Very weird - System Information does not work.

[Joe_Mama]

Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Information

When I click on System Information I get a message similar to the following:

Cannot open System Information as Help and Support service is not started please start this service.

I went to Services and there is no "Help and Support" service.

On a related note, "Help and Support" does not work from the Start Menu. I can't remember the exact error message (I'm at work right now so I can't reproduce the error message).

I am running Windows XP Professional with SP2

Thanks in advance.

[andyman]

Click Start, Run and type Services.msc
Double-click Help and Support
Set the Startup type to Automatic
Start the Service

if that does not work you need to download the helpsvc.reg file

[Bluvertigo]

Here is a utility, which can be used as an alternative to System Information.

EVEREST Home Edition
http://www.lavalys.com/products/overview.php?pid=1&lang=en

[Joe_Mama]

Andyman,

Sounds like that registry setting is the culprit of my problems.....I'll download the file...thanks for help

[Joe_Mama]

bluvertigo,

I have it already but it was eating at me as to why XP's version of it wasn't working.

Thanks

[Frogy]

Joe, you may want to clean out the residual install crap not to mention anything else dead in the registery, use www.CCleaner.com

[Joe_Mama]

Well I got the service installed, the service has started but I still can't get System Information to come up. I no longer get the message about the service needing to start...I click on System Information and absolutely nothing happens (besides the mouse cursor changing from an arrow to an hour glass for 1 sec and then back to an arrow). No error messages, nothing.

Any other suggestions?

[Lesley]

Does help and support start now?

[Joe_Mama]

Yes. help and support starts as a service but that's it. System Information does not work (I click on it and absolutely nothing happens) and when I click on "Help and Support" from the Start menu I get the following error:

Windows cannot find "helpctr.exe". Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start butten then click Search

[Frogy]

From help and support ;)


When you click Help and Support on the Start menu in Microsoft Windows XP, you may experience one of the following symptoms:• You receive an error message that is similar to the following error message:

Windows cannot find HELPCTR.EXE
• The My Computer window appears so that you can locate the HELPCTR.EXE file.

CAUSE
This behavior occurs if a registry key is missing or corrupted.

RESOLUTION
Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.To resolve this issue, you must modify the registry. To do this, follow these steps:1. Click Start, click Run, type Regedit, and then click OK.

2. Locate the following registry subkey:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\App Paths\HELPCTR.EXE


If this registry subkey does not exist, right-click the following registry subkey, click New, click Key, type HELPCTR.EXE, and then press ENTER:


HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\App Paths

3. In the left pane, click HELPCTR.EXE, in the right pane, right-click (Default), click Modify, in the Value data box, type C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe, and then click OK.

4. Quit Registry Editor, and then restart your computer.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

APPLIES TO
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition

[Joe_Mama]

Thanks Frogy. I no longer get an error, but, know I have the same problem as I do with the "System Information" application....when I click either of them nothing happens. I get an hour glass for 1 second and then nothing.

Any other suggestions?

[Dorjak]

Try this:-

From the Start Menu - Run
Type MSinfo32.exe

If this dosen't work, then your Registry is screwed up.

[Joe_Mama]

I typed MSINFO32.exe and nothing happened. How can I fix the registry?

[Dorjak]

You probably have to rebuild Help & Support.

Try this:-
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/rebuildhelp.htm

[Joe_Mama]

My system must really be messed up because I thought following the instructions on that link would have fixed my problem but unfortunately nothing has changed (i.e. nothing happens when I click "Help and Support" and "System Information".

Any other suggestions, besides formatting my HD?

Thanks