Inability to access Help Files

Question: I am sometimes able to access TeleMagic Help files, at other times I am Not?

Answer: If you have TeleMagic installed on a network and you use more than one operating system on your workstations (e.g., Windows 98 on some and Windows NT 4 on others), the help files will only be simultaneously available to users with the same operating system. For example, if a user running Windows NT 4 opens a help file and another user running Windows 98 tries to open a help file, they will receive an error message. If another NT user tries to open help, they will be able to do so. As soon as the NT user closes help, the Windows 98 user will be able to access the file and the NT user will not.

To circumvent this, do the following:

1. Make sure that no users on the network have help open. (Local copies can be open.)

2. Delete any files with a GID extension from the help directory (\TM4\HELP by default).
Note: GID files are always hidden.

Warning!

Do not delete any other files from this directory.

3. Make the network help directory read-only.
Note: the network administrator must accomplish this. The exact procedure will vary depending on the network.

Users with different operating systems will be able to access help on the network simultaneously. You must allow writing to this folder whenever you perform a TeleMagic update or upgrade. After the upgrade is complete, insure that no files with GID extensions are in the folder and restore it to read-only. A GID file is created dynamically by WinHelp the first time any help file is opened. Normally, it is created in the same folder as the help file that is being run. If the folder is read-only, it will be created in another accessible folder, normally the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM folder or equivalent. Delete any GID files for TeleMagic help systems from local drives after you have performed an update or upgrade of TeleMagic. To determine which GID files are associated with TeleMagic help systems, note all files in the TeleMagic help directory that have an HLP extension. There will be a file with the same name but a GID extension for each help system that the user ever opened. GID files are hidden. See your operating system documentation for instructions on finding hidden files.

 

-- End of FAQ #49

FAQ ID #49

Product Related: TeleMagic 4.x

Last Updated:
June 29, 2000