Can't open *.chm files problem, somethings wrong

[dimchopicha2003]

Hello,
I have this strange problem from awhile. I can't open *.chm files. They are with the icon for unkown files - 0. When I double click them it get the dialog for choose a program to open with. Don't know when this happened and don't know why, how. Strange is that I can open chm file from within programs. Choose help and then the reader for help files opened and everything is ok. Found this problem when tried to install system mechanic and get error that I need Microsoft HTML help update 1.3 or above to install it and taking me to ms site for assistance:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...FamilyID=2363A6FC-CB70-464D-85E6-F598C11CCECF

I've downloaded the file showing there but when try to install it it says that "HTML Help 1.3 cannot be installed on windows 2000".
I am with windows xp pro sp2 february updates.

Any ideas?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Rick998]

It sounds like your .CHM file association may be corrupt.

To fix it, copy/paste the following into Notepad and save as something like 'fix-chm.reg'. (It doesn't matter what it's called as long as it ends in .reg)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.chm]
@="chm.file"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\chm.file]
@="Compiled HTML Help file"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\chm.file\DefaultIcon]
@="C:\\WINDOWS\\hh.exe,0"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\chm.file\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\chm.file\shell\open]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\chm.file\shell\open\command]
@="\"C:\\WINDOWS\\hh.exe\" %1"

Once you've saved the file, double-click on it and accept the change into the registry. Reboot and see whether CHM files now show the correct icon and open correctly.

If you still have a problem then run the System File Checker. To do so, go to Start > Run > CMD and enter:

SFC /Scannow

The System File Checker forces Windows to check all its system files (in case the Hypertext Helper executable - hh.exe - is corrupt).

Hope this helps...

 

[dimchopicha2003]

Thanks for the reply.

Did the both things and none of them helped. When run the system file checker it asked from me to insert windows install cd and i did, then start the coping process when finished i reboot but didn't helped. The same with the reg file.

 

[dimchopicha2003]

I fixed it. Thank you. You really helped me. hh.exe was missing from c:/windows/ folder somehow. I've coped it from dllcache into c:/windows/ then run the reg file you gave me and now everything is fine. Thanks.
This forum rulezz.