The WinHelp file format (*.HLP files, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_WinHelp) is obsolete, and Microsoft has placed a bounty on their heads. By that, I mean that they’d like to see HLP files become extinct. One step they took was to remove the program that usually interprets and displays such help files from Vista. (In Windows XP it was called WinHelp32.exe.) They also prohibit “Windows Compatible” software manufacturers from including WinHelp32 in their distributions.

So, if you install an old program on Vista, do not be surprised if, when you click on Help, you get this instead:

A Special Download: Vista end users are allowed to add support for WinHelp back in, but it requires a special download (below). (Or, you could just copy WinHelp32.exe from an XP box, as described by Serdar Yegulalp here: searchwincomputing.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid68_gci1244222,00.html)

Either way, by default, macros will be disabled, as will the ability to view HLP files across an intranet. To enable either, or both of these, requires establishing (or changing) the following registry entries (or setting up corresponding group policies):

To enable macros: Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WinHelp, add a DWORD value named AllowProgrammaticMacros with a value of 1.

To unblock .HLP files that are located on an intranet: Under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WinHelp, add a DWORD value named AllowIntranetAccess with a value of 1.

HLP Viewer for Vista

Platform: Windows Vista
Author: Microsoft
Price: Free
Download Link: microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=6ebcfad9-d3f5-4365-8070-334cd175d4bb

Related articles:

• New PC Setup: A Checklist
• Quick Tip: File Type Associations in Vista
• Quick Link: Two Microsoft Compatibility Checkers

Read more: Windows