On a computer that is running Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows 8, or Windows 8 Server Beta you cannot use the Help feature in some programs.
When you try to use Help in some programs on a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, you may receive the following error message in the Windows Help and Support window:
The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which was used in previous versions of Windows and it is not supported in Windows Vista.
When you try to use Help in some programs on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2, you may receive the following error message in the Windows Help and Support window:
The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn’t included in this version of Windows. However, you can download a program that will allow you to view Help created in the Windows Help format.
When you try to use Help in some programs on a computer that is running Windows 8 or Windows 8 Server you may receive the following error message in the Windows Help and Support window:
The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows. For more information, go to the Microsoft Help and Support website.
This issue may occur if you try to use Help in a program that uses an older Help component, WinHlp32.exe, to display Help content. Because Windows Vista and later versions of Windows do not include WinHlp32.exe, you must install this component to open the .hlp files that were created in older Help content.
For example, this issue may occur in the following situations:
You upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista or to Windows 7. Then, you try to use Help in a program that was installed on your Windows XP-based system.
You buy a new computer that has Windows 7 or Windows Vista preinstalled. Then, you install an older program that you used in Windows XP, and you try to use Help in that program.
You upgrade from Windows Vista or from Windows 7 to Windows 8 Consumer Preview. Then, you try to use Help in a program that was installed on your previous system.
To resolve this issue, obtain the Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) for the versions of Windows that support it. To obtain the correct version for your operating system, you must know whether you have a Windows 32-bit or Windows 64-bit system. If you are not sure which version of Windows you are running, follow the steps under “If you are not sure which Windows version is installed.”
Note To determine which version of Windows you are running, you must be logged on as an administrator. To verify that you are logged on as an administrator, follow the steps under "To verify that you are logged on as an administrator."
If you are not sure which Windows version is installed
Collapse this imageExpand this image
If you are not sure which version of Windows is installed on your computer, follow the steps in the following wizard.
Click Start, type msinfo32 in the Start Search box or in the Search programs and files box, and then press Enter.
Collapse this imageExpand this image
Locate your operating system next to the OS Name line. Locate your architecture type next to the System Type line.
Collapse this imageExpand this image
Collapse this imageExpand this image
To verify that you are logged on as an administrator
Collapse this imageExpand this image
To verify that you are logged on as an administrator, follow the steps in the following wizard.
Open the Date and Time dialog box.
Click Start.
Type the following command in the Start Search box or in the Search programs and files box, and then press Enter:
timedate.cpl
The Date and Time dialog box opens.
Collapse this imageExpand this image
Click Change date and time in the Date and Time dialog box. When the User Account Control dialog box opens, click Continue.
Collapse this imageExpand this image
Now, do one of the following, depending on what happens when you click Continue:
If your computer does not prompt you for a password You are already logged on by using an administrator account. Click Cancel two times to close the Date and Time dialog box. Then, you are ready to continue with this task.
If your computer prompts you for a password You are not logged on by using an administrator account.
Collapse this imageExpand this image
How to obtain the correct version of the Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe)
Click one of the following “Windows Help program” links, depending on the operating system that you are running:
NoteThe Windows Help program is not supported for Windows 8 Server Beta, and no download will be provided for this Windows version.
Click Continue to run Genuine Windows Validation. For more information about how to install Genuine Windows Validation Component, visit the following Microsoft website:
Download and install Windows6.*-KB917607-x64.msu or Windows6.*-KB917607-x86.msu, depending on the edition of the operating system that you are running.
Note After you install the WinHlp32.exe download file, certain macros may be disabled, and .hlp files that are stored on an intranet may be blocked. For more information about these issues, see the "Known issues that may occur after you install the WinHlp32.exe update" section.
For more information about how to enable macros on a single computer, see the "How to enable macros on a single computer after you install the WinHlp32.exe download" section.
For information about how to enable macros in a managed environment by using group policies, see the "Registry entries and group policies for network administrators" section.
