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Security Updates Break HH

HTML Help Shortcuts broken on server (Sept-2004)

KB ArticleKB323180MS02-055
BreakageShortcuts and WinHelp commands in compiled CHMs now work only on local drives.
Work AroundNo known work around.

    HTML Help Shortcuts broken on local drive (Sept-2004)

KB ArticleKB810687MS02-055
Breakage:There is a new Group Policy that can restricts the use of shortcuts to certain folders on the local PC. By default MS have not yet enabled this however your system administrator may enable the policy and thus break shortcut commands from CHMs on the local machine.
Work Around:MS Security Bulletin MS02-055 says: "The policy sets the HelpQualifiedRootDir key under the System Administrative Template". Normally a search through the registry will not find this key. It is only found if the policy is enabled. Deleting or Renaming this Key will disable the policy.

Registry settings work around at KB810687

    Non-CHM file extension no longer work (Dec-2004)

KB ArticleKB840315KB873343
Breakage:Only files that have the .chm file name extension can be used as compiled HTML Help files. Programs that use other file name extensions (eg. .ITS) for compiled HTML Help files will no longer display content by using HTML Help.
Work Around:Change over to using .CHM extension.
Registry settings work around at KB873343

    ActiveX control HHCTL.OCX disabled on the web (Jan-2005)

KB ArticleMS05-001KB892675
Breakage:ActiveX part of HHCtrl.ocx (main HH engine) now only works on the local machine. This breaks servers and websites that use the TOC and Index controls. Also breaks other commands such as HH Related Topics command and HH Version command.
Work Around:Registry settings work around at KB892675

    CHMs no longer work on the Intranet or Internet (June-2005)

KB ArticleKB896358KB896054MS05-026
Breakage:After installing this update CHM help files work (open) on the local drive.
Work Around:Registry settings work around at KB896054
Added 25-Oct-2006:You will find the "UrlAllowList"= command next to useless as although it enables the InfoTech (ITS) protocol to work over the net, it still has no effect on the IE browser which is used to view the CHM pages.

8-Sept-2007: Scrub that comment. I noticed that UrlAllowList= now works again. Obviously Windows Update has delivered a fix to my Vista/IE7 PC. Others are also starting to report the problem fixed.

Added 9-Jun-2007:Lately we have found that MaxAllowedZone=1 seems broken and we need to increase the zone to MaxAllowedZone=3 to make CHMs view correctly on our intranet and file servers. This is due to security changes in Internet Explorer which now (by default) turns off recognition of intranet and file servers.
See blog post KB896054 is broken? for more information.

    Downloaded CHMs cannot be opened (June-2005)

KB ArticleKB902225MS05-026
Breakage:Can't open downloaded CHMs from the web.
Work Around:Work around at KB902225 says:
To resolve this problem, click to clear the Always ask before opening this file check box in the Open File-Security Warning dialog box, and then click Open. Alternatively, right-click the file that you want to open, click Properties, and then click Unblock.

    HTML Help in frames goes to wrong frame (June-2005)

KB ArticleKB896905MS05-026
Breakage:This breaks our product FAR in 2 places that I know of. In the FAR TOC editor is a test command which displays the current TOC or Index being edited in a HTML Frame set (as uncompressed help using HH ActiveX Visual controls). When you click a TOC or Index item the topic opens in the left frame instead of the right.
Work Around:Policy/Registry settings work around at KB896905

    User.dll and Hhctrl.ocx address space clash - "Illegal System DLL Relocation"

DateApril 3, 2007
KB ArticleKB935448
Breakage:The Hhctrl.ocx file that is included in security update 928843 (MS07-008), and the User32.dll file that is included in security update 925902 (MS07-017) have conflicting base addresses. This problem occurs if the program loads the Hhctrl.ocx file before it loads the User32.dll file. The KB article indicates the problem is XP SP2 only.
Work Around:KB93448 provides a hot fix download.
After the hot fix Hhctrl.ocx version = 5.2.3790.2847
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