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Tiradientes
33 Posts
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December 30th, 2005 23:00
Repair (not reinstall) from Reinstallaton CD
I am a little nervous about repairing Windows Xp on my Dimension XPS from the Reinstallation CD. Can I boot from it and have the option to repair as with ordinary Windows XP CDs? I do not want to risk losing all my installs and drivers, but the HELP has disappeared and nothing seems to get it back. Hence I have decided to do the repair. But a complete reinstall would be disastrous. (I have the KEY from the side of the machine.)
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Posted December 31st, 2005 00:00
I thought I had tried everything, but I took your suggestion. The only difference is that now, instead of getting nothing at all, I get a message "cannot find helpctr.exe". I looked and found the file under 3 directories: windows\system32\dllcache, windows\servicepackfiles\i386, and Windows\pchealth\HelpControl\binaries.If there were a way to restore help without the always risky process of a "repair" reinstallation, I would like to know what it is. I searched this forum and tried everything there, to no avail.344
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Posted December 31st, 2005 01:00
The HelpCtr.exe does not help when I click on it, in ANY of its locations. I opened regedit and found that the key under "Applications" for Helpctrl.exe is empty. The page you sent me to says I can add the path "manually" but does not tell me how to do it. Any ideas? (By the way, I appreciate your kindness in seeing me through this.)344
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Posted December 31st, 2005 01:00
Oops! I just found the "App Paths" key for HELPCTR.EXE and it is listed correctly as under the PCHEALTH...etc. So the problem seems to be different.344
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Posted December 31st, 2005 03:00
Tiradientes,
There is another thing to try, since double-clicking the file itself did not produce any action. (Did you try all three locations of the file with the same result?)
Try registering the file. Go to Start|Run, enter cmd and click OK. At the command prompt enter the following:
C:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\Binaries /REGSERVER and click .
Double-click and see if anything happens.
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Posted December 31st, 2005 03:00
I am at home now (it is New Year's eve here in Japan), but I will try your suggestion again tomorrow when I return to my office at the University. Once again, thanks for being so patient.344
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Posted December 31st, 2005 03:00
Tiradientes,
I hope this time it's successful. (I'm running out of ideas.)
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Posted December 31st, 2005 22:00
I tried the command "C:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\Binaries /REGSERVER", but the only thing that happens is that the foder opens. When I click on the helpctr.exe icon, nothing happens—as before.
Does the dreaded "repair" reinstallation await me?
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Posted January 1st, 2006 01:00
Tiradientes,
I'm afraid the repair may be inevitable (and I have a feeling that a full reinstall may be in the offing). I would suggest attempting to correct the problem with System File Checker (by going to Start|Run, entering sfc /scannnow and clicking OK) but since the copy of helpctr.exe in the dllcache folder does not respond to a double-click and since that is where the replacement for the copy in PCHEALTH would come from if it were corrupted, I doubt that it would accomplish anything. Still, Windows is filled with wonders, so you might give it a try before embarking on the repair reinstall.
Denny Denham
2 Intern
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18798 Posts
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Posted December 31st, 2005 00:00
There is absolutely no difference between your Dell CD and a retail CD of Windows XP so the process is the same.
Before you do that, have you tried #235 on this page?
Message Edited by Denny Denham on 12-30-2005 06:31 PM