Known issues that may occur when you install the WinHlp32.exe update
Collapse this imageExpand this image
Windows Update error 80070422
To have us fix this problem for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you prefer to fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.
Fix it for me
To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix it button or link. Then, click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in the Fix it wizard.
This wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
If you are not on the computer that has the problem, save the Fix it solution to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.
If you receive Windows Update error 80070422 while you
are downloading the WinHlp32.exe update, you may have to change the Windows
Update service settings, and then restart the service. To do this, follow these steps:
Click Start, and type Services in the Start Search or Search Programs and files text box.
Double-click Services from the Programs list. If you are
prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password, or
provide confirmation.
Right-click the Windows Update
service, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, make sure that Automatic is
selected next to
Startup type.
Next to Service status, check whether
the service is started. If it is not started, click Start. If you are
prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type the password, or
provide confirmation.
Click OK.
Did this fix the problem?
Check whether the problem is fixed. If the problem is fixed, you are finished with this section. If the problem is not fixed, you can contact support
(http://support.microsoft.com/contactus)
.
We would appreciate your feedback. To provide feedback or to report any issues with this solution, please leave a comment on the "Fix it for me
Known issues that may occur after you install the WinHlp32.exe update
Collapse this imageExpand this image
The following list shows the known functionality regressions from previous releases of WinHlp32.exe. The following known issues apply only to the version of WinHlp32.exe that is discussed in
this article.
Macros are disabled
By default, the following macros are disabled in Windows
Help:
ExecFile
RegisterRoutine
ShellExecute
ShortCut
Generate
Test
ExecProgram
However, all other macros in .hlp files will function as in past releases. Therefore, if an .hlp file that depends on these macros is opened after you install Windows Help for Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 or Windows Server 2008 R2, some functionality for the file may not function correctly. You may receive the following error message:
There was a problem running the macro. (1037)
If you need these macros, you can turn them on by using the group policies workaround or the registry workaround that is described in the "Registry entries and group policies for network administrators
" section.
Cannot access .hlp files that are stored on intranet sites
By default, you cannot use WinHlp32.exe to access .hlp
files that are stored on intranet sites. If you try to open a remote file,
you will receive the following error message:
Cannot
display this help file. Try opening the help file again, and if you still get
this message, copy the help file to a different drive, and try again.
Access has been blocked to .hlp files by noninteractive
users such as system processes. The user does not receive an error message when
this error is encountered.
Drag-and-drop functionality is disabled
Support for drag-and-drop functionality in the
application has been disabled. The user does not receive an error message when
this error is encountered.
Dependencies on “How to Use Help” files
The Help files that are titled “How to Use Help” were
removed from Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. The following is the list
of files that were removed:
Windows.hlp
Winhlp32.hlp
Winhlp32.cnt
Winhelp.cnt
Nocntnt.cnt
Note These files were not included in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2.
The .hlp files that depend on these files may return an error when users try to open them.
How to address compatibility issues that are related to WinHlp32.exe in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2
You can use the Windows Help for Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 downloads that are mentioned in the "Introduction" section to view 32-bit Help files. This release provides group policies and registry subkeys that you can use to work around application-compatibility issues. For example, the group policies and registry subkeys can be used to resolve issues that are related to macros in .hlp files and to access .hlp files that are stored on intranet sites. However, if users view Help files from an unknown source, the computer will be put at more risk if they enable these policies or these settings. Therefore, you should use caution when you decide whether to implement the application-compatibility workarounds that are described in this section.
Use the following questions to help you
decide whether to install WinHlp32.exe and which policy changes and registry
changes to make.
Do you have to have the applications and the functionality that are affected by the removal of WinHlp32.exe in Windows Vista, in Windows 7, in Windows Server 2008, or in Windows Server 2008 R2?
How many applications require WinHlp32.exe? How many
applications are affected by the functionality changes? How important are these
applications?
How severe is the malfunction that is caused by the
changes?
What are your security requirements and security capabilities?
