UPDATE: Windows Help Program ( Win Hlp32.exe) is now also available for Windows 8. Since Windows 3.1, Microsoft has always included Windows Help Program ( Win Hlp32.exe) in all newer Windows versions. It is used to view 32-bit help files which have.hlp file extension. But Microsoft decided to not include the help program in Windows Vista and all future Windows versions because Win Hlp32.exe has not had a major update for many years, and it does not meet standards for all new Microsoft programs. Now whenever you try to open a.hlp file in Windows Vista or Server 2008, you get following error message: The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which was used in previous versions of Windows and it is not supported in Windows Vista. And if you try to use help in some programs in Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2, you get following error message: The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows. However, you can download a program that will allow you to view Help created in the Windows Help format. Windows 8 users will get following error message while trying to access help: The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows. For more information, go to the Microsoft Help and Support website. But later Microsoft realized that the removal of help program can cause some problems for Windows users who want to upgrade to Windows Vista or later OS but still rely on 32-bit.hlp files. Actually there are many software that come with.hlp files to provide help and support to users. Therefore, Microsoft started making Win Hlp32.exe available as a standalone download from Microsoft Download Center. So if you also have.hlp files but can't open or view them in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, Server.
You might encounter situation where you may not able to open any.exe files or shortcut link files i.e. EXE or LNK files. You might instead get a “ Open with” dialog box or it may open the file in another program. This happens if the file association of these file extensions may have got corrupted. EXE files will not open or not working A corrupted Registry, caused either by a bad software or malware or any other reason, can lead to your Windows being unable to open a particular file type. When file associations for executable, batch or COM files are changed it could cause your executables to not start. For example, when you try to click open an.exe file the programs will not start, or the Open with box might appear, or Windows will say that it cannot open this file and ask what you would like to use to open the program, or it may start a different program. Fix broken EXE file association 1] To rectify the situation, I suggest you download and apply the following registry fixes. For fixing the.exe file extension download this EXE Fix. For fixing the.lnk file extension download this LNK Fix. Right on the File and Click on Merge. You will get a warning, asking Are you sure you want to continue. Click Yes and reboot the system. 2] Fix Exec is designed to resolve these issues by rebuilding the executable file association’s Windows Registry keys that may have become damaged or corrupted. If the tool detects any of these associations are missing, corrupted, changed or hijacked, the settings will be set back to Windows defaults. Fix Exec tool will fix the.exe.bat and.com file associations in Windows. It will also terminate any malicious processes found in typical areas. You can download it from bleepingcomputer.com. 3] Microsoft has also released a Fix It to fix EXE file association problems. See if it applies to your version of Windows. If the icons do not show up.
Microsoft’s newest operating system has its fair share of problems, and while many issues are related to the confusing new interface, some have deeper roots. Yes, like any new operating system, Windows 8 has bugs. Gasp! Related: Windows 9 is coming, and here’s everything we know about it Fortunately, Windows 8 shares something else in common with prior version of Windows; a trend towards maturity. Many showstoppers and annoyances now have solutions. Here are the common problems we’ve run into – and how to fix them. Finding the Start menu The number one issue that new Windows 8 users complain about is the missing start menu. Despite what early rumors suggested, Windows 8.1 didn’t bring the Start Menu back, though it did add an “ App view,” which sorta-kinda does the same thing. Fortunately, there are some third party solutions that resurrect the Start Menu in Windows 8, and we’ve already covered the best options. If you install one of these menus, then set Windows 8.1 to boot directly to the desktop, you can almost forget that the Metro interface exists. Almost. Explorer.exe crashes and reloads frequently Some users have reported repeated appearances of “ Windows Explorer has stopped working” after installing a fresh version of Windows 8. The problem usually occurs every few minutes, which obviously makes Windows a bit hard to use! The trigger for this appears to be a bug between the operating system and a hardware driver or installed software (usually the former). To fix the problem, you’ll need to use the “ Refresh My PC” feature. Go to Settings, then Change PC Settings, and then Update and Recovery. After that, open Recovery, and click or tap Get started under Refresh your PC without affecting your files. This effectively re-installs Windows, but your files will not be deleted. With that said, it’s a good idea to back up your data before a refresh, just in case.
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