IE7 issues with Help and Support

I installed IE7 on this PC (running fully updated XP Home) about 10 days ago closely following the advice posted in the sticky on this BB. (set restore point, turn off AV, antispyware, boot twice etc.) All seemed to go well and IE 7 was working fine, but the install seemed to have "broke" Help and Support. In other words, I could no longer open Help & Support/System Info via the Start Panel.

I contacted MS IE7 Support the next day by telephone after searching various IE newsgroups and bulletin boards for an answer to the problem. MS Support tech had me remove IE7. The uninstall seemed to go smoothly, re-booted twice and was once again able to access H&S. MS Tech Support then suggested I check back later regarding installing IE7 on this PC stating that they were "still working out the kinks ".

The next day when my regular AV scan (Nod32) ran, the log was filled up with errors like the following:

C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Config\Cache\Personal_32_1033.dat.bak »CHM »/Query_00000001.bin - archive damaged - the file could not be extracted.

I then searched back thru the NOD scan logs prior to the IE7 install and found no similar listing in those scans.

Although H&S now runs without issue I am assuming based on the AV scan that there is damage to these files.

Would greatly appreciate any advice on how to repair this?

 

It is a backup data file for the Help and Support center.
It is re-written nearly every time you restart the computer.

There is no reason to repair it.
It is a binary transform jump table backup, and is recreated often by the Help and Support Center.

Do this instead:

Click once on the file to highlight it.
Hit the F2 function key. You can now rename the file. Call it anything you want as long as it is different; say Personal_ 32_1033.dat.bak.bak

Now restart Help and Support. Still works, yes?
Return to the directory. See how XP has created a new file?

You can delete the original (now renamed) file if you like.

 

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the reply. Not trying to be intentionally dense here, but I'm not sure what file you are telling me to click on or edit. If this is normal behavior for Help and Support files than I am quite content to take your word for it and leave it alone.

In case I wasn't clear, the item in my post was copied from my NOD scan log, and one of many from that same directory that was listed as archive damaged. This only caught my attention because my antivirus scan log is normally very short in length, and because of the recent issues I encountered with Help and Support after installing IE7.

As I said, I then went back to check previous logs and there is no mention of any archive damaged files in other NOD logs. I thought perhaps this may offer some explanation as to why Help and Support would no longer function on this PC once IE7 was installed.

Any ideas or suggestions as to how to remedy the Help and Support issue I had with IE7 installed?

 

My apologies.
The file is:

C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Config\Cache\Personal_ 32_1033.dat.bak

For my two experiments, you could copy/paste the following into the box that appears when you Winkey+R:

rename C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Config\Cache\Personal_ 32_1033.dat.bak Personal_ 32_1033.dat.bak.bak

---------- end of experiment one, to show that the file does not matter

DEL C:\WINDOWS\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Config\Cache\Personal_ 32_1033.dat.bak.bak

--------- end of experiment two, the file is deleted

Regards.

 

Thanks Bill. Good to know that the long list of Help & Support entries in the log were not permanently damaged files.

Now if I can find a solution as to why Help & Support/System Info refused to open with IE7 installed I can re-upgrade to the newer & more secure version of IE.

 

System Information runs fine for me.
Since all it does from Help and Support is called MSINFO32.EXE, have you tried doing this directly?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308549

If this fails, there likely is a pathing issue. Correct it by running this little script. Copy the below and paste it into Notepad. File, Save as, c:\fix_info.cmd

Run the script:
Start, Run, c:\fix_info.cmd
(Agree to any file replacements if prompted).

Finally, you can add a New Desktop Shortcut, with its Target:
%systemdrive%\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo\msinfo32.exe

This will imediately bring up the System Information for your use, IE 6 or IE 7 or whatever.

 

Bill,

There is a lot of good information in that link. I have bookmarked it for future reference.

Yes, I did try System Restore, but was still unable to open either Help & Support or System Information via the Start Menu.

Once I uninstalled IE7, as advised by MS tech support, both worked normally again.

Thank you for the script I will give it a try later tonight. Would you recommend I run the fix script then re-install IE7 or vs. versa?

 

Either.
All I am trying to do is make certain msinfo32.exe is in one of your path statements.

As I mentioned earlier, you can much more quickly access msinfo32.exe by using Start, Accessories, System Tools, or by creating a desktop shortcut.

 

Also, let me recommend a freeware utility to you:

SIW - System Information for Windows by Gabriel Topala
"Everything you want to know about your computer. "

This does a MSINFO32 type scan + Belarc type scan + an Everest type scan, all in one package. Recommended.

http://www.gtopala.com/about_siw.html