Troubleshooting Common Errors in Rahman CHM Maker

Troubleshooting Common Errors in Rahman CHM Maker

Below are concise, actionable checks and fixes for the CHM creation and viewing problems most likely to occur when using Rahman CHM Maker.

1) CHM opens but main content is blank

• Cause: Windows blocked active content because file came from the internet or is on a network location.
• Fix: Right‑click the .chm → Properties → click Unblock (if present). Copy the file to a local drive and reopen. If you must run from network, add registry key:
  • Path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\ItssRestrictions
  • Create DWORD MaxAllowedZone = 1

2) Table of contents / index missing or links fail

• Cause: Project HHP/HHC/HHK files misconfigured or special characters (# ? & +) in file/path.
• Fix: Open the project files in Rahman CHM Maker (or HTML Help Workshop) and verify HHC/HHK entries; remove any ‘#’ or problematic characters from file/folder names; recompile.

3) Compiler errors during build

• Cause: Missing/invalid source HTML, bad file encoding, or incorrect project paths.
• Fix: Ensure all topic files exist and use UTF‑8 or ANSI consistently; check project paths in the Rahman project settings; open the compiler log, fix the first reported error, then rebuild.

4) CHM file won’t open or association broken

• Cause: hh.exe or hhctrl.ocx missing/unregistered, or Windows file-association problem.
• Fix: Re-register HTML Help control:
  • Run as admin: regsvr32 hhctrl.ocx
  • If hh.exe missing, restore from Windows system or run SFC /scannow. Repair .chm association via registry entries pointing .chm to “C:\Windows\hh.exe” if needed.

5) Images, CSS, or scripts not loading inside CHM

• Cause: Absolute paths, incorrect relative paths, or encoding/charset mismatch.
• Fix: Use relative paths to images/CSS from the project root, ensure files are included in the project, and verify correct charset meta tag for HTML files before compiling.

6) Home page or default topic not shown / wrong topic opens

• Cause: Incorrect StartTopic or Default topic setting in the HHP project.
• Fix: In project settings set the correct Default Topic / Start Page (e.g., index.html or your desired .htm) and recompile.

7) Context-sensitive help (CHM integration) not working from app

• Cause: Missing or wrong context IDs in HHP/HHK or application not calling the right context.
• Fix: Verify context IDs in the .hhc/.hhk match those used by the application; ensure the compiled CHM is accessible and the application call uses the correct path and context number.

Quick diagnostic checklist (run before contacting support)

1. Open CHM locally (not from network).
2. Right‑click → Properties → Unblock.
3. Remove ‘#’ or special chars from paths.
4. Confirm start topic in project settings.
5. Check compiler log and fix first error.
6. Re-register hhctrl.ocx if viewer errors appear.
7. Rebuild and test on a clean Windows account/machine.

If you want, I can generate a short checklist tailored to your project (file list + required registry changes) — tell me the OS version and whether the CHM is used locally, from network, or embedded in an app.