Which is more important, that you can use the
WinHlp32.exe functionality or that you make sure that your security is as
strong as possible?
Do external security measures, such as a local or a
corporate firewall, give you sufficient confidence that you can install
WinHlp32.exe and make the policy changes or the registry changes that are
described in this article?
If you are in an organization, does your organization deliver content in the .hlp format?
Can you modify the program or the contents so that
they do not have to use WinHlp32.exe functionality? For example, can you
convert the help content that is currently in the .hlp format to an alternative
file format such as .chm, .html or .xml?
Does your organization store .hlp files on an intranet site? Could you install these files locally instead of on an intranet?
How to enable macros on a single computer after you install WinHlp32.exe
After you install the WinHelp32.exe download file that is discussed in this article, certain macros are disabled. For more information about this issue, see the "
Known issues" section.
This section contains steps to re-enable these macros by modifying a registry key. If your computer is in a managed environment, do not follow these steps without first consulting with
your IT department. IT departments may decide not to re-enable macros or they
may decide to re-enable them by using group policies. IT departments will want
to read this article in its entirety before you continue.
Warning This article offers information about how to work around issues
that are caused by changes in this release of Windows Help. However, Microsoft
makes no specific recommendations about which registry keys and which values
are right for your unique environment. If you are in a managed environment,
your IT department is the best judge of how to weigh the advantages of these
workarounds against the risks of using them. The safer course is to use no
registry workarounds at all.
Note To perform the steps in this task, you must be logged on to the
computer by using an administrator account. By using an administrator account,
you can make changes to your computer that you cannot make with any other
account, such as a standard account.
To log on by using an
administrator account, you must know the password for an administrator account
on your computer. If you are performing these steps on your personal computer,
you are likely already logged on with an administrator account. If you are
performing these steps on a computer at work, you might have to ask the system
administrator for help.
To have us fix this problem for you, go to the "Fix it for me" section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the "Let me fix it myself" section.
Fix it for me
To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in this wizard.
Note This fix is for Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 only.
Note This wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
Note If you are not on the computer that has the problem, you can save the automatic fix to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to
modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the
registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps
carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it.
Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information
about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article
number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
After you install the WinHelp32.exe file that is discussed in this article, .hlp files that are stored on intranet sites are blocked. For more information about this issue, see the "
Known issues
" section.
This article contains steps to unblock these .hlp files by modifying a registry key. If your computer is in a
managed environment, do not follow these steps without first consulting with
your IT department. IT departments may decide not to re-enable macros or they
may decide to re-enable them by using group policies.
Important This article contains information that shows you how to help
lower security settings or how to turn off security features on a computer. You
can make these changes to work around a specific problem. Before you make these
changes, we recommend that you evaluate the risks that are associated with
implementing this workaround in your particular environment. If you implement
this workaround, take any appropriate additional steps to help protect the
computer.
Warning This article offers information about how to work around issues
that are caused by changes in this release of Windows Help. However, Microsoft
makes no specific recommendations about which registry keys and which values
are right for your unique environment. If you are in a managed environment,
your IT department is the best judge of how to weigh the advantages of these
workarounds against the risks of using them. The safer course is to use no
registry workarounds at all.
Note To perform the steps in this task, you must be logged on to the
computer by using an administrator account. By using an administrator account,
you can make changes to your computer that you cannot make with any other
account, such as a standard account.
To log on by using with an administrator account, you must know the password for an administrator account on your computer. If you are performing these steps on your personal computer,
you are likely already logged on with an administrator account. If you are
performing these steps on a computer at work, you might have to ask the system
administrator for help.
To have us fix this problem for you, go to the “Fix it for me” section. If you would rather fix this problem yourself, go to the “Let me fix it myself” section.
Fix it for me
To fix this problem automatically, click the Fix this problem link. Then click Run in the File Download dialog box, and follow the steps in this wizard.
Note This fix is for Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 only.
