Microsoft Patch for Opening Windows Help (.hlp) Files on Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

Provided by: Molly Pell, Systems Analyst

Problem:

1. Cannot open Windows Help/WinHelp (*.hlp) files in Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008; or
2. Which patch should I download for my version of Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 to support Windows Help/WinHelp (*.hlp) files?

Description

If you are using Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008, you no doubt have learned that you cannot open Window Help (*.hlp) files. You may see a message similar to the following:

Why can't I get Help from this program?

The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which was used in previous versions of Windows and it is not supported in Windows Vista.

For more information, see Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) is no longer included with Windows on the Microsoft support website.

This is because Microsoft made the decision to no longer include WinHlp32.exe (which is required to launch WinHelp files) as a component of the Windows operating system.

Solution

This FMS tip discusses the problem and its implications in detail:

Deploying Help Files to Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

Microsoft KB Article 917607 also discusses the issue, and provides links to downloads to resolve the issue. Note, however, that the download page may cause confusion, as it includes 2 files for each OS: one for the 64-Bit Version of Windows, and one for the 32-Bit version (most common).

Check the chart below to find out which you need for your version of Windows:

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