Windows Vista and CHM Issues

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Windows Vista and CHM Issues

You may find that on occasion you can not view the content of CHM files on Windows Vista. You can see the table of contents but the actual details are not displayed.

This can occur if the file has come from another computer, and the OS now blocks these from running. CHM is not the only file that can be affected I have seen this issue with Javascript files that are used in Vista Gadgets.

You can click the Unblock button and it will allow the single file to be trusted.

In addition, check that the path to the .CHM file doesn't have any # characters in it anywhere. Otherwise, the help viewer gets confused (# means something specific in HTML). If it does, you'll have to move the file somewhere else.

posted on Friday, April 13, 2007 6:11 AM | Filed Under [ Misc ]

Comments

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

The problem I'm getting with CHMs on Vista is that even after Unblocking the file, when I launch it, the first page still shows up as "cancelled".

Once I use the TOC and select another page, it works fine, it's just the first page that never displays.

This is regardless of if the file is stored locally, or on a intranet/network share.

Posted by Dave Dustin on 4/15/2007 11:13 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I have the same problem -- and can't use this tip because I do not have an "Unblock" button. What else can I do?

Posted by Unblock on 9/16/2007 1:18 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks u very much!!

Posted by Sebastian on 10/1/2007 2:35 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

i'm having same problem mentioned above @ 2007-09-16-1:18pm : i don't have an "Unblock" button either. i'm using Server 2003, all patches & updates current, other than that it's a fresh install - haven't even installed IIS yet. in fact it's an IIS 6.0 deployment manual in CHM that i need to view. do i have to install IIS first or something? doesn't seem to make much sense since i can view the same CHMs on all machines (XPSP2) across the rest of the peer-to-peer (for now) network.

Posted by paul on 10/4/2007 6:38 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

i have a chm file zipped ,even vista is refuzing to extract it .the reason is a security issue, he doesn't open this kind of files.please can someone help me to remediate

Posted by Edy on 11/9/2007 11:28 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Erm, there's a quite nice CHM file viewer available for Linux... in fact there are TWO:

For Gnome: http://xchm.sourceforge.net/
For KDE: http://www.kde-apps.org/content/show.php?content=25125

Maybe try out a live cd with one of these on it?

In fact, XCHM is cross-platform. It may be possible to build your own viewer binary for Vista, from the source code. Probably easier just to try it on a Linux or Mac OS X box though...

How odd that these other operating systems can view Windows help files, whereas Vista cannot?

Posted by Mike on 11/22/2007 3:45 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

works in Vista x64 no issues, once unblocked I cann see everything from first page to last.

Thanks!

Posted by Jorge Nunes on 1/31/2008 1:24 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks for help,
Now I can open chm file easyly after sometime I tried, I still havo no answer why I cannot open this kind of file in another computer.

Posted by geo on 2/11/2008 5:40 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanx a lot woked. I am now viewing the file.

Posted by Adel Saleh on 3/25/2008 5:21 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks a lot. It works with me.

Posted by Fadhel on 3/25/2008 7:36 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanx a lot woked. (IRAN)

Posted by Ali reza Honarvar on 3/26/2008 2:16 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

xchm-1.13.zip for Win32:

http://downloads.sourceforge.net/xchm/xchm-1.13.zip?modtime=1176643587&big_mirror=0

I use it on Xp to read my Chm ebooks that are stored on a Local Network Drive.
It's just perfect!

Posted by Renee on 3/26/2008 10:55 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

They have blocked unpacking of chm in network because of risk for virus, there is a register hack which can help (in xp it works).

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\HHRestrictions]
"MaxAllowedZone"=dword:00000001
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\ItssRestrictions]
"MaxAllowedZone"=dword:00000001

Posted by Ken on 4/7/2008 9:22 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks!

This worked great with the PHP-Manuel from php.net. :D

Posted by Johan on 4/13/2008 10:14 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks for solution. I try to find information on microsoft but there no answers.

Posted by Edwin on 4/26/2008 10:14 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I had the # character on the path to the chm file. Changed the name of the directory from C# to CSharp and now I can open it :) .
Thanks!

Posted by Omar on 5/5/2008 4:57 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

i'm having same problem mentioned above @ 2007-09-16-1:18pm : i don't have an "Unblock" button. I'm using Vista Home Premium. Anyone knows hot to unblock a file?

Posted by Libor on 5/16/2008 8:29 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Hi - i just put the chm file in the root of c:\ then open it again, and it shows perfectly.. hope it works for you too. Best regards from DK

Posted by Peter on 5/22/2008 9:59 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

The "Unblock" button will not be available if your .CHM file is located in a zipped file.
If it is the case, just copy your .CHM to a normal directory and edit its properties from there.

Posted by Andre on 6/15/2008 5:54 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks so much, it worked.

