Question

In VS2010 Beta 2, from the Help Library Manager, after selecting local help, and downloading the VS Documentation, it won’t launch.

Here’s what I have installed:

Here’s what I’m clicking in the Start Menu:

Here’s the result:

Ideas?

Thanks,

Adam

Answer 1

I also had problems with VS 2010 Beta 2 help, or rather with MS Help 3, which is new with 2010 . There is a known issue with the Help Listener Service trying to listen on port 80. MS document a procedure to change this port, and my help was back up after following it. From the the ReadMe_ENG.htm file that is installed with MS Help:

1. Removal of Help 3.0 will not remove content from user’s machine;
   they should run HLM to remove content
2. Product Documentation shortcut will not work after uninstall of Help
   3.0
3. Help Library Manager requires the BITS service to be running if you
   want to use the “Check for Updates” or
   “Find Content online” features.
   Removing content and installing
   content locally does not require the
   BITS service.
4. Help Library Manager will hang if you attempt to install offline
   content but there is not sufficient
   disk space for the BITS service to
   download the content
5. If port 80 is used by another process (not via the http.sys service)
   then the Help listener will not be
   able to attach and use port 80 and
   will fail. The port number can be
   changed by adding a string registry
   value ListenerPort under
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Help3
   with the value of the port to use (eg.
   81). Due to the http.sys ACL settings
   it is necessary to run the following
   http.sys configuration command from an
   admin elevated command line. On
   Vista, Win2k8, and Windows 7 run the
   following native command: netsh http
   add urlacl url=http://127.0.0.1:/help/ sddl=D:(A;;GX;;;WD)

On Windows Xp, and Win2K3 run the
following command:

httpcfg set urlacl /u
http://127.0.0.1:/help/
/a D:(A;;GX;;;WD)

If the command is not found then it
might be necessary to download the
httpcfg.exe from Microsoft as part of
the Windows XP Service Pack 2 support
Tools
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?amp;displaylang=en&familyid=49ae8576-9bb9-4126-9761-ba8011fabf38&displaylang=en).

Now the Microsoft Help Listener will
run on the selected port number.

ADDENDUM:
I also ended up installing MS Help 3 manually, and using the Help->Manage Help Settings menu command. On the VS 2010 installation ‘disk’, I ran WCU\Help\HelpSetup.exe, after removing help via Add/Remove programs. Note the folder HelpSetup installs to, and then in VS 2010, open the Help Library Manager (Help->Manage Help Settings), then Find Content on Disk, and then supply the location HelpSetup installed to. Help 3 will take it from there.