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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

→  How can I process a file stored on a CD without copying it to my hard disk?

→  What do I need to do to set up a temp” directory?

→  Does the registered version extract all keywords in a helpfile?

→  What does the warning File created by HCRTF, handling incomplete” mean?

→  Is there any way to get Help to RTF to generate smaller RTF output files?

→  Where can I find a tool for compiling a new helpfile from Help to RTFs output?

→  What produces the Word cannot read the header/footer of the document” error message?

→  Which versions of Microsoft Word are supported?

→  Why does Help to RTF fail with some helpfiles?

How can I process a file stored on a CD without copying it to my hard disk?

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Select the output directory using the controls in the Help to RTF dialog. The output directory must be located on a non-write-protected disk such as a hard disk, Zip, Jaz or other medium.

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Enter the full filename into the edit field, for example D:\DIR\PATH\FILE.HLP”

This will force Help to RTF to read from the CD and write its output to another disk.

What do I need to do to set up a temp” directory?

The \TEMP\ directory is usually set up for you when you install Windows on your machine. If you have since changed the \TEMP\ directory assignment or are unsure whether you have a temporary directory, then here is how to find out:

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Make sure the TEMP= environment variable (See AUTOEXEC.BAT) contains a complete path to a directory, for example TEMP=C:\TEMP.

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Check your hard disk to make sure the directory specified in the TEMP variable still exists.

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Be extra-careful to insure that the TEMP directory is not the root directory of a hard disk or partition (e.g. TEMP=D:\). Root directories make exceptionally poor choices for temporary file storage. They can only handle a limited number of files, and if they are used for temporary file storage they are likely to result in failures by other programs or, at the very least, a messy hard disk that will be difficult to prune.

Does the registered version extract all keywords in a helpfile?

In a word: yes. In two words: yes, absolutely. In three words: well, you get the idea.... The indexes in print-ready output from the registered version will be just as complete as the keyword search indexes in the helpfiles you process.

What does the warning File created by HCRTF, handling incomplete” mean?

Help to RTF cannot handle all of the new types of author-generated data included in Windows 95 helpfiles. This is especially important when decompiling Help for recompilation or study. Pre-print preparation is not affected by this limitation.

Is there any way to get Help to RTF to generate smaller RTF output files?

Yes. In fact, there are two ways.

First, select Extract graphics as separate files” from Help to RTF during processing. Once the RTF file has been produced, theres another trick you can try to reduce the size of the document. Load the RTF into MS Word and save it as a Word .DOC format file. In most cases youll get a reduction in file size (not to mention much faster loading the next time you edit or view the output file). But be aware that these reductions are incremental. The best reductions in file size will come when you manually remove sections of the output which you know you dont want to print or view again.

Where can I find a tool for compiling a new helpfile from Help to RTFs output?

The tool you need is the Windows Help compiler. HC31, HCSP, HCRTF or HCW compilers are available from Microsoft, Borland and others with the purchase of one of their development tools. You can download the 16 bit Help compiler from ftp://microsoft.com as WHAT6.EXE.

What produces the Word cannot read the header/footer of the document” error message

A bug in Microsoft Word 6.0 prevents it from reading certain kinds of headline data stored within RTF files. Curiously, Word itself is usually responsible for producing this stubborn data in the first place. The quickest cure is to save modified versions of your text in Word for Windows (.DOC) format.

Which versions of Microsoft Word are supported?

From Version 2.11 onward, Help to RTF supports all known versions of Word for Windows from 2.0 up to Word 97.

Why does Help to RTF fail with some helpfiles

Help to RTF has been in a continuous state of upgrading and optimization for nearly two years now, and the number of possible bugs and incompatibilities has dwindled considerably. While problems are always possible, the newer the version of Help to RTF the less likely errors will occur. If you do happen to encounter an incompatible help file, let us know...but be aware that if the file has been deliberately prepared to prevent decompilation or printing, we wont support your request for assistance. To do so would violate the original authors rights.


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First make sure youre using the absolute latest version of Help to RTF from http://www.herdsoft.com The newest version may already have solved your problem.

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Some problems may only occur in the 16 or in the 32 bit version. Try both versions before assuming that Help to RTF cant do that”.

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If possible we'd appreciate receiving a copy of the incompatible file via Internet MIME email attachment, but be aware that we will not knowingly violate the copyright of an author who does not intend for their work to be decompiled.

Do not send us descriptions of what happened unless you can also provide the helpfile. An error description without a copy of the critical help file (or, if the helpfile cannot be transmitted by email or on disk, an Internet URL location where it can be downloeaded). Error or crash reports are of no value in solving problems unless the file which caused the problem is also available to us for study.

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