Have no/lost WindowsXP Help Files???

[dagger]

Go easy on me - I've only been using XP Pro for 1 week....

I can't access any WindowsXP Help files. For example, open up My Computer, and click on Help menu, and then select Help and Support, and......... nothing happens. No errors, just nothing. Same thing while I'm in other Start menu modes/windows where in the left hand menu select side I can click on various Info or Help topics, the cursor changes to the pointing finger, but when I click........nothing?

What did I do (not do?)?

thanx,
dagger

[wuntvor]

that seems very odd

try this - go to search and click on information in help and support center

that's another way to access help, see if it does the same thing

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"Same thing while I'm in other Start menu modes/windows where in the left hand menu select side I can click on various Info or Help topics, the cursor changes to the pointing finger, but when I click........nothing? "
^^^ ^^^^ you lost me here

do you mean that nothing in your start menu works at all :?:

[dagger]

wuntvor,

Doesn't work either when I go Start - Search - and click on Information and Help Center. Everything else works in there.

Where I lost you was that as I'm working in other submenus say within the Control Panel area, I've seen and clicked on links in the left hand side that offer Help or Info options, and again nothing happens.

dagger

[wuntvor]

hum, search for *.cpl - that should show all the control panel links and when you open them it should open the corresponding item

see if you have a ton of .hlp files in c:\windows\help, that's where the help files are stored

[Beefy]

i can't say i've tried the help files in XP yet, but i have a similar problem when trying to use the search function. most of the time it just doesn't work...

[wuntvor]

odd, I've never had a problem with either help or search

[dagger]

wuntvor,

searched on .cpl and .hlp files - they are all there. Double clicking on the .cpl opens the specific control panel window. Now what?

thanx,
dagger

[wuntvor]

u got me, that's weird

just disable that menu and display the control panel as a link so it actually opens the control panel

if not sure how to do that, here ya go
do properites on the taskbar
start menu tab - customize - advanced tab

you'll see it right there
it's only a workaround, but I have no idea how to fix that problem :D

I'm stumped on the help and support problem too

anyone have any ideas :?: :confused:

[dagger]

SOLVED!

In one of the microsoft usenet groups I found a similar thread. I used a registry cleaner (EasyCleaner) which deletes this Help registry entry. Here is a link to a site that has a vbscript to restore the Help service!!!

http://www.dougknox.com

cheers,
dagger