'helpctr.exe is not a valid win32 Application' Since istalling Wormguard I get the following message 'helpctr.exe is not a valid win32 application'. I saw earlier posts referring to the problem but still can't get Help & Support to work.I put a shortcut on the desktop as suggested it and Help & Support opens up but with an error message.I still get the not valid application when using the Start menu.I'm not connected to an network.
Hi there, windows XP gives that problem when anything else except windows is installed, so independent on any software. Most probably you will find 0 bytes size files, also for the helpcrt etc. You can delete those. A workaround can be to create a shortcut to your desktop ro the helpfile. On my system the one time i get still an error message from the original or the desktop link, the other time there are no problems at all, with or without 0 bytes files, so it seems an ad randum result! Even rebooting the system does not always help, best chance to get rid of the 0 bytes files. This problem is not connected to wormGuard, it is a windows problem.
Hi trebla, Now would be a good time to update to XP SP2 as the problem is solved by doing so. We have known that it was an MS nit for many months and in SP2 they have fixed it. Though you may be wary of SP2, I can assure you that most PC's benefit from the upgrade. MS has made real advances in security with SP2 and most ppl experience little if any trouble withe the update. HTH Pilli
I always have more problems after installing either of the XP Service packs . You wouldn't believe it I have tried to open Help & Support from the Desktop shortcut and it worked! This was after my PC was closed down.It didn't work after a reboot.By the way talking about Wormguard ,after clicking the Done button and it disappears and doesn't go to the system tray I assume it is working in the background? Thanks for your replies.
I'm convinced it's a Wormguard problem.I have just done a clean install and Start\Help and Support where working fine I opened the file everytime after I installed a new program with no problems.Wormguard was the last program I installed and I got this error message again 'helpctr.exe is not a valid win32 application'.Also I was going to reformat my Laptop and checked the Help and Support file which worked OK just before I reformatted ,I installed Wormguard and up popped the error message once more.
I found a 0 byte file helpctr.exe in Documents and Settings like Jooske suggested ,deleted it and the Help and Support from the Start is working, this 0 byte file wasn't there before I formatted my hard drive.I still think Wormguard was the problem,not that I use the help file much I just don't like mysteries.
Hi trebla, It is a known problem and is to do with a windows XP function and TDS3, as you say just delete the 0 byte files. BTW TDS4 will not suffer the same problems. HTH Pilli.
Another way to get the Helpctr to work is to: 1. Open Windows Explorer 2. Navigate to the C:\Windows\PCHealth\HelpCTR\Binaries folder 3. Locate the file HELPCTR.EXE and right click on it. 4. Select Create Shortcut and then move this shortcut to your Desktop. 5. Close Windows Explorer. You should then be able to use your Help and Support by activating it through this new shortcut. HTHs
Ah yes, There is a problem with XP and WG on XP with versions prior to SP2 If you also run ProcessGuard you will need to make an addition to the WG allowed list as follows: c:\windows\system31\restore\rstrui.exe (Change the path if you do not use the default windows folder) On some sytems this is needed to allow the system restore function properly with PG enabled Pilli
Thanks for the advice.I think I'll wait and see what happens when TDS4 arrives later on, until then I might do without Wormguard.
My Wormguard on the XP did not make much difference before nor after SP2, as i could get that error message no matter from where i tried to open the help, a next click after that error in most occasions did just do it's normal job. For me no reason to be without WormGuard. There have been written hundreds of threads about XP having that exact problem with anything else installed. Guess it's Wormguard and TDS up all time collecting the 0 bytes files in their directories and thus seen as the culpit, while they are not at all. I would rather place a shortcut on my desktop or put a copy of the original file or a shortcut in the TDS and/or WormGuard directories like i did with notepad and wordpad.
Having had this same problem come up in the past (using XP) we tried searching for an answer as well. Here is what worked for us! Click Start, click Run, and then type CMD. At the prompt, type Regsvr32 hhctrl.ocx and hit Enter. This should do the trick. It turns out that some programmes unregister this file so the Help and Support link in the Start menu becomes non-working until it is registered again. This will not cure all those Help and Support problems but it cured ours. Good Luck.
