CCleaner wipes out Vista help files

[BamBam]

Hi. I've installed windows vista twice and I've noticed a pattern of Windows Help and Support not working anymore since using CCleaner for the first time after installation. Does CCleaner wipe out the help files? How do I stop this from happening? I'm about to do a clean install of vista sp1 and I want to keep the help files this time while still enjoying the benefits of CCleaner. :-)

[Disk4mat]

Deleted by Disk4mat

[Keithuk]

Hi. I've installed windows vista twice and I've noticed a pattern of Windows Help and Support not working anymore since using CCleaner for the first time after installation. Does CCleaner wipe out the help files?

 

No CC doesn't wipe out any help files.

 

Are you talking about the older Windows *.hlp files?

 

Well M$ in their wisdom don't support this file format with Vista thats because it doesn't use WinHlp32.exe. You can download it here Windows Help program (WinHlp32.exe) for Windows Vista

[Camarofreak]

I have had a problem with help files not working on vista before. Its probably not CCleaner unless you used registry cleaner then it may have got rid of .xml as unused file extension not sure I dont use it.

 

I would click help and support & it would be blank or show "Internet Explorer cannot download / from help" error message

 

The problem was it had deleted the .xml file association.

 

It may fix it seems to be a common problem.

I found this fix on the Microsoft forums that you can download the registry file to restore file association for .xml files.

http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost....84&SiteID=1

 

I also attached the file so if link gets removed. Right click registry file click merge.

Fix_Help_and_Support.zip

Fix_Help_and_Support.zip

[hazelnut]

In case people are uncomfortable about downloading a fix from a new member all vista association fixes including .xml files can be downloaded from here

 

http://www.winhelponline.com/articles/105/...dows-Vista.html