TC 11.57 Help File unformatted?

[RedTiF]

Anyone have the same, if you call the help file from TC? It's ok if you call it from the folder!

https://ibb.co/4nkyWgM0

Rgds RedTif

Moderator message from: petermad » 2026-05-09, 23:24 UTC

Moved to "TC11.x bug reports (English)" from "Total Commander (English)"

[Horst.Epp]

Not confirmed.
Both files (.hlp and .chm) are fine if started from Explorer..

[white]

Anyone have the same, if you call the help file from TC?

No, I cannot confirm that.

Both files (.hlp and .chm) are fine if started from Explorer..

The question was about when the help is called from within TC.

[RedTiF]

The problem is only on 64bit! Calling help from TC.

[Horst.Epp]

The problem is only on 64bit! Calling help from TC.

Confirmed
but for me, it's also a problem in the 32bit TC.

[white]

Perhaps it is caused by the existing TOTALCMD.chw file or hh.dat file (more likely).
* Go to the folder %APPDATA%\Microsoft\HTML Help
* Delete TOTALCMD.chw
* Open the Help in the TC that has the problem
* Use the Index tab
Check if it is solved.
If it is not solved and you don't mind resetting all CHM windows to their default settings and removing possible stored help favorites, remove
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\HTML Help\hh.dat and try the Help again.

[sqa_wizard]

No problems here.
Shows fine from help menu as well as by doubleclick on chm-files at TC 11.57 (32 + 64-bit)

May the Windows version makes the difference:
Windows 11 Pro (AMD64) Rel. 25H2.26200.8246 (DE)

[RedTiF]

2white
I tried your suggestions and removed both files, but problem still exists.

I have the same version as sqa_wizard : Windows 11 Pro (AMD64) Rel. 25H2.26200.8246 (DE)

[Horst.Epp]

TOTALCMD.chw in TC dir deleted
but this doesn't help in my case.
Problem persists

[white]

To narrow down the issue, can someone with the issue try this:

• Install TC by hand in a new folder
  * Unpack the contents of INSTALL.CAB inside the installer file (press Ctrl+PgDn on the installer file) to a new folder.
  * Copy the files in the subdir e\ (for English) to its parent folder.
• Create the file wincmd.ini in the new folder with contents:

  [Configuration]
  UseIniInProgramDir=7

• Start Total Commander in the new folder and test if the issue occurs.

[Horst.Epp]

2white
I tried this fresh configuration.
The problem still exists.

[white]

I tried this fresh configuration.
The problem still exists.

Thanks for testing.

Perhaps you can test this as well:
* If you replace the English help file with the German help file, does the German help has the same issue?
* If you replace the help file with the help file from TC 11.56, does the issue then no longer occur?

[petermad]

No such problem here with Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and TC 11.57final 32bit and 64bit

2Horst.Epp
Can you confirm it for the totalcmd.chm file in TC 11.57rc6 (or earlier betas)? find it here: https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/betas/tc1157x32_rc6.zip

[Horst.Epp]

No such problem here with Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and TC 11.57final 32bit and 64bit

2Horst.Epp
Can you confirm it for the totalcmd.chm file in TC 11.57rc6 (or earlier betas)? find it here: https://tcmd.madsenworld.dk/betas/tc1157x32_rc6.zip

It's the same problem with this version of totalcmd.chm.
I also tested with a clean install of 11.57 RC1 which shows the same problem.
I have ZPAQ backups of many versions, so I tried TC version 11.56
which also has the problem

Conclusion it's a system specific problem but related to TC.
I have XYplorer and Free Commander file managers, which also use .chm help files.
None of them has problems to show their formatted help contents.

In TC the problem is only when the help is shown from its help menu,
not when the chm file is opened by a double click in TC.

[petermad]

2Horst.Epp
If it also appears when you test with older versions of TC, does that mean that it has happened for a long time for you, or have you not used TC's help since you installed TC 11.56 the first time?

I mean if it didn't happen back when you were actively using TC 11.56, but it does now - it must be some change in your system that causes it.

Is the Help in XYplorer and Free Commander context dependent like in TC, or does it always open the same help page in those file managers?