Dynamic help, MSDN documentation cannot be displayed

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Eric

2004-10-31 19:43:01 UTC

For a reason unknow, the document explorer is not able to display any help
pages. I always get a "Cannot find server". The table of content is working
correctly but when I select a topic, the page cannot be display. Here is an
example of the URL that is used to display a page:

ms-help://MS.VSCC.2003/MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/startsql/getstart_5v33.htm

I uninstall VStudio .NET 2003 and re-install it completely. It's no use. I
always get the same error. Does anybody knows what to do. I try to contact
MS technical support for this, but they did not answered me yet.

Lau Lei Cheong

2004-11-11 01:59:53 UTC

Permalink

I can't connect to the link you provided too. Perheps the link has been
relocated.

Using Google, this link you are referring to is probably this one:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/startsql/getstart_5v33.asp

You can search by the last part of filename as a temporary solution.

Perheps you can try this link to see if the IDE help works:
ms-help://MS.VSCC.2003/MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1028/cpref/html/frlrfSystemArrayCl
assLengthTopic.htm

Post by Eric
For a reason unknow, the document explorer is not able to display any help
pages. I always get a "Cannot find server". The table of content is working
correctly but when I select a topic, the page cannot be display. Here is an
ms-help://MS.VSCC.2003/MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/startsql/getstart_5v33.htm
I uninstall VStudio .NET 2003 and re-install it completely. It's no use.

Post by Eric
always get the same error. Does anybody knows what to do. I try to contact
MS technical support for this, but they did not answered me yet.

Lau Lei Cheong

2004-11-11 02:04:25 UTC

Permalink

I've found it. Try the following instead:
ms-help://MS.VSCC.2003/MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1028/startsql/getstart_5v33.htm

Post by Eric
always get the same error. Does anybody knows what to do. I try to contact
MS technical support for this, but they did not answered me yet.

Lau Lei Cheong

2004-11-11 02:38:38 UTC

Permalink

Further information:

You can change the following registry key if you like:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSDN\7.0\Help

Rename the key "ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033" to
"ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1028" should help.
(Of course, you probably want to new the key instead. The type is also
REG_SZ and value is "(no filter)")

Then new the following registry tree: (Sorry, my VS.NET is Chinese edition)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSDN\7.0\Help\0x0404\{65AE540E-1461-42
36-8B7F-5FA5FC49571A}
Add the following:
key type value
(default) REG_SZ MSDN Library for
Visual Studio .NET 2003 CHT
Filename REG_SZ
ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1028
Registration tree
Copy the keys and values of
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSDN\7.0\Help\0x0404\{50027BAF-9270-4
6bb-9086-6DC6634EDEFE}\Registration" to here.

These keys are directly found under registry of MSDN, so probably you'll
need to modify elsewhere.

Post by Eric
always get the same error. Does anybody knows what to do. I try to contact
MS technical support for this, but they did not answered me yet.

tom

2004-12-02 23:55:04 UTC

Permalink

I am having the same problem and it's driving me crazy. Did the reply from
Lau Lei Cheong fix it? I'm reluctant to change the registry, and i would
think that re-installing the sware would have fixed any registry problems.
Please let me know if you get it fixed. Thanks.

Darren Parker [MS]

2004-12-20 18:31:43 UTC

Permalink

Tom,

Modifying those reg keys isn't a good idea and its not going to solve your
issue.
There could be several reasons why this isn't showing up correctly and its
hard to tell from the info we have so far.

First try re-registering hxds.dll
at the command line:
regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\Help\hxds.dll"

Next, if this doesn't work try this:

Open up VS and go to Tools, Options.
Under Environment, select Help.
In the right hand pane, try changing your Preferred collection to from
Visual Studio .NET 2003 Combined Help Collection to MSDN Library for Visual
Studio .NET 2003

Let me know how it goes and if its still not working I will try to help out
further.

