Mac Help failed again

The Mac Help system on my computer fails often. Before, I have been told to drag help cache files to trash and shut down and restart. The help cache files appear to be gone. If I ask for help I get a blank screen. Do others have this problem? why is this so vulnerable. Help should be one of the most reliable parts of an Operating System .

Hi, brooktrout.
See my "Troubleshooting Help Viewer" FAQ for comprehensive advice on fixing issues with Help Viewer, including the issue you mention.
As FYI, you should update to a more recent version of Mac OS X than 10.4.5 — the version shown in your profile. The version of Help Viewer in later releases seems to have solved some long-standing problems.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

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Mac Help hangs again

This happens not infrequently. When it does I routinely apply Dr.Smoke's remedy of trashing 3 library files and rebooting and Mac Help works again.
However this time it displayed the alpha index but declined to open the page corresponding to the letter I chose.
I wonder if there is a further treatment that could wake up this help file, or a test to pinpoint the cause of the dysfunction?

1. You wrote: "tep 3 of Solution 3 of "Help Viewer links do not work" refers to Incompatible Startup or Login Items, for which the recommanded solution is to update to Mac OS X 10.4.6 or later and then reset Help Viewer"No: that's incorrect. Step 2 refers to the update. Step 3 refers to "Rule out incompatible Startup or Login Items" and refers you to my "Troubleshooting Startup and Login Items" FAQ.
Seems you've not performed Step 2, either, which will probably solve the problem permanently.
2. You wrote: "Quote:To display the toolbar for Help Viewer, click the elliptical button at the far right in the title bar of the Help Viewer window.Unquote
There is no elliptical button at the far right of the title bar. only the Ask a Question field (typing a word in it sets the spinning wheel turning endlessly)
I cannot control click the HelpViewer toolbar to customize it."Once again, you are misreading the FAQ. The item you quote from above is from the section entitled "Help Viewer does not display a search field under Mac OS X 10.3 or earlier" in the FAQ. That's a new section and follows the section on "Help Viewer links do not work". You should be able to tell it's a new section as the title is larger, i.e. its a new heading. There are links to the individual sections at the start of the FAQ, but the sections run linearly throughout the FAQ.
That new section obviously does not apply to Tiger (Mac OS X 10.4) since it states "Mac OS X 10.3 and Earlier." Under Tiger, Help Viewer's toolbar cannot be customized. That feature was only available in Panther (10.3) and earlier. Likewise, it does not apply to your current problem, but a different problem.
My FAQ covers Help Viewer for Mac OS X 10.2 (Jaguar), Mac OS X 10.3 (Panther), and Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger). The titles of sections or the details within a section can be version-specific and are noted accordingly.
3. You wrote: "Should I rebuild the OSX desktop? (I have a utility by that name). or go ahead an update to OS 10.4.7?
http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxupdate1047comboppc.html says it is 145Mb!!! "Neither.
You should update to Mac OS X 10.7 using Software Update, which will download just the changes you need for the update. You do not need to download the Combo Update to perform an update.
Some people recommend always downloading and installing the Combo Update. I do not: I think that approach is a waste of time.
4. You wrote: "I am a little reluctant to update because it often creates more problems than it cures."That has not been my experience. While there are often many posts here on the Discussions about "problems caused by an update" they are usually the result of self-inflicted wounds:
• People install updates on already-corrupted systems, making a bad problem worse.
• They are running third-party software, often hacks and interface modifications relying on undocumented features of the OS, that are rendered incompatible with the update.
Granted, some updates have had bugs, but I've personally found that most post-update problems are the the result of user errors or a lack of maintenance, rather than problems with the update.
If your system is properly maintained and not "hacked-up" then you should not have any problems with Software Updates.
Before installing software updates, you may wish to consider the advice in my "Installing Software Updates" FAQ. Taking the steps therein before installing an update often helps avert problems and gives you a fallback position in case trouble arises.
Good luck!
Dr. Smoke
Author: Troubleshooting Mac® OS X
Note: The information provided in the link(s) above is freely available. However, because I own The X Lab™, a commercial Web site to which some of these links point, the Apple Discussions Terms of Use require I include the following disclosure statement with this post:
I may receive some form of compensation, financial or otherwise, from my recommendation or link.

Is my Mac Help broken? please help...

