Network CHM file

Question

So I've read about CHM files on the network(intranet) and how to view them on windows. It works. The problem is Visual Studio can't view them still.

Help.ShowHelp(ParentForm, @"\\ServerName\data\DynamicHelp\HelpFIle.chm", HelpNavigator.Topic, @"mk:@MSITStore:\\ServerName\data\\DynamicHelp\HelpFile.chm::/TopicName.htm");

The result is Help File which is empty. The topics and subtopics are all present in the content list, but nothing within them.

If anyone knows how to fix this please, share your expertise with me.

Answer 1

You need to change a registry setting to allow the .chm file viewer to access content on a network drive. I do this by applying this .reg file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\ItssRestrictions]
"MaxAllowedZone"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\HTMLHelp\1.x\ItssRestrictions]
"MaxAllowedZone"=dword:00000001

Note that I apply the setting in both 32 and 64 bit views of the registry.

And I know that I am breaking the golden rule by hard-coding Wow6432Node, but for my needs, on my particular network, this suffices.