Note this wizard may be in English only. However, the automatic fix also works for other language versions of Windows.
Note If you are not on the computer that has the problem, you can save the automatic fix to a flash drive or a CD and then run it on the computer that has the problem.
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to
modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the
registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps
carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it.
Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information
about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article
number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Warning This workaround may make a computer or a network more vulnerable
to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do
not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you
can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at
your own risk.
Warning This article offers information about how to work around issues
that are caused by changes in this release of Windows Help. However, Microsoft
makes no specific recommendations about which registry keys and which values
are right for your organization. Your IT department is the best judge of how to
weigh the advantages of these workarounds against the risks of using them. The
safer course is to use no registry workarounds at all.
The
WinHlp32.exe download provides group policies and registry entries to work
around two known issues in this release of Windows Help. By using the following
group policies or registry entries, network administrators and individual users
can re-enable macros and unblock .hlp files that are stored on intranet sites.
Two group policies, a local computer Group Policy setting and a current user
Group Policy setting, are provided as a workaround for each feature. You can
also use a user registry setting to manage each feature.
For each feature, precedence is given in the following order:
Local computer Group Policy
Current user Group Policy
User registry setting
If a policy has not been set for a feature, and the user registry setting for the feature has not been set, the features will behave as described in the "
Known issues
" section.
Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to
modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the
registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps
carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it.
Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information
about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article
number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
How to back up and restore the registry in Windows
How to enable macros
Network administrators can use the Allow programmatic macros in WinHlp32.exe policy to turn on or to turn off macros in .hlp files.
Administrators can use the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to manage
this Group Policy setting. For more information about Group Policy, see the
"References" section.
If neither the Local computer Group Policy nor
the Current user Group Policy for this feature has been set, users can modify
the user registry setting for this feature to turn on or to turn off macros in
.hlp files. To change this setting, users must first add the following new
subkey to the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WinHelp
Then, users must add a DWORD value that is named
AllowProgrammaticMacros to this subkey. If the value for
AllowProgrammaticMacros is set to 1, the macros will be turned on. If the value
is set to 0, the macros will be turned off. If this registry value does not
exist, the macros will be turned off.
How to unblock .hlp files that are stored on the intranet
Network administrators can use the Allow WinHlp32.exe to access .hlp files stored on intranet sites policy setting to unblock .hlp files that are stored on the
intranet. Administrators can use the GPCM to manage this Group Policy setting.
For more information about Group Policy, see the "References"
section.
If neither Group Policy for this feature has been set, users
can modify the user registry setting for this feature to block or to unblock
.hlp files that are stored on intranet sites. To change this setting, users
must first add the following new subkey to the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WinHelp
Then, users must add a DWORD value that is named
AllowIntranetAccess to this subkey. If the value for AllowIntranetAccess is set
to 1, the .hlp files that are stored on intranet sites will be available. If
the value is set to 0, the .hlp files that are stored on intranet sites will be blocked. If this registry value does not exist, the .hlp files that are stored
on intranet sites will be blocked.
Starting with Windows Vista, the older Help component (WinHlp32.exe) was replaced with a new Help component that adds more functionality for newer versions of Windows.
The WinHlp32.exe technology will not be supported in its current form in future Windows releases. Therefore, we strongly recommend that software developers no longer use this Windows Help program in Windows Vista, in Windows 7, in Windows Server 2008, in Windows Server 2008 R2, in Windows 8 Consumer Preview, or in Windows 8 Server Beta. Software developers who release programs that rely on .hlp files are encouraged to transition their Help systems to an alternative Help file format, such as .chm, .html, or .xml. They will also have to change their calls from the WinHelp API to the new content source. Several third-party tools are available to help software developers convert Help content from one format to another format.
Note Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2 do still support WinHelp.exe for 16-bit .hlp files. The WinHelp.exe program is a version of Windows Help for 16-bit .hlp files. The WinHelp.exe program is still included in Windows Vista and in Windows 7.
Back to the top