My mac help fails to respond to anything I give it now..... whether I type in a search topic or click on any of the ready links.
Just wondering whether anyone else's mac help has been playing up? Everything else like safari help are working fine, its just mac help which does nothing when I try to use it.
thanks everyone

first i did this:
"Help Viewer displays a blank window
Symptom
You launch Help Viewer but, instead of displaying the default Help information, the window is blank.
Causes
1. Corrupted Help Viewer preferences files or cache.
2. Missing MacHelp.help file.
Solutions
1. Corrupted Help Viewer preferences files or cache....."
then I did this:
"Help Viewer links do not work
Symptom
When you click on a link in a Help document, the display does not change to the linked document. In particular, this may happen in Help for FileMaker® Pro and AppleWorks®.
Causes
• Change in the default font sized used by Help Viewer under Jaguar.
• Corrupted Help Viewer preferences or cache.
Solution
• If you are using Jaguar and have changed the default font sized used by Help Viewer, see the AppleCare Knowledge Base document "Mac OS X: Help Viewer Links Do Not Respond."
• If you have not changed the default font size used by Help Viewer under Jaguar, or are using either Panther or Tiger, then do the following.
• Quit (Command-Q) Help Viewer if it is open.
• Open your Home > Library > Preferences folder.
• Trash the following three files, if extant.
1. com.apple.help.plist
2. com.apple.helpui.plist
3. com.apple.helpviewer.plist
• Open your Home > Library > Caches folder.
• Trash the com.apple.helpui folder.............."
so, where does the replacing the MacHelp.help go?..........I'm assuming users>library>documentation>help>MacHelp.help and I have replaced it with a fresh new MacHelp.Help file extracted from the guts of my disk one installer.
and it STILL DOES NOT WORK.
the links from Help viewer do not work...search does not work.
i'm almost ready to reinstall my entire os (already) to get back to square one with the help thing and then what when it breaks again?
this is entirely frustrating.

Hii,,, i am using iphone 3g, i am trying to install apps from apple store,, installation stop in middle,and say u have to do install through itunes from your laptop. when i am trying to install it from my laptop,, its failed again n again,, help me out ,,

hii,,, i am using iphone 3g, i am trying to install apps from apple store,, installation stop in middle,and say,, u have to do install through itunes from your laptop. when i am trying to install it from my laptop,, its failed again n again,, help me out ,

Many thanks.
With those symptoms, I'd try the following document:
Apple software on Windows: May see performance issues and blank iTunes Store
(If there's a SpeedBit LSP showing up in Autoruns, it's usually best to just uninstall your SpeedBit Video Accelerator.)

I get this about every 10 minutes and I have to restart my Mac and start again. It is so annoying can anyone help me? Invalid URL The requested URL "/", is invalid. Reference

I get this about every 10 minutes and I have to restart my Mac and start again.
It is so annoying can anyone help me?
Invalid URL The requested URL "/", is invalid. Reference

For which browser and version? If Safari, there may be a solution found in the "More Like This" section over in the column on the right side of this website.

My hard drive an my i.mac recently failed. Fortunately I had everything back up to my Time capsule. How do I start back ups again to this same capsule using Time Machine.

My hard drive on my i.mac recently failed. Fortunately it was backed up to Time Capsule using Time Machine. I had a new hard drive installed. and reinstalled my data from the Time Capsule How do I begin backups again using the same Time Capsule? I want to back up my current hard drive with all current content. I don't necessarily need what was on the old hard drive and pre-crash Time Capsule as everything there is currently residing on my i.mac's hard drive. I just want to start my backups again. Thank you.

How do I begin backups again using the same Time Capsule?
Open System Preferences (gear icon on the dock)
Open Time Machine
Turn Time Machine "ON"
Click Select Disk
Choose your Time Capsule
Click Use This Disk
The first backup will begin in a few minutes.
If you decide to delete your old backups, do this before you back up the "new" Mac as listed above.
Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > AirPort Utility
Click on the Time Capsule icon, then click Edit in the smaller window that appears
Click the Disks tab at the top of the window
Click Erase
Choose the Quick Erase option
Click Erase Disk
The operation will only take a minute or two.....then, you can set up the first backup of the Mac as listed above.

I just upgrade to lion on my iMac and also did the switch to iCloud and Paralle destop doest not what to open anymore .It says reactivate your mac and try again. What should I do now ? thanks for your help. Regards Eric

I just upgrade to lion on my iMac and also did the switch to iCloud and Paralle destop doest not what to open anymore .It says reactivate your mac and try again.
What should I do now ?
thanks for your help.
Regards
Eric

There's no need to go to the store if you don't want to. You can purchase and download the new version from the Parallels web site. In fact if you want to try it out, I believe you can do the download and get a two week trial version. Later you can purchase the serial number to make it official.
I cannot be certain about your data, but I did not lose anything when I updated to Lion and faced a similar situation.
Best of luck.

