XP "Help and Support" missing ...

[Guest krobbie]

Not simply disabled in Menu Items, also unsuccessful with ... "Open the

folder c:\windows\inf and right-click the PCHealth.inf file,nthen choose

"Install". If you have a Service Pack installed, select

c:\windows\i386\ServicePackFiles\PCHealth.inf instead." ... the whole thing

has disappeared. How to re-instate the facility, is there some other way?

[Guest Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

>> also unsuccessful with ... "Open the folder c:\windows\inf and right-click the PCHealth.inf file,nthen choose "Install"

 

Please provide as much information as you can.

 

What happens when you right-click on PCHEALTH.INF and choose "Install"?

What happens when you run Help and Support Center (helpctr.exe)? Do you get any error message?

 

--

Regards,

 

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]

Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com

 

 

"krobbie" <krobbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:C1BE24C8-6BDD-435B-9A0D-509A14E9D82D@microsoft.com...

Not simply disabled in Menu Items, also unsuccessful with ... "Open the

folder c:\windows\inf and right-click the PCHealth.inf file,nthen choose

"Install". If you have a Service Pack installed, select

c:\windows\i386\ServicePackFiles\PCHealth.inf instead." ... the whole thing

has disappeared. How to re-instate the facility, is there some other way?

[Guest krobbie]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

First of all, it can't overwrite files if the help service is running, so you

have to use "net stop helpsvc"

Then it will go through the process without any errors - but the help centre

still doesn't work.

[Guest Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

>> First of all, it can't overwrite files if the help service is running, so you have to use "net stop helpsvc"

 

Overwrite *which* files, and why?

>> but the help centre still doesn't work.

 

What happens instead? Any error messages?

Type in Start, Run:

 

%windir%\pchealth\helpctr\binaries\helpctr.exe

 

Press {ENTER}

 

--

Regards,

 

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]

Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com

 

 

"krobbie" <krobbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:44383A2E-2D68-4426-8F09-7183FC053B5C@microsoft.com...

First of all, it can't overwrite files if the help service is running, so you

have to use "net stop helpsvc"

Then it will go through the process without any errors - but the help centre

still doesn't work.

[Guest krobbie]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

What happens when you run Help and Support Centre (helpctr.exe)? Do you get

any error message?”

No. Just a short burst of disk activity, apparently the same effect as the

menu button gives.

 

I have tried re-registering the components using:

 

start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install

and

start /w helpsvc /register

 

but without any success.

 

Help and support service is set to automatic start and is running.

 

I tried a registry patch but all that did was to destroy the app path to

helpctr.exe so that the menu button gave the error that it could not find it

and I had to roll back the registry.

 

I also ran sfc /scannow but it found no errors or missing files.

 

I am starting to suspect that there is a flag in the registry to prevent

help and support from running - like other ones which prevent access to

control panels, taskmanager or restrict the ability to change things.

[Guest Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

Start with DLL registration. Proceed to next method if one fails to resolve

the problem.

 

Type in Start, Run dialog:

 

helpctr -regserver

regsvr32 itss

regsvr32 hhctrl.ocx

regsvr32 jscript

 

Fix Windows XP Help - from Doug's site:

http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/fix_windows_xp_help.htm

 

In that does not help, try reinstalling Help and Support Center using this method:

 

Click Start, Run and type "%systemroot%\inf". Right-click the file PCHealth.inf file and choose "Install". Insert your XP CD when prompted. If you have a Service Pack installed, be sure to point to the %Windir%\i386\ServicePackFiles folder, or your slipstreamed XP CD (if available).

 

--

Regards,

 

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]

Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com

 

 

"krobbie" <krobbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:EB1CDCF8-6883-4D99-BE22-8714BAC8C1CF@microsoft.com...

What happens when you run Help and Support Centre (helpctr.exe)? Do you get

any error message?”

No. Just a short burst of disk activity, apparently the same effect as the

menu button gives.

 

I have tried re-registering the components using:

 

start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install

and

start /w helpsvc /register

 

but without any success.

 

Help and support service is set to automatic start and is running.

 

I tried a registry patch but all that did was to destroy the app path to

helpctr.exe so that the menu button gave the error that it could not find it

and I had to roll back the registry.

 

I also ran sfc /scannow but it found no errors or missing files.

 

I am starting to suspect that there is a flag in the registry to prevent

help and support from running - like other ones which prevent access to

control panels, taskmanager or restrict the ability to change things.

[Guest krobbie]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

Had already completed the suggested options. Unfortunately, without success.

Perhaps only reinstallation of XP will fix the problem, so on this occasion I

will continue without the facility. Thanks for all of your proposals.

Cheers, Ramesh.

[Guest Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

Another possiblility is that some of the Help and Support Center files may be missing. Do a directory listing of "C:\Windows\pchealth\helpctr" ( including sub-directories ) and compare the listing with that of another Windows XP system where Help Center works fine.

 

--

Regards,

 

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]

Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com

 

 

"krobbie" <krobbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:9D696F29-6CAE-49AC-A620-01010FA1B067@microsoft.com...

Had already completed the suggested options. Unfortunately, without success.

Perhaps only reinstallation of XP will fix the problem, so on this occasion I

will continue without the facility. Thanks for all of your proposals.

Cheers, Ramesh.

[Guest krobbie]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

Well, there were none missing, but I overwrote the entire directory and,

guess what, IT WORKS!

 

One of the files must have been corrupted somehow, although I fail to see

why reinstalling using pchealth.inf did not replace all of the files anyway.

 

Heartfelt thanks to Ramesh.

[Guest Ramesh, MS-MVP]

Re: XP "Help and Support" missing ...

 

Excellent! Thanks for the feedback, Krobbie.

 

--

Regards,

 

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]

Windows® Troubleshooting http://www.winhelponline.com

 

 

"krobbie" <krobbie@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:61C803CC-7769-4854-81E1-9BD7B8453277@microsoft.com...

Well, there were none missing, but I overwrote the entire directory and,

guess what, IT WORKS!

 

One of the files must have been corrupted somehow, although I fail to see

why reinstalling using pchealth.inf did not replace all of the files anyway.

 

Heartfelt thanks to Ramesh.