Hi. I run Windows XP Home OS on my PC and have lost the ability to enter the Help and Support Center through the Start Menu default short cut. I am at a loss as to how to solve this problem. Whenever I try to use the shortcut , all that I am able to achieve is the gong alarm and the message "Windows cannot find 'helpctr.exe' Make sure you typed the name correctly and then try again. To search for a file click the Start button and then click Search", followed by OK click to close the message.There are serveral files shown when the Search facililty is utilised to trace "helpctr.exe", but I cannot, despite research, understand where I should type the file name or any other method of reinstating the missing shortcut. Any advice, informations or assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Hi Mauvern,

Try running sfc /scannow. If you have Dial-a-fix you can do this by going to Tools > SFC Scan

Dial-a-fix can reinstall Help and Support. Click the hammer button and find your solution.

I had the same thing.. they're 1000's of suggestions out there and it took me a year to find one that worked for me... it was a reg. fix - believe I found it on "Kelly's Korner". In any case, it won't hurt you, just resets it to default how its supposed to work.

dave

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00


[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]

@="Help and Support"

"LocalizedString"="@explorer.exe,-7021"

"InfoTip"="@explorer.exe,-7001"


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\DefaultIcon]

@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\

  65,00,6c,00,6c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,2d,00,32,00,34,\

  00,00,00


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\InProcServer32]

@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,\

  00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,73,00,68,00,\

  64,00,6f,00,63,00,76,00,77,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,00,00

"ThreadingModel"="Apartment"


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance]

"CLSID"="{3f454f0e-42ae-4d7c-8ea3-328250d6e272}"


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\Instance\InitPropertyBag]

"CLSID"="{13709620-C279-11CE-A49E-444553540000}"

"command"="@shell32.dll,-12709"

"method"="Help"


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex]


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}]

@=""


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\shellex\MayChangeDefaultMenu]

@=""


[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}\ShellFolder]

"Attributes"=dword:00000000


[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\HELPCTR.EXE]

@="C:\\WINDOWS\\PCHealth\\HelpCtr\\Binaries\\HelpCtr.exe"

:wave:

Hi Mauvern,

Try running sfc /scannow. If you have Dial-a-fix you can do this by going to Tools > SFC Scan

Hi Tarun, Thanks for interest, information and advice, I appeeciate it. The problem was resolved by Reinstalling Help and Support with Dial a fix.