How come file sync to CC fails again and again and ...

Again and again ... the file sync to CC fails
Again to day - I have trouble with file sync to CC is about
It is about every week since this summer that this file sync does not work.
I have tried to get an answer - but have not got any. It seems that everybody just accept that this thing does not work
Can you help med - Please !
To save time:
I have sufficient bandwidth
Every other application using network connection works (ftp, htttp etc)
It is pure plain and simple filenames (eg abc.pdf), it is simple pdf files, it is small sizes (like eg 5-6mb)
For every uploading of eg 10 files, only about 6-8 succeed. The

Hi,
I am sorry you are having issues with file sync, Could you please send me your log files.
The logs are located at
Mac:
The log file can be found here:
<Mac Hard Drive>/Users/<username>/Library/Application Support/Adobe/CloudSync/CoreSync-YYYY-MM-DD.log
(where YYYY-MM-DD indicate the date of the last log)
Note: The Users Library user folder is hidden on starting with 10.7 or later
see http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/access-hidden-user-library-files.html
Windows:
The log file can be found here:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\CloudSync\CoreSync-YYYY-MM-DD.log
(where YYYY-MM-DD indicate the date of the last log)
Note: The AppData folder is hidden by default this doc shows how to show it if needed
http://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/global/show-hidden-files-folders-extensions.html
Please zip them up and send them to [email protected]
Thanks
Warner

Logic Board Fails- again.

Hi everyone.
I have an iBook G3, purchased in Sept. of '03. The logic board crashed in Dec. of '04, and again in March of '05. Both times, I had the notebook sent in, and apple replaced the logic board free of charge, under the logic board replacement program.
Now, however, it has failed again. And, I'm getting a little fed up. I'm wondering what you think I should do- send it in for a 3rd replacement (which it's still under the 3 yr- policy until Sept), or try to fight for a replacement of the computer altogether. I'm afraid that if I get it replaced, it's just going to crash again outside of the 3 year plan, and then apple won't do anything. Should I attempt to demand a new machine now?
Times like these are soo frustrating. Mac's are great, but when they have problems, it's like the whole thing falls apart and there's never an easy tweak or fix.
Thanks for your opinions...
Melanie Patterson

I was kind of afraid of that. I'm not surprised.
When you get it back, avoid picking it up by the left front corner alone. If you're going to pick it up with one hand (as I usually do), pick it up in the center, under the trackpad.
The theory is that picking it up by the left front corner causes enough flex in the case that it puts pressure on the logic board and causes the solder on the graphics chip to let loose. So, if you can avoid doing that, it may help your iBook last longer.
Have you seen the new MacBooks (just announced yesterday)? Maybe your G3 will last you long enough to save up for one of those little sweet things. I'm looking at them longingly.

Here we go again,....iTunes update for Windows 7 fails again same problem as back in Feb update

Why is it that Apple is failing to get it right lately with their updates?
Tried to install latest iTunes for Windows update on my PC Win 7 and it fails again wioth same error messages as with the previous update in Febr.
Sooo very disappointed!!!!!
To go thru all this again is taking me a few hours again to fix this problem assuming it works again this time, maybe I should just give up on iTunes instead.
Troubleshooting issues with iTunes for Windows updates
really *****,
NE1 have any suggestions for an easy fix?
thanks

First off the automatic install fails nothing happens.
Then tried the manual install after download, get the message that Apple mobile service failed to start and make sure i have required privileges to do so(Total BS)
the SetupAdmin.exe file does not provide any action.
Then right clicked the iTunes6464.msi file and installed it. Seems to install the update but when iTunes starts get the: "error 7" msg with iTunes helper was not installed correctly. Please reinstall iTunes. then w're in that **** loop......LOL
I believe this is because I have a 4 yr old laptop with old graphic card.

"Mac Help" no longer works. It just spins and spins and spins.

Today my Mac Help stopped working. I open Mac Help, type in a query, and it just spins and spins an dspins an never returns a result or fails. For the life of me I can't figure out what is wrong. Any ideas?

Phillip,
Troubleshooting Help Viewer by Dr. Smoke may be "Helpful."
;~)

My "Mac Help" on my Mac Mini does not work!

