Windows Vista does not distribute the WinHlp32.exe file required to open Windows Help files such as the imhlp115.hlp file used in InfoMaker. To use .hlp files, you need to download a special Vista version of WinHlp32.exe from the Microsoft Web site.
Compiled HTML Help (.chm) files are supported, but you need to edit the Windows registry to enable a Help macro that supports links from the imhlp115.hlp file to the imman115.chm file. If you do not edit the registry, the “For more information” links at the bottom of many topics in the Windows Help display an error.
You also need to edit the registry if you need to run Windows Help files at a remote location on an intranet.
Registry reflection on 64-bit Windows 64-bit versions of Windows use registry reflection to maintain a 32-bit registry view and a 64-bit registry view. On 64-bit Windows, configuration information related to 32-bit applications is stored in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432node registry hive.
To enable Windows Help macros and remote access on Vista:
Create the following registry key.
On 32-bit Windows:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WinHelp
On 64-bit Windows:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432node\Microsoft\ WinHelp
Add a new DWORD value with the name AllowProgrammaticMacros and the value 1.
Add a new DWORD value with the name AllowIntranetAccess and the value 1.
You can also add this support by saving the following lines in Notepad to a file with the extension .reg and importing it into the registry.
On 32-bit Windows:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WinHelp] "AllowProgrammaticMacros"=dword:00000001 "AllowIntranetAccess"=dword:00000001
On 64-bit Windows:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432node\Microsoft\WinHelp] "AllowProgrammaticMacros"=dword:00000001 "AllowIntranetAccess"=dword:00000001
Microsoft prohibits the distribution of WinHlp32.exe with deployed applications. If your application uses .hlp files, you should provide your users with instructions on how to download WinHlp32.exe. For more information, see the Microsoft support site.