How to open .hlp files on W7 64bit ?

[Noahtuck]

Hey all

So I have a slightly older program and it runs fine on my W7 64bit system but when I try to view the help file, either through the program or the .hlp file itself it say's it can not open it because .hlp files are not supported in windows 7, or something to that effect.

It then tells me to update from the M$ website/help page with a link.

So I go to the M$ website and it say's I need to validate my W7 before I can download and install the update/software to read/view .hlp files.

So I download their POS software to validate my W7, AGAIN for the 100th time!!!!!!!!!
It passes and I download their software/instillation program and it installs fine.....

Then again I try to open the .hlp file in order to read it and.......
OH!!! To my surprise it now say's,


And NO, it is not a bad .hlp or corrupted file as I copied and pasted it to a USB thumb drive and it opened perfectly fine on an old system running XP Pro.....

And I have googled and everything I have seen and read say's the same thing, go to M$ and download/install exactly what I did!!!
Yet it does not work.......

Is there anything OTHER than something from M$ that will allow me to open and read this .hlp file on my W7 64bit system ??

P.S.
And I thought I hated M$ before, but I worked on my first retail W8 PC 2 days ago!!!
LOL!!

[aedipuss]

might it be the same problem codecs have? a 32bit .hlp file but a 64bit reader? can you install both versions of the patch?

[Noahtuck]

Well supposedly there is only one install and it covers both 64 & 32 bit OS.

And I have found only one installation so far, even on the M$ website, for W7 anyways.

It is just ridiculous that something that opens perfectly fine in an older OS like XP will not open in W7 even with the software installed that was downloaded from the official M$ website AFTER they made me go through the crap of DLing their validation software before they would even let me download the software to read the file!!!

Did that make any sense at all ?!?!?!
LOL!!!

And even though the pop up window said to try and move it to another drive, which is totally ridiculous, I did try and read it from another drive but no go.....

[Budman1]

Just a quick comment because I've been caught a couple times by not right clicking and running software as
"run as Administrator", even though I AM an administrator. Might try it if you didn't already. Just a thought.

[Noahtuck]

Just a quick comment because I've been caught a couple times by not right clicking and running software as
"run as Administrator", even though I AM an administrator. Might try it if you didn't already. Just a thought.

Software is not the issue, it's the actual .hlp file that won't open.

[Budman1]

This site has a suggestion I didn't know could cause a problem but sounds like it might apply. http://snippetsandhelp.blogspot.com/2011/07/solving-cannot-display-this-help-file.html

Basically it says that the help file might be from another computer and might be blocked which is why it says to try moving it.
Right click the help file and click properties and see if you have the choice to unblock it.

[El Heggunte]

So I go to the M$ website and it say's I need to validate my W7 before I can download and install the update/software to read/view .hlp files.

So I download their POS software to validate my W7, AGAIN for the 100th time!!!!!!!!!

https://www.google.com/search?num=20&hl=en&safe=off&tbo=d&complete=0&site=webhp&source=hp&q=%22Windows6.1-KB917607-x64.msu%22&btnK=Google+Search

This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer.

Wrooooong. It might be blocked just in order to annoy the owner of this computer.

[Noahtuck]

Now that is F'n weird!!

I downloaded the software & the software works fine but that .hlp file and I even moved it to another PC and it opened fine.

I even checked the properties of the .hlp file and never even noticed that it said that at the bottom of the first tab!!
I hate when I miss something so obvious!!
D'OH!!!

It allowed me to unblock it and it works fine now!
Thanks!

Wrooooong. It might be blocked just in order to annoy the owner of this computer.

That would be M$ in order to annoy every PC user in the world!!
LOL!

[ofbarea]

http://blog.komeil.com/2009/06/windows-help-program-winhlp32exe-for.html