Posted by Pitteri on 6/28/2008 10:34 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Registry hack above works in Vista64. I used 32bit dwords by the way. Thanks for the tip

Posted by DevDoc on 7/3/2008 5:19 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I had a same problem and I did follow your tips, but It wasn't work. Finally, I moved my .CHM file to Desktop, and used your tips (properties and use "Unlock button". It worked :).Thanks

Posted by Haki on 7/14/2008 5:42 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks Chris the unblock tip worked for me.

Posted by SP on 8/28/2008 5:20 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

thanks for the hint with 'copy to desktop'

moved file after unblocking to original location, and still worked. seems, that in some directories these changes were not permanent !

Posted by asterix on 8/28/2008 5:46 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I had the problem on WinXP.
Thank you for the tip!

Posted by annette on 9/5/2008 4:03 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

thanks its works!!

Posted by sruthi on 9/12/2008 2:30 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

it really worked.. thanks

Posted by amit sinha on 9/14/2008 7:53 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

thanx for the hints.

Posted by sam on 9/17/2008 7:54 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

well my friends, I unblock the file and I can't read it,
I download xchm which didn't work
I can't read one chm file which don't have any content in the sibe bar.
Do anyone knows how I can manage this file in order to see the content in the side bar???? May be this is the problem.
Thanks a lot.

Posted by pandelis on 9/23/2008 7:02 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

thanks that work

Posted by bar on 9/30/2008 12:21 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks a lot.

Now chm file is working.

Posted by ROCK on 10/9/2008 6:44 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

You can add a registry key to repair this issue in XP and Vista
hkey local machine
software
microsoft
htmlhelp1.0
add new key called ItssRestrictions
Within that key add DWORD value called MaxAllowedZone
Adjust the value of this key to 3 or 4 or 5

Posted by Mike on 10/10/2008 1:33 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

it works :)

Posted by me on 10/15/2008 12:31 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

thanx! works great with me.

Posted by sunny on 10/16/2008 2:07 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I took the advice of Omar (from 5/5/2008) and change the C# to Csharp in the chm filename that I was having problems with and now it works great!!

I'm glad I didn't delete all the copies I had of that file now ^^;

Posted by James on 10/21/2008 10:29 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

bros i tried all but still vista is making problems,,,,,
there is no #
i copied to desp top
i chand reg entries
i adjust Irss values to 3 4 or 5
still unable to do so...... i am using vista home,updated,ser pack 1

Posted by TAUSIF on 11/3/2008 1:19 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you very much - it works now

Posted by vannghia184@yahoo.com on 11/17/2008 4:30 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Had the same scenario as Omar earlier. I have a folder called C#. Moved the .chm file to some other place. Now it works well.

Appreciate the tip very much.

Cheers mate.

Posted by Jazzflyer on 12/23/2008 10:10 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you VERY much. That saved me a lot of trouble. I've been using Vista for about a year, and didn't know about this!

Posted by Russ in San Diego on 12/31/2008 12:34 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I was having same trouble on Vista for so many days ... and i just copied the files on to another folder and it worked ... then i renamed the original folder from c# to csharp then also it worked... thanks for all you comments readers..

Posted by Kapil Arya on 1/10/2009 12:01 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

i went into the properties and Unblocked and it works in my windows vista, thanks pals

Posted by vince on 1/15/2009 5:20 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Guys, I have something funny to report here...
Windows Vista tends to put every downloaded contents in a default Download folder. Obviously that's where your .chm file appears first. And naturally, Vista is more suspicious about the contents in that folder.

I had no 'unblock' button at all, even in the property pages of a file not zipped. I don't know how it happened, but that is so. I just copied to other partition, and that's all!

Now I'm happy with all my references...

By the way, thanks to 'Copy to Desktop' hint. That led me to this wider solution.

Posted by Abhay Anand Bhave, India on 1/21/2009 7:15 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

jajajaja genius... :P thanks a lot...

Posted by casmol on 1/23/2009 12:53 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

You got my attention, Great Post let's cheers to that, i will forward it to some of my visitors just for them to know about your blog.

Posted by Vista Registry Cleaner on 2/5/2009 7:11 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks for the tip! It really works

Posted by Dammi on 2/5/2009 7:42 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks a lot!!! useful tip

Posted by Sanjay Shetty on 2/11/2009 12:22 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks for solution. I try to find information on microsoft but there no answers.

Posted by paramus contested divorce on 2/18/2009 10:42 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

thank

Posted by tholmes on 2/20/2009 9:12 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you so much. It has worked, but with one extra step for me. The first step was to remove read-only (if checked). Then use 'unblock' function and it worked.

cheers,
F

Posted by f on 2/22/2009 6:13 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you very much. I had tried almost two hours to find the correct solution. This is the solution I was looking for. I have deleted some files thinking that they got corrupted. Once again thank you.

Posted by PPNRAO on 3/8/2009 12:48 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Hi
by opening property, Click on unblock than working in vista.
Thank you,

Posted by BHAVESH on 3/25/2009 1:21 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you a lot :) a useful tip!

Posted by Amanuek on 3/27/2009 2:09 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks, you're the best!

