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From: John. on 7 Sep 2008 16:31
On Sun, 07 Sep 2008 14:03:22 -0500, "John H Meyers"
<jhmeyers(a)nomail.invalid> wrote:

>Here is someone who seems to know exactly what he's talking about,
>and mentions some detail not seen elsewhere:
>
>http://forums.technet.microsoft.com/en-US/winservergen/thread/ec2f409d-72d7-4e0f-a776-0218bc552e99/
>(this is a real Microsoft forum)
>
>It does seem to indicate that there's a simple answer,
>since the download (offering two "msu" files) says that
>it applies to all Vista (and server) versions that I've ever heard of:
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6ebcfad9-d3f5-4365-8070-334cd175d4bb
>
>"Supported Operating Systems: Windows Vista; Windows Vista Business;
>Windows Vista Business 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Business N;
>Windows Vista Enterprise; Windows Vista Enterprise 64-bit edition;
>Windows Vista Home Basic; Windows Vista Home Basic 64-bit edition;
>Windows Vista Home Basic N; Windows Vista Home Premium;
>Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition; Windows Vista Starter;
>Windows Vista Starter N; Windows Vista Ultimate;
>Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition"
>
>Good luck!

I get the same "the update does not apply to your system with either
of the two msu files."

I can live without the fix for Eudora, but was trying to find an
answer. The forums.technet.... describes the same problem but for
Windows 2008 server.

Thanks for your help. I'll try posting on one of the Microsoft
forums.
From: John. on 7 Sep 2008 16:41
I took your advice and got the Eudora pdf manual which as you said is
much better. Thanks!

http://www.eudora.com/techsupport/manuals.html

From: John H Meyers on 7 Sep 2008 18:52
On Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:31:30 -0500:

> The forums.technet.... describes the same problem
> but for Windows 2008 server.

This kind of issue is usually identical
("2008 server" is Vista, much as "2003 server" is XP,
and the forum moderator was still recommending that same