Cannot access help and support

When I try to access help and support, I am told:

Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe'. Male sure you typed the name correctly,
and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
click search.

I have the 'helpctr.exe' file on my computer, but clicking on leads to this
message:

Windows cannot open help and support because a system service is not
running. To fix the the problem, start the service named help and support.

When I click help and support, I get the first error message again. One
online help site directed me to:
HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrrentVersion/App Path. Once
there, I was to click on HELPCTR.EXE and type:
C:\Wondows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.Exe. There was no HELP.CTR.EXE
file to click on.

Is there a solution?

Thanks

Helpfix.txt: http://www.geocities.com/marfer_mvp/Helpfix.txt

--
Was this helpful? Then click the Ratings button. Voting helps the web
interface.
http://www.microsoft.com/wn3/locales...eAPostAsAnswer
Mark L. Ferguson
..

"Boojum" <Boojum@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BB776D61-CAB1-4EBB-8B31-F695C28168E1@microsoft.com...
> When I try to access help and support, I am told:
>
> Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe'. Male sure you typed the name correctly,
> and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
> click search.
>
> I have the 'helpctr.exe' file on my computer, but clicking on leads to
> this
> message:
>
> Windows cannot open help and support because a system service is not
> running. To fix the the problem, start the service named help and support.
>
> When I click help and support, I get the first error message again. One
> online help site directed me to:
> HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrrentVersion/App Path.
> Once
> there, I was to click on HELPCTR.EXE and type:
> C:\Wondows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.Exe. There was no
> HELP.CTR.EXE
> file to click on.
>
> Is there a solution?
>
> Thanks

Is it turned on in services?
"Boojum" <Boojum@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:BB776D61-CAB1-4EBB-8B31-F695C28168E1@microsoft.com...
> When I try to access help and support, I am told:
>
> Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe'. Male sure you typed the name correctly,
> and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
> click search.
>
> I have the 'helpctr.exe' file on my computer, but clicking on leads to
> this
> message:
>
> Windows cannot open help and support because a system service is not
> running. To fix the the problem, start the service named help and support.
>
> When I click help and support, I get the first error message again. One
> online help site directed me to:
> HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrrentVersion/App Path.
> Once
> there, I was to click on HELPCTR.EXE and type:
> C:\Wondows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.Exe. There was no
> HELP.CTR.EXE
> file to click on.
>
> Is there a solution?
>
> Thanks

"Help and Support" link from Start Menu does not work:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/startmenuhelp.htm

"Help and Support Error" - Service not started:
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/helpsvc.htm

--
Regards,

Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Winhelponline Blog: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog
Windows® Troubleshooting: http://www.winhelponline.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Boojum" <Boojum@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:BB776D61-CAB1-4EBB-8B31-F695C28168E1@microsoft.com...
When I try to access help and support, I am told:

Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe'. Male sure you typed the name correctly,
and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
click search.

I have the 'helpctr.exe' file on my computer, but clicking on leads to this
message:

Windows cannot open help and support because a system service is not
running. To fix the the problem, start the service named help and support.

When I click help and support, I get the first error message again. One
online help site directed me to:
HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrrentVersion/App Path. Once
there, I was to click on HELPCTR.EXE and type:
C:\Wondows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.Exe. There was no HELP.CTR.EXE
file to click on.

Is there a solution?

Thanks

On Wed, 7 May 2008 12:16:00 -0700, Boojum
<Boojum@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>When I try to access help and support, I am told:
>
>Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe'. Male sure you typed the name correctly,
>and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
>click search.
>
>I have the 'helpctr.exe' file on my computer, but clicking on leads to this
>message:
>
>Windows cannot open help and support because a system service is not
>running. To fix the the problem, start the service named help and support.
>
>When I click help and support, I get the first error message again. One
>online help site directed me to:
>HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrrentVersion/App Path. Once
>there, I was to click on HELPCTR.EXE and type:
>C:\Wondows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.Ex e. There was no HELP.CTR.EXE
>file to click on.
>
>Is there a solution?
>
>Thanks

start , control panel , admin tools , services , right click help and
support , check automatic , apply , ok done

This does not work for me. I have checked app paths and it is correct. if I
try to manually start helpctr service I get an error message stating:

"Could not start Help and Support Service on local Computer Error 126: The
specified module coult not be found".

All files are where they should be in the \windows\pchealth\HelpCtr
directory. Additionally, I've noticed that automatic updates will fail to
install updated however if I manually run the installs they complete
successfully. I don't know if these are related.

Any suggestions are very much welcomed.


"Ramesh, MS-MVP" wrote:

> "Help and Support" link from Start Menu does not work:
> http://windowsxp.mvps.org/startmenuhelp.htm
>
> "Help and Support Error" - Service not started:
> http://windowsxp.mvps.org/helpsvc.htm
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Ramesh Srinivasan, Microsoft MVP [Windows Shell/User]
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> The Winhelponline Blog: http://www.winhelponline.com/blog
> Windows® Troubleshooting: http://www.winhelponline.com
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Boojum" <Boojum@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:BB776D61-CAB1-4EBB-8B31-F695C28168E1@microsoft.com...
> When I try to access help and support, I am told:
>
> Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe'. Male sure you typed the name correctly,
> and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
> click search.
>
> I have the 'helpctr.exe' file on my computer, but clicking on leads to this
> message:
>
> Windows cannot open help and support because a system service is not
> running. To fix the the problem, start the service named help and support.
>
> When I click help and support, I get the first error message again. One
> online help site directed me to:
> HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrrentVersion/App Path. Once
> there, I was to click on HELPCTR.EXE and type:
> C:\Wondows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.Exe. There was no HELP.CTR.EXE
> file to click on.
>
> Is there a solution?
>
> Thanks
>

THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!! I have trying to fix my computer for 12
hours! (No Kidding) Your guidelines on the bottom of your comment WORKED! for
everything that was wrong! I lost my sound, help&support,printer spooler!
everything! I can't thank you enough for your computer knowledge! You are a
god send to me!! Thank You!!!
Debbie

"bojimbo26one@aol.com" wrote:

> On Wed, 7 May 2008 12:16:00 -0700, Boojum
> <Boojum@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
>
> >When I try to access help and support, I am told:
> >
> >Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe'. Male sure you typed the name correctly,
> >and then try again. To search for a file, click the Start button, and then
> >click search.
> >
> >I have the 'helpctr.exe' file on my computer, but clicking on leads to this
> >message:
> >
> >Windows cannot open help and support because a system service is not
> >running. To fix the the problem, start the service named help and support.
> >
> >When I click help and support, I get the first error message again. One
> >online help site directed me to:
> >HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrrentVersion/App Path. Once
> >there, I was to click on HELPCTR.EXE and type:
> >C:\Wondows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.Ex e. There was no HELP.CTR.EXE
> >file to click on.
> >
> >Is there a solution?
> >
> >Thanks
>
> start , control panel , admin tools , services , right click help and
> support , check automatic , apply , ok done
>