Windows 2000 with IE 5.5 WebHelp not opening

[Sara@PAS]

We've had a number of issues trying to get WebHelp to display properly on Windows 2000 machines using IE. The latest test uses help generated in Flare 4.2, in which I really haven't changed anyting substantial, but our installation guy finds he can't open the help from the app when it's installed locally on a Windows 2000 machine with IE 5.5. (I should note that currently the WebHelp output is installed locally along with the app, not accessed online - not ideal, but it's where our users are at).

5.5 is supposedly supported by Flare - are there also OS requirements for viewing WebHelp, that HAVEN'T been mentioned by MadCap?

[KevinDAmery]

First thing I would check is if the installation guy can open the help outside of your application. That will tell you if it's the help content or the help call that's the problem.

[Sara@PAS]

Finally got virtual PC to test this myself, on a Windows 2000 SP4 IE 5.5 virtual machine.

From within the app, the help file opens, but doesn't display properly. I see my skin, with panes defined for navigation on the left, and content on the right, but both are blank. I see the name of the default pane (Table of Contents) and buttons for Home, back, and forward along the top (as expected).

I can click the "Home" button at the top of the window, and help content will display in the right-hand frame. However, I can't get it to display the TOC, Index, or Search frames on the left.

When I open the help directly from its installed folder, by clicking the Help.htm file, I get an IE error:
Line: 601
Char: 17
Error: Access is denied
Code: 0
URL: file://C:\Program Files\Business Plan Pro\bppenu11\Help\Premier\Skin\Navigation.htm

But this error message is utterly confusing because the specified file (Navigation.htm) has only 367 lines. ??!?

cap2.png

[Madcap Guru]

can you try one of the Sample help projects and see if opens on Windows 2000 with IE 5.5? See if the project or an Issue with Flare Webhelp

[Sara@PAS]

We have another help project in the same app that's opening fine, generated with Flare 4.1 and it opens fine. Mine was in 4.2 and is having this problem.

[Madcap Guru]

in Flare 4.2 try a sample app and see if that is that problem, Could also be a skin issue, use a different skin for testing purposes, if not Open a support ticket,