XL97: "Cannot Find the Mainxl.hlp File" When Using Help

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor, when you attempt to display Help topics for worksheet functions, the following message may appear:

   Cannot find the Mainxl.hlp file. Do you want to find this file
   yourself?

CAUSE

This problem occurs because this section of the Help file points to a Help file for an earlier version of Microsoft Excel. The Mainxl.hlp file, which is used in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, may not be installed on the computer on which you installed Microsoft Excel 97.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use either of the following methods.

Method 1: Point Microsoft Excel to the Correct Help File

To point Microsoft Excel to the correct Help file, use the following steps:

1. When the error message occurs, click Yes.

   The Open dialog box appears.

2. Locate and select the Xlmain8.hlp file and click Open.

   The Xlmain8.hlp file is located in the Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office folder. Note that this path is different if you changed the default installation folder for Office when you installed it.

Method 2: Copy the Correct Help File and Rename It

To copy the Xlmain8.hlp file and rename it to Mainxl.hlp, use the following steps:

1. In Microsoft Windows Explorer, open the following folder:

         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office
   

2. Click the file named Xlmain8.hlp and click Copy on the Edit menu.

3. On the Edit menu, click Paste.

4. Click the file named "Copy of Xlmain8.hlp." On the File menu, click Rename, and then rename the file to Mainxl.hlp.