Darren Parker
Microsoft

Post by tom
I am having the same problem and it's driving me crazy. Did the reply from
Lau Lei Cheong fix it? I'm reluctant to change the registry, and i would
think that re-installing the sware would have fixed any registry problems.
Please let me know if you get it fixed. Thanks.

tom

2004-12-20 19:17:07 UTC

Permalink

Thanks, but it still doesn't work. The firest time i try to access help, I
get "Action canceled" and from then on I get "The page cannot me displayed".
In fact, it's worse than ever now - I used to get some pages, but never the
'leaf' nodes, now i get nothing but the DNS error. Samples of the addresses
that are causing the error are
ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/vcedit/html/vcorivisualcreferencenode.htm
or
ms-help://MS.MSDNQTR.2003FEB.1033/vcstdlib/html/vcoriStandardCLibraryReference.htm
and these don't work for me even if i paste them into IE. Are they
well-formed? Maybe my problem is with IE security or something. It used to
work fine, and maybe there's a connection with the XP SP2 update.

This problem seems to fairly common, there are lots of references in the
developer community. I hope someone figures it out. Thanks for your help.

Tom Graves

Post by Darren Parker [MS]
Tom,
Modifying those reg keys isn't a good idea and its not going to solve your
issue.
There could be several reasons why this isn't showing up correctly and its
hard to tell from the info we have so far.
First try re-registering hxds.dll
regsvr32 "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft
Shared\Help\hxds.dll"
Open up VS and go to Tools, Options.
Under Environment, select Help.
In the right hand pane, try changing your Preferred collection to from
Visual Studio .NET 2003 Combined Help Collection to MSDN Library for Visual
Studio .NET 2003
Let me know how it goes and if its still not working I will try to help out
further.
Darren Parker
Microsoft

Bob

2005-01-07 22:27:05 UTC

Permalink

Darren,

I am experincing the same problem. I can see the Index and Contents
dialogs, but the main content page displays "Cannot find server". I have
re-installed VSNET MSDN, verified the registry entries, re-register hxds.dll
and changed the Perferred Collection setting in the vsnet IDE. I have all
of the current updates and I am using XP Pro.

I would apprecitate any suggestions.

Thank you.

Bob

2005-01-08 13:11:03 UTC

Permalink

I was able to resolve the problem based on finding information on other
sites. I logged in as another user on my XP Pro and renamed the directory:

C:\Documents and Settings\<Your User ID>\Local Settings\Temporary Internet
Files

I know this is not the "recommended" approach but it worked.

Thank you.

Post by Bob
Darren,
I am experincing the same problem. I can see the Index and Contents
dialogs, but the main content page displays "Cannot find server". I have
re-installed VSNET MSDN, verified the registry entries, re-register hxds.dll
and changed the Perferred Collection setting in the vsnet IDE. I have all
of the current updates and I am using XP Pro.
I would apprecitate any suggestions.
Thank you.

Mathias

2005-02-12 20:30:50 UTC

Permalink

Bob, I tried to do what you recommended but wasn't able to rename the directory as another user on my XP Home.

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Mathias

2005-02-12 20:36:11 UTC

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I still have the problem and I was not able to rename the folder bob mentoned (even when logged in as another user)

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Bob

2005-02-14 10:53:04 UTC

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Clear out all temporay internet files, then try using the "Move Folder"
(Internet Options->General->Temporay Internet files->settings->Move Folder).

Post by Mathias
I still have the problem and I was not able to rename the folder bob mentoned (even when logged in as another user)
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Mathias Mueller

2005-03-09 20:47:47 UTC

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hi Bob,

sorry for the double post. Your tip worked, I got the msdn documentation
running again.

thanks a lot.

Regards

Mathias

Post by Bob
Clear out all temporay internet files, then try using the "Move Folder"
(Internet Options->General->Temporay Internet files->settings->Move Folder).

Frank

2005-07-16 03:30:34 UTC

Permalink

Thanks! Bob, I too experienced this same pblm after upgrading from VB.net Standard to VS Professional. I cleared out temp internet files & did the move & all is well. Good Job!

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