FIX: HELPMAKE Decodes Help Database Incorrectly

 Last reviewed: September 11, 1997
Article ID: Q68989
1.03 1.05 1.06 1.07 | 1.03 1.05 1.06 1.07 
MS-DOS              | OS/2
kbtool kbbuglist kbfixlist

The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft HELPMAKE for MS-DOS and OS/2, versions 1.03, 1.05, 1.06, and 1.07

SYMPTOMS

If a concatenated help database is decoded with either "Decode" (/D) or "Decode Unformatted" (/DU), HELPMAKE may be caught in an infinite loop that will eventually fill the hard disk.

RESOLUTION

When using HELPMAKE.EXE to decode concatenated help databases, you must use the "Decode Split" option (/DS).

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem with HELPMAKE for MS-DOS and OS/2. This problem was corrected in HELPMAKE version 1.08.

MORE INFORMATION

If OS2.HLP is decoded with 

   helpmake /D /Ooutfile OS2.HLP
HELPMAKE will decompress the first database in OS2.HLP over and over until either the disk fills up or you stop the program (with a CTRL+BREAK, for example).

If OS2.HLP is decoded with 

   helpmake /DS OS2.HLP
it is broken into STRUCT.HLP, MACROS.HLP, and TABLES.HLP. These help files can then be decoded properly with the /D or /DU option.

If you don't know how a help file is assembled, the following are the steps to take to decompress it:

  1. Save a backup copy of the help file in case of problems.

  2. Rename the help file to "TEMP.HLP".

  3. Split the file as follows: 

          HELPMAKE /DS TEMP.HLP

    If the file is not a concatenated database, you will get a single file with the name of the help database as it was originally built (the internal database name).

    If the file is a concatenated database, you will get individual help files with the internal database names. For OS2.HLP, these are STRUCT.HLP, MACROS.HLP, and TABLES.HLP.

  4. Decode the resulting files as follows: 

          HELPMAKE /D TEMP1.HLP /OTEMP1.SRC
      HELPMAKE /D TEMP2.HLP /OTEMP2.SRC

Additional reference words: 1.03 1.05 1.06 1.07
KBCategory: kbtool kbbuglist kbfixlist
KBSubcategory: TlsMisc
Keywords : kb16bitonly
Solution Type : kbfix

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Last reviewed: September 11, 1997
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