F1 (Help Key) in 2.1.0.4 Demo causes a KERNEL32.DLL error

[RMF]

Launching Help causes the dll error.

It seems like the application runs. The sample .grf files open.

But HC HS and HG produce the KERNEL32.DLL error.

HD works though.

I tried restarting. And uninstalling. And restarting. And re-installing. And restarting again for good measure

The error occurred before, during, and after the above steps.

Thanks

[RMF]

A test of other applications show them working fine, nothing is broken.

And DPlot/Help in the Excel plug-in works.

[DPlotAdmin]

High capacity, high school, hyperglide, and hard disk??

What are HC, HS, HG, and HD?

[RMF]

Sorry, menu hotkeys

F1 = Help (dll error)

HC = Help Contents (dll error)
HS = Help Search (dll error)
HG = Help Getting Started (dll error)
HD = Help Tip of the Day (works)

That's clear now

[DPlotAdmin]

Thanks. My best guess is you have a corrupted hhctrl.ocx, which handles HtmlHelp files. Or possibly the Help file itself somehow is bad. What version of Windows are you running? And what happens if you look in the DPlot folder (default=c:\Program Files\DPlot) with Explorer and double-click dplot.chm?

[RMF]

Thanks. My best guess is you have a corrupted hhctrl.ocx, which handles HtmlHelp files. Or possibly the Help file itself somehow is bad. What version of Windows are you running? And what happens if you look in the DPlot folder (default=c:\Program Files\DPlot) with Explorer and double-click dplot.chm?

WinME box

hhctrl.ocx Version 4.74.8875.0

dplot.chm opens from Explorer and runs without issues

dplot.exe can be started without issues with the dplot.chm window open

If help is started from the DPlot menu, while the dplot.chm window is open, the same "DPlot has caused an error in KERNEL32.DLL" error window pops up.

. . .

[DPlotAdmin]

Uh oh.

I keep an ancient Windows 95 system around to test this sort of thing, but I must not have done so after converting over to HtmlHelp. I get the same problem on the Win95 system.

There are much newer versions of hhctrl.ocx, but I don't know that they'll work on Windows ME - they don't on my Windows 95 box. And a search of the 'net hasn't been helpful - no clues yet.

If MS is still supporting ME (not sure about that one) you might try checking for any available updates. Other than that, I'm currently clueless. But this will be the priority until it either gets fixed, or, worst case, I just launch the CHM file for any Help menu commands on '95 and ME, possibly '98 as well.

Sorry for the trouble. Thanks for your detailed response - that was helpful.

[RMF]

Thanks for the idea of launching html help from Explorer. That is a dead simple workaround.

Microsoft discontinued support for WinME. I have 3 XP Pro sp2 disks, but I am lining up to convert to Linux network instead. When that gets comfortable I'll set up an XP box or two and leave WinME. I'm not against Microsoft (much), I just feel more comfortable behind the OS curve.

You know, in my looking around the 'net, I saw mention that the chars used in the instruction to launch help could be an issue. Something about the pound sign "#" causing a similar error.

. . .

[DPlotAdmin]

This is a real head scratcher. I'd just assume there's a fundamental problem with Win 95/98/ME that won't let this work, except that I've been able to write a small C program that does work, and the Help file for the Excel Add-In also works. But I'm about out of ideas. Everything I've tried results in the same crash on Windows 95.

MS acknowledges in their Knowledge Base that there was a problem with 95/98/ME which got my hopes up, but their fix didn't change anything.

In my fellow-egghead forums I've asked for suggestions; another programmer is using CHM for XP/Vista, old WinHelp files for everything else. But aside from the maintenance issues, that would mean adding a ~2Mb file to the download to serve (at last count) 1.33% of the visitors to the DPlot web site... and it just doesn't make sense to me to do that.

So... I'll wait another day or so in hopes the magic answer will arrive, and if it doesn't then for 95/98/ME: 1) throw out the context help in dialog boxes (the '?' button) and 2) just launch the CHM file in response to any Help commands, showing the contents page, and 3) add an entry in the 'Known problems' of the Help begging you to buy a new computer

[RMF]

. . . and 3) add an entry in the 'Known problems' of the Help begging you to buy a new computer

OK now that's funny

Thanks for taking a look at the issue.

Now, if I can just train myself not to click the (presumably context sensitive) help button in the various dialog boxes, which closes DPlot.

1.3% you say?

. . .

[DPlotAdmin]

1.3% you say?

I don't say, but my logs do:

Windows XP 89.79%
Windows 2000 5.36%
Mac OS X 1.54%
Windows 98 1.17%
Linux 0.76%
Other/Unknown 0.68%
Windows Vista 0.43%
Windows ME 0.09%
Windows NT 0.05%
Macintosh 0.03%
Windows 95 0.02%
FreeBSD 0.02%
Other Unix 0.01

I'm assuming Windows 98 users will have the same problem, otherwise it drops to 0.16%.

[RMF]

I don't say, but my logs do:

I get it mang. I heard Apache the first time

1.3% is kicking Vista butt at 0.43% though

. . .

[DPlotAdmin]

I've just uploaded a new version that solves the problem on my Windows 95 box. I'm fairly certain you'll have the same results on Windows ME, but of course if you don't please let me know.

Licensed users can get the update by selecting "Check for Updates" on the Help menu. For others, trial version is available here.

Things that work:
Help>Contents
Any link pointing to a specific page or anchor on a page, including:

• Help>Getting Started
• "Help" buttons in dialog boxes
• "How was this graph created?" links in the example plots
• Clicking the Help button in the macro editor for help on a specific command.

Things that don't work:
Help>Search for Help on just launches the CHM file.
Context-sensitive help has been removed from dialog boxes (the question mark button in the title bar).
The CHM file will remain open after shutting down DPlot.

All of the above applies to pre-Windows 2000 systems only. For Windows 2000 and later all Help functions will continue to work as they have since version 2.1.

[RMF]

The update works a treat. Thank you.

The BIG thing that doesn't work is the 'crash program when help is clicked' feature. I am glad that is broken

I accidentally nerfed a half-dozen or so graphs by instinctively clicking the help button while getting acquainted with DPlot. This is much nicer.

. . .