After working three weeks on this problem, I finally solved it and it was a
file permissions problem.
Yesterday, I stumbled upon Procman.exe
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb896645.aspx I'm sure you
experts in the Forum are well aware of it. I'm sure it can help solve most
permissions and HK_CU problems.
I ran procman, using the filter to isolate helppane.exe, Help & Support's
run program. Procman displayed a log of thousands of entries - too many to
eyeball for the problem.
I saved the log as a csv file; read it into Excel and sorted it as a
database to isolate processes that were not allowed (files that could not be
read because of permissions or corruption problems). I found two files that
were not read (see attached partial xls file for details.
I clicked on the files' permissions and changed them to allow access by the
user and, lo and behold, the problem was solved.
These were the two files in case the attachment does not come accross
clearly:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Assistance\Client\1.0\en-US\Help_CValidator.H1D
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Assistance\Client\1.0\en-US\Help_MValidator.Lck
Thanks for everyone who took the time to try and help.
"Mike" <lagunasrfr@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:e3MMGEZAJHA.4064@xxxxxx
Quote:
>I posted this in General, but got no response. I have a little bit of
>updated findings to post here.
>
> If I run Help and Support as Administrator or if I create a new user and
> run from it, Vista Help & Support runs perfectly.
>
> However, when I run it from my primary user/administrator sign-on, I just
> get text text (looks like text from an .h1s file).
>
> I have googled for days and the closest I can find to a solution refers to
> Server 2003 and XP. I can't find anyone with this problem. I can't find a
> "Help and Support" services entry like there was on XP. The only program
> I can find is HELPPANE.exe and I have changed and rechanged permissions
> until my fingers are sore.
>
> The only thing I can find that is different is in Process Explorer (free
> download), it shows "Builtin/Administrators" with a deny flag when I run
> as primmary user/administrator. "Builtin/Administrators" shows a
> "mandatory" flag when I run as Administrator or any new user I create.
>
> I don't have malware. I don't have a restore file that goes back as long
> as I have had the problem. I have uninstalled tweaks and
> freeware/purchased utility programs. I still cannot get the thing to
> work.
>
> It appears that the H and S service is not running. But I can't even find
> a service to run manually to test.
>
> Please help.
>
> Thanks
>
>