Some expanded notes related to these Thread Posts https://eileenslounge.com/viewtopic....569efb#p281642
https://www.tenforums.com/general-su...ml#post1350832


…. Associating wonks…
We are looking for a solution to get the .hlp files to come up when double clicking on it
In particular here, we are investigating a suggested solution which involves doing once something of this form:
- Right-click a .hlp file.
- Select Open With... from the context menu.
- If you see winhlp32.exe, select it and tick the check box 'Always use this app to open .hlp files'. then click OK.
- If not, click 'More apps', then scroll down and select 'Look for another app on this PC'.
- Browse to C:\Windows\System32, locate and select winhlp32, then click OK.
Something that looks something along these lines: http://i.imgur.com/oWZZ0kw.jpg http://i.imgur.com/LwYnvHS.jpg
In short: that works well. I had success with this. Sometimes some tweaking was necessary… The following are the notes from that.

Vista

I had a couple of different situations which required different actions to get the thing working
Situation 1 ( Vista )
On some Vista computers, double clicking on a .hlp does nothing.
Right clicking on a .hlp file gave me an error, which in English translates to something like
No program is assigned to the file to carry out this action. Create an assignment in the "Control Panel" under "Assignments".
I went looking where that error told me to look, but such a thing did not exist. By luck, on typing in the suggested thing in the explorer top right search bar, I saw something along the lines of Standard Program , which looked promising
After clicking around a bit I Got to a window similar to what you often get after a ---Right-click on a file ---- - Select Open With ---- action
I then did something which is my German equivalent of something like Look for another app on this PC'.
- Browse to C:\Windows\System32, locate and select winhlp32.exe , then click OK.. ( I don’t yet have my winhlp32.exe at a typical Windows system type place. So I navigated to where it was and did the German equivalent of select and OK on it. )
That seemed to do the job, - then after a double click on my .hlp file opened it up
( Note however, that whilst the double left click opens the help file, the right click followed by Open With still gives me the original error Via the Controlpanel I see http://i.imgur.com/gl06ZKH.jpg )
( Note also: In this case, untypical an unassociate software has all options available - See later ** in next post for more details http://i.imgur.com/HSaIsTs.jpg )

Situation 2 (Vista)
This is the more common situation.
Double clicking on a .hlp file brings up a window telling you that the hlp stuff is out of date and unsupported . ( You will find a lot of reports on the internet from people who see this window a lot. Often this process and/or the associated file is somehow referred to with the word “Stub”** ).
Right clicking on the .hlp file and selecting Open With shows you that some program is assigned. -** A general concept similar to this may be referred to as a “help stub” , a sort of Microsoft support but without any support at all. All of the downloads suggested there, or at other Internet sites , either aren’t available anymore, or don’t work.
If you simply ignore the suggested “stub” file association , then browse to find the winhlp32.exe where ever you have it, then select it and then OK.
1_RightClickOpüenWith 2_Browse 3_Select 4_Open(Select) 5_OK
That seemed to do the job, - there after, a double click on my .hlp file opened it up


Some other notes on Vista
I don’t have an infinite number of Vista machines, and based on some googling I expect sometimes a solution like I needed in my Windows 7 machines might be needed: Start using keys MicrosoftSymbol+r or some similar route via the start menu ( bottom left Microsoft Symbol ). …_
Microsoft Symbol Run.JPG , GetIntoVistaRegisterEditor.JPG : http://i.imgur.com/VwprMgF.jpg , http://i.imgur.com/ai1s0JN.jpg
_.. etc.. as in next section Windows 7 for how to to delete a file association …
Even if the dissociation is not necessary , it does Appear to tidy things up a bit. The disassociation clears away the Stub, and if you then re do the right click open with browse Select OK stuff, the stub will be replaced by the Microsoft help – It is the Registry entry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER ….. which is responsible for the Stub unhelpful help window

