vfp 6.0 reinstalled - HELP subsystem not available

[pwp7669]

I reinstalled VFP 6.0 and the MSDN Library (via the VPF Install wizard) after switching to a new computer. I'm unable to access the VFP Help subsystem via either the F1 or Help button approach. From the VFP window I've accessed TOOLS/OPTIONS/FILE LOCATIONS and found the Help File line has no file name specified. A Windows Search on *.hlp files shows nothing that sounds like a VFP Help file.

BTW I'm running Windows XP Home Edition with SP2

Suggestions?

 

[Mike Lewis]

You're on the right track.

First, you need to make sure that you have installed MSDN. This is on a separate CD, that comes with VFP 6.0.

Then, do the Tools / Options / File Location stuff. Under Help File, navigate to the MSDN folder (by default, it's in Program Files), then drill down until you find all the Help files.

The one you want is called FoxHelp.CHM (not .HLP).

Mike

__________________________________
Mike Lewis (Edinburgh, Scotland)

My sites:
Visual FoxPro (www.ml-consult.demon.co.uk)
Crystal Reports (www.ml-crystal.com)

 

[Dan Freeman]

Make sure you install the latest service pack for VFP6.

Somewhere along the way, MSDN reorganized their content and broke VFP's help implementation. One of the service packs fixes that.

 

[pwp7669]

Thanks to you both for the extremely prompt help. A combination of both your suggestions plus two complete deinstalls/reinstalls did the job. Mike, after reinstalling VFP 6 and installing Visual Studio SP2 I found the FoxHelp.chm file you identified for me had mysteriously ended up in the following location:

Program Files/Microsoft Visual Studio/ MSDN98/98VSA/1033/FoxHelp.chm

Updating the VFP Help File entry to reflect the above location using the TOOLS/OPTIONS/FILE LOCATIONS completed the task.

Oh, the joys of working with an old software version !!!