Cannot open chm file if in a folder called a.col

[Mike]

If I take any chm file and put it in c:\ and double click it then the help
viewer will open.

If I put the chm file file in a folder that contains ".col" in the name (for
example C:\a.col\help.chm) then I get an error message box that says "Cannot
open the file: C:\a.col\Help.chm".

I am using Windows XP SP3.

This is a problem for me since I am trying to create a help file and my user
name (and hence by user folder in documents and settings) is m.coles.

[Pete Lees]

This post might be inappropriate. Click to display it.

[Mike]

For some files I can do this but since my user name contains .col I can not
work around this when using files in My Documents or on my desktop etc.

Is there a way to disable the .col feature in hh.exe?
Is there a way to get hh.exe fixed?
Is there an alternative to hh.exe?

Post by Pete Lees
Hi, Mike,

Post by Mike
If I take any chm file and put it in c:\ and double click it then the help
viewer will open.
If I put the chm file file in a folder that contains ".col" in the name (for
example C:\a.col\help.chm) then I get an error message box that says "Cannot
open the file: C:\a.col\Help.chm".

I think this may be a throwback to the days when Microsoft delivered its
MSDN Library in HTML Help 1.x format. (Nowadays, the MSDN Library is in
Microsoft Help 2.0 format.) For the old, HTML Help-based MSDN Library,
Microsoft used collection (.col) files to list all the .chm files that were
to be included in the library. So it may be that the .col file name extension
has some special significance as far as the HTML Help engine is concerned.
Do you have the option to create the help file outside the Document and
Settings folder, where you have some control over the folder name?
Pete

[Ulrich Kulle [MVP]]

Hello Mike,

I tried your issue on my machine and same error occurs :-(

Microsoft HTMLHelp is in maintenance mode now. There are no new features
planned. So, AFAIK - question (1) no, question (2) no, question (3) see below.

For the current state of play (Online Help related), see this article:
http://www.winwriters.com/articles/news/news_2007_1201.htm

But - you may want to download XCHM from:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Office-tools/Other-Office-Tools/xCHM.shtml

Really working for your issue. :-)
--
Best regards
Ulrich Kulle
Microsoft MVP - Help
*******************
http://www.help-info.de
*******************

Post by Mike
For some files I can do this but since my user name contains .col I can not
work around this when using files in My Documents or on my desktop etc.
Is there a way to disable the .col feature in hh.exe?
Is there a way to get hh.exe fixed?
Is there an alternative to hh.exe?

Post by Pete Lees
Hi, Mike,

Post by Mike
If I take any chm file and put it in c:\ and double click it then the help
viewer will open.
If I put the chm file file in a folder that contains ".col" in the name (for
example C:\a.col\help.chm) then I get an error message box that says "Cannot
open the file: C:\a.col\Help.chm".

I think this may be a throwback to the days when Microsoft delivered its
MSDN Library in HTML Help 1.x format. (Nowadays, the MSDN Library is in
Microsoft Help 2.0 format.) For the old, HTML Help-based MSDN Library,
Microsoft used collection (.col) files to list all the .chm files that were
to be included in the library. So it may be that the .col file name extension
has some special significance as far as the HTML Help engine is concerned.
Do you have the option to create the help file outside the Document and
Settings folder, where you have some control over the folder name?
Pete