".

I also did a test on an XP SP3 IE 6 system and also
get the file blocked when sent via the Internet (e-mail
attachment). So clearly it's not an IE 7 or 8 issue.

I have to assume that the "block" attribute has been
around for a long time, which makes me wonder why
my client's continue to ask for HELP updates.

Thanks,
Bill
 
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