Excel "Help" doesn't work properly

[Mike]

I have Windows Me/Office 2000

When I bring up Excel Help, type in a subject
and the Help box pops up, sometimes there are
subjects in blue, which you can click on to get
more help. When I click on them, nothing happens,
so I right clicked to get the Properties box and
clicked on that and it displays:

javascript:HelpPopup('xltip9.hlp','xldefRange');

That (javascript shows up no matter what further help in any
box I try (except the specific message varies, of course).

Does this mean that somehow I have Javascript 'disabled'?
If so, where would I go to 'reenable' it?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide --
I appreciate it.

Mike__________

 

[Ian Baird [MS]]

Hi Mike

One reason that I'm aware why this occur(s) is the result of a security
update for Internet Explorer.

822925 MS03-032: August 2003 Cumulative Patch for Internet Explorer
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=822925

The patch blocks the original Microsoft HTML control and causes the
window.showHelp method to stop functioning.

If you have the following update http://support.microsoft.com/?id=262767
installed then it should stop the help errors you are seeing, although the
Show Me" and pop-up window definition functions will be disabled.

Also the other suggestion you should look at is ensuring you have all the
Office Updates installed.
http://office.microsoft.com/officeupdate/default.aspx

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Ian Baird
Microsoft PSS

This posting is provided 'AS IS' with no warranties and confers no rights.

 

[Pete Lees]

Mike,

I have Windows Me/Office 2000

When I bring up Excel Help, type in a subject
and the Help box pops up, sometimes there are
subjects in blue, which you can click on to get
more help. When I click on them, nothing happens

I believe that Office Update 262767 turns off the "Show Me" and pop-up
window definition functions in help. See this article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base for more information:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=262767

You may be able to restore the popup functionality by replacing
Ouactrl.ocx with an earlier version (for example, from the
installation CD). However, this may leave you open to the sort of
attack that the security update was meant to stop.

 

[Mike]

"You may be able to restore the popup functionality by replacing
Ouactrl.ocx with an earlier version (for example, from the
installation CD). ** However, this may leave you open to the sort of
attack that the security update was meant to stop. **"

EXACTLY!! It seems you get a choice of Patching their bug or
having a functional, Unpatched app. w/security holes! They would
have to use Javascript for those further 'Help' popups.

Thanks to both you (and Ian before you) for the 'Help'(!)
Good thing you didn't 'script' it or I wouldn't have been able to read it!!

Thanks again,

Mike________________


Mike,

I have Windows Me/Office 2000

When I bring up Excel Help, type in a subject
and the Help box pops up, sometimes there are
subjects in blue, which you can click on to get
more help. When I click on them, nothing happens

I believe that Office Update 262767 turns off the "Show Me" and pop-up
window definition functions in help. See this article in the Microsoft
Knowledge Base for more information:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=262767

You may be able to restore the popup functionality by replacing
Ouactrl.ocx with an earlier version (for example, from the
installation CD). However, this may leave you open to the sort of
attack that the security update was meant to stop.