Next generation of vista you'll have to activate the "unlock" botton in the registery using a password that changes every day and that can only be found using another password encrypted on the harddrive somewhere... Vista is so weird!

Posted by Alfa on 3/27/2009 10:59 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you very much. I had this problem several times before and had deleted the files as "broken". This method really works fine. Thank you!

Posted by P.Magos on 3/28/2009 7:44 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you very much.
The registry setting solved my problem.

gy

Posted by gy on 4/1/2009 1:13 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thank you so much.

While I'm offline I still need to have access to this manual, but I couldn't find a way to make it work.

greets
Guillermo

Posted by Guillermo on 4/14/2009 6:14 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

it works while unblocking...thank you

Posted by ram on 5/22/2009 11:56 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I could read the file after unblocking. Thank you!!!

Posted by Ben on 6/4/2009 2:06 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks,
I am able to open file when I click on unblock button of the chm file even first page also I am able to see.
I am using vista home basic.

Posted by aks on 6/28/2009 8:12 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I have copied the chm file to desktop, other partition, C: and every time I hit properties -> unblock -> apply (or OK) I end up getting the same navigation to web page was cancled message from the image at very begginig. And if I were to click the properties option again it would offer to unblock again (so it's blocked again!). It isnt really unblocking.
Can anybody help me?

Many thanks !

Posted by R on 7/9/2009 6:54 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I really have to say, it seems to actually be a html language problem - If you have for example the # symbol like mentioned earlier, in your filepath, the contents will not show. Rename whatever folder(s) need to be renamed, and it should work.

Posted by eivindt on 8/11/2009 9:41 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Hey guys, I had the same problem. ! worse is there was no unlock button. Surpriingly once I zipped the file and used WINRAR to preview the file it worked like charm!
Only problem is now i have to click twice before I can view the help :P

Posted by Gayan on 8/17/2009 1:15 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I had already looked for the # in my path and that was not the problem (just forgot to mantion it in my post), my path is:

C:\Users\My-name-here\Documents\Islam\Quran\Tafsir

What I ended using (and it work great!) is I installed cygwin and used their unzip command: unzip tafsir

oala, it worked, the resulting unzipped filed looked different than the file windows vista had unzipped and I only need to click on it to be able to see it. GO Linux/UNIX !!! :D

R

Posted by R on 8/18/2009 4:55 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks alot Mr.It is working

Posted by gss PRASAD on 8/25/2009 8:07 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Omar said above;
"I had the # character on the path to the chm file. Changed the name of the directory from C# to CSharp and now I can open it :) .
Thanks!"

I removed # in directorf name and This worked for me too !

Posted by nonexist on 8/30/2009 12:31 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

I experienced this earlier and it was when with folder path or file name with non alphabets. In vista when i tried unblock/restriction dialog it doesn't work.
Hence i started cmd (run as administrator) and typed file name to bring it , checked the restriction dialog and it now opens always , just told for others :D

Posted by santhosh on 9/9/2009 5:04 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

lunch it from usb pen drive

Posted by faical on 9/18/2009 3:08 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

copy to desktop was a wonderful tip, it worked for me

Posted by adi on 9/24/2009 11:35 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Hi,

Many thanks for the solution.

I was struggling with this issue. And after reading your solution, I unblocked it and it worked! greeeeeaaaat!!

you know, how happy, how excited I am, after struggling for months, I got this. you can't imagine my happiness.

Once again, Thank you. I put your web site in my favorite links and I think I can count on you in future for solutions.

Mani

Posted by Mani on 10/5/2009 1:47 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

it works, thanks

Posted by ....::::.) on 10/26/2009 8:43 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Thanks for the tip. Saved me on my Windows 7!

Posted by Chora on 10/29/2009 6:19 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Both xchm and the registry hack worked for me.

Thanks!!!

Posted by Michael DeVicariis on 10/29/2009 1:31 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

The first tip was very useful for me. Thank you!

Posted by gpetry on 10/29/2009 2:50 PM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

Awesome Help

thanks

Posted by Deep on 10/29/2009 6:35 PM

# Düğün Davetiyesi

Güzel Davetiye Sözleri Ve Davetiye Metinleri

Posted by Davetiyeci on 10/29/2009 9:38 PM

# DAVETİYE

güzel davetiye sözleri ve davetiye metinleri

Posted by davetiye on 11/3/2009 1:47 AM

# re: Windows Vista and CHM Issues

thanx a bunch it really helped. i had no idea that the comp would block the file from opening. i thought it was a problem in the reader itself.

Posted by V MAn on 11/11/2009 12:58 PM

# Windows 7 and CHM Issues

I tried this advice in my windows 7 laptop where i had the same difficulty. It worked. Many thanks.

Posted by vinod on 11/13/2009 12:22 AM

# davetiye,düğün davetiyesi

düğün daveyiyesi davetiye sözleri

Posted by davetiyeci on 11/17/2009 9:04 PM

# davetiyedavetiyesözleri

düğün davetiysi ve davetiye sözleri

Posted by davetiyeci on 11/18/2009 2:02 AM

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