Lost File: helpctr.exe

Hi CC's,

I have lost the file 'helpctr.exe'. I have Windows XP, 20GB HD, 256RAM. When I access Start-> Help and Support nothing happens either online or offline. I have tried Jabman's suggestions from 17 March 04 without success. I can locate the file helpctr in C:\WINDOWS\PCHEALTH\HELPCTR\Binaries but not helpctr.exe.
I have done a little reading about this problem and 2 possibilities have been raised:
1. The loss of helpctr.exe is a measure to increase performance of PC
when tweaking with a tweaking program- I am using Tweakmaster.
2. MS suggests that when online, accessing helpctr.exe poses a security
and vulnerability risk. I have remote accessibility disabled on my PC but
when restoring this, the helpctr.exe help and support still does not
function.

It is not a major problem not being able to access Help and Support Centre, it's just having a function not intentionally working and not knowing the reason that is a nuisance.

Your further suggestions will be appreciated?
With Thanks
TinmanPhilbert

 

hmm... helpctr.exe, is that the standard windows help files?

try going to start -- > run -- > and type in 'services.msc' without the quotes.

then look for help and support and set it to automatic, and then enable it, see if that fixes your problem. if it is already set to automatic and the process has already been started, then come back here i'll see if i can think of anything else

 

Darkhorizon,
It is a standard Windows XP file.
Help and Support is set to automatic already.
Over to you again,
TIA
Tinman

 

well i suppose you could always try placing my helpctr.exe in the folder:
C:\WINDOWS\pchealth\helpctr\binaries

download my helpctr.exe file here:
http://www.just-orange.net/horizon/HelpCtr.exe

 

Darkhorizon, Hi again (from Australia) and thank you for your continuing suggestions.
I downloaded the file from the link you provided and got the file 'helpctr', not 'helpctr.exe'.
Over to you again.
Tinman

 

it is helpctr.exe, are you hiding file extensions? go to the control panel and go to folder options, click on the view tab, and uncheck "hide file extensions for known file types"

then view the file, it should be helpctr.exe

 

I unchecked hide file extensions and sure enough the helpctr file now appears as helpctr.exe. Unfortunately, double clicking on it still won't open it.
Tinman

 

well im not sure whats going on, but i found this from a quick google search, just make sure you back up your registry first! if you need more detailed instructions lemme know:

Helpctr.exe not responding - Go to Start/Run and type in: Helpctr.exe.
For some users this has restored the functionality in the Start Menu.

If the above didn't help:

Check your settings here: Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session
Manager\Environment

In the right pane if windir is listed under type as REG_SZ, it needs to be
changed to REG_EXPAND_SZ, Value Data: C\Windows.

If this is the case:

Go to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Contro l\Session
Manager\Environment

Right click on Environment, then choose Export, name it and save it. Then
go to the right pane, right click in an empty area and choose New/Expandable
String Value. Name it windir. Then double click it and under Value data,
type in: C:\WINDOWS

From there, right click and delete the windir which type was listed as
REG_SZ then hit refresh (F5).

 

Darkhorizon,
I followed those instructions exactly.
Still my Help and Support centre will NOT function! Short of a format and reinstall, I guess I will have to accept that my help and support centre is snafu.
I thank you for all your input and expertise and would be happy to close the thread.
Thanks again
Tinman

 

lol, i sorry i couldn't solve it, i tried

but hey, i would trade ya anyday, i disabled my help (in that place where i told you to make sure it was set to automatic), this way when i hit F1 by accident, i dont have to deal with microsoft popups

 

DarkHorizon if you don't mind I'd like to mention one thing that I noticed that could be the cause of all this (since you went thru everything else I could think of) .

helpctr.exe file would always be replaced, even if deleted. The only way this problem might have occured is if the helpctr.exe file (750KB) located at C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries somehow got deleted, when running Windows in 'normal mode' it wouldn't normally happen, if the file was indeed never delete then there must have been some sort of a registry corruption.

One other registry point I'd suggest you check is:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\HELPCTR.EXE <<<after you click on HELPCTR.EXE on the left hand side you will see its default StringValue on the left, what is the location it is looking at and also what file is it looking for?
The correct path and file name should be:
C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HELPCTR.EXE

Check this as well and see if it helped.