I have a Mac Mini, OS X 10.3.9. When I go into Mac Help, nothing happens when I try to ask questions, and I experience other problems when I try to go through Mac Help's library. And sometimes it works as if nothing was wrong. It's just plain sick. Is there any way to reinstall it? Not being able to use the Help at times is problematic to say the least.
-carpetcomber

359/2805
Hi carpetcomber,
Welcome to the Discussions!
When it happens, just try deleting its Caches folder, this should clean it:
(quit Help) and delete this folder:
Home/Library/Caches/com.apple.helpui
If Help still doesn't work, try then deleting those three files:
Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.help.plist
Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.helpui.plist
Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.helpviewer.plist
and the Caches again.
More info about Mac Help troubleshooting:
- (The X Lab) Troubleshooting Help Viewer.
HTH
Axl

Mac Help does not work

When I am in the finder, and select Mac Help from the Help menu, the help window appears for a few seconds, does not allow me to use it, and then closes again
Hence I do not have access the the Mac Help database
what to do?

Help Viewer crashes or shows blank....
http://discussions.info.apple.com/webx?[email protected]@.6897a2ae http://www.thexlab.com/faqs/helpviewer.html
This is a common bug in Panther. The solution to this problem is simple though:
• (~ means your home directory)
If the search field is not in the top of the window.... click on the oblong button at the top right hand corner...that should open the Toolbar and display the search field.
Go to ~/Library/Preferences and delete the following files......
com.apple.help.plist
com.apple.helpui.plist (you may or may not have this one).
com.apple.helpviewer.plist
Next go to ~/Library/Caches and delete the folder......
com.apple.helpui
Log out and log in. If the problem is gone, empty the trash. If not, put everything back.
you can open MacHelp directly from .....
/Library/Documentation/Help and it works fine.
george

%CRYPTO-4-RECVD_PKT_MAC_ERR: decrypt mac verify failed

Hello,
I know this question has been asked many times on the forum, I am constantly getting the below error message on my 2811 Router:
*Aug 9 07:07:01.507: %CRYPTO-4-RECVD_PKT_MAC_ERR: decrypt: mac verify failed for connection id=3004 local=3.3.3.1 remote=3.3.3.2 spi=CDE6EACF seqno=00005214
N.R-HQ#
*Aug 9 07:08:33.231: %CRYPTO-4-RECVD_PKT_MAC_ERR: decrypt: mac verify failed for connection id=3004 local=3.3.3.1 remote=3.3.3.2 spi=CDE6EACF seqno=000056E4
I did some research and found the IOS is in the KAV list of bug#CSCsv43145. I upgraded the IOS to 12.4(25e) which doesn't appear in the list but still same error occurs.
-is the error just cosmetic
-is there anyway to go around it?
I have attached the config.
10x,
E.B:.

Hi,
12.4(25e) should not be affected by CSCsv43145, which is cosmetic. The issue you are seeing is likely not cosmetic, and is actually resulting in dropped packets due to mac authentication failures. To troubleshoot this type of issue, you really need to get sniffer traces on the WAN (encrypted) side from both tunnel end points and compare the packet in question (based on the spi/seq number reported in the log) and see if the packet is corrupted somehow. There is no easy way to get around this other than turning off authentication check in your ipsec transform, in which case no mac authentication will be performed on the packet, and you do need to consider the security implications when doing that.
Hope this helps,
Thanks,
Wen

I try to drag a photo folder into lightroom 4 on my MAC, lightroom fails to open and a 'Corrupt Catalog Detected' screen pops up. Clicking on 'repair catalog' does not work either. Any suggestions?

I try to drag a photo folder into lightroom 4 on my MAC, lightroom fails to open and a 'Corrupt Catalog Detected' screen pops up. Clicking on 'repair catalog' does not work either. Any suggestions?

I'll have to get a better instructor on deleting the preferences since when I've doen it in the past nothing is there when I open LR the catalog is gone. I assumed that was what was supposed to happen so I start importing all over again. But that is a different issue...
The problem has been happening since at least the beta of 3 came out and I saw other posts back then saying they had similar issues but I assume it was a beta thing... But since the full version came out and through each incremental change I haven't seen an improvement. If anything it has gotten a little worse with time.
I have to try to be careful to not be in a hurry and start clicking around in the catalog as it seems fragile until it has cataloged all the photos in the library. When starting you will see the numbers populate the folders very slowly and I try not to click on a folder that hasn't had the number of photos pop up yet. Also draging the slider down to see more of the cataloge can have the same affect and crash the system.
I wish I had more to go on.. I believe it may be a resources issue but as I went from 3-4 Gig I thought it would get better. I don't have big programs running but did have outlook and word running in the background along with firefox and chrome.
And yes it only happens on this HP desktop (it's 2+ yrs old) and may be showing it's age a bit. My laptop which has less resources doesn't have the issue.. I have them sharing the catalog. (not at the same time) just when I'm working in other places in the house.
Jeff

Mac Help failed again

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