A YellowToBlueToYellow ( Vista Acer )
With operating systems from Vista, the icon seen in Explorer or on the Desktop seems to change sometimes from Blue to yellow.
Approximately , the working solution seems to be mostly associated with yellow, and Blue is often an indication of the no use stub thing. That is not a clear cut rule, its only approximate.
Here is an example of some experiments , starting from a small old ACER Vista pc
At the start of the experiments I had got the working solution to automatic opening of the help file. All is Yellow
http://i.imgur.com/GF4t1C8.jpg , http://i.imgur.com/2YYMV0a.jpg
But note in the last screenshot , I have no option other than the “Stub”
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.hlp http://i.imgur.com/JeAsGK5.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithList http://i.imgur.com/1GkiHWH.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithProgids http://i.imgur.com/sh5yVJQ.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\UserChoice http://i.imgur.com/Yx7ZJ0m.jpg

To go Blue , one simply needs to click on the (yellow) stub above, after a right click open with: After the OK , the computer blinks a bit, and the Icon in the explorer window, or , if on desktop, turns blue.
We then have the help that’s no help situation on double clicking, http://i.imgur.com/uOCwS3C.jpg , and the registry entries have changed.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.hlp http://i.imgur.com/jSoyJbB.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithList http://i.imgur.com/NOaDyah.jpg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithProgids http://i.imgur.com/l6QSAZj.jpg

unassoc.exe has first option greyed out http://i.imgur.com/vRth42e.jpg
I go back to yellow after I hit the OK via the usual right click open with browse select OK stuff. Then the double click works. I notice that I do have a second entry, this time at the bottom, although in the past I don’t always see that. Note: In fact it went away later
http://i.imgur.com/9eni0Gn.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/w9QmlE0.jpg
The registry entries have changed.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.hlp http://i.imgur.com/wGAXvdT.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithList http://i.imgur.com/pa8lQO3.jpg HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithProgids http://i.imgur.com/hg1nOLc.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\UserChoice http://i.imgur.com/DpCPqSn.jpg
unassoc.exe now has the first option showing http://i.imgur.com/TdkDLTw.jpg


Windows 7
Initially the situation appeared to be similar to that last situation 2 Vista: Right clicking on the file gets me an open with option, and that suggest some program is assigned to it.
Double clicking on a .hlp file brings up a window telling you that the hlp stuff is out of date and unsupported
At this point it differs from the Vista situation, in that after doing, (from that right click , open with) the browsing, selecting, OK stuff, we find the situation has not changed and we have the same situation as at the beginning.
_... I followed the first part of this How to delete a file association in Windows 7 ***
After this, I got as they suggested at that link, on a right click on a help file, a new window
I then find that the working solution is to do something via the Control panel, similar to the very first situation 1 Vista
http://i.imgur.com/cD7mrtT.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/oJ0in2l.jpg
I finally end up with these ( new ) registry entries
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.hpl http://i.imgur.com/wz8jVsr.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithList http://i.imgur.com/ulLwM3T.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithProgids http://i.imgur.com/INpVZNE.jpg


Virgin (X110) (Win 7)
Initially there was just the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.hpl with ab (Standard) REG_SZ hlpfile
I ran unassoc.exe and that was gone as well!
I downloaded the .hlp file , which had a blank icon, and no open with option on the right click. On the double click the new window appeared.
I downloaded winhlp32.exe , restarted the computer and the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithList appeared. Still no right click option.
So I browse from the New Window on double click. ( At the start is no Recommended Programs at the top, but the stub is found at C:\Windows\winsxs\x86_microsoft-windows-winhstb_31bf3856ad364e35_6.1.7600.16385_none_28dc6 47c6aba6742 , BTW as per https://www.pconlife.com/fileinfo/winhlp32.exe-info/ http://i.imgur.com/VcdNXwp.jpg )
https://i.imgur.com/rFsKTN8.jpg
Here is then the situation, initially seeing a yellow ? on the icon, [url=http://i.imgur.com/J7debqu .jpg[/url] double clicking working, and the initial Other Programs entry soon changes to a Recommended programs entry
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.hlp http://i.imgur.com/dUSpyAs.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithList http://i.imgur.com/S9mhR61.jpg
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curre ntVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.hlp\OpenWithProgids http://i.imgur.com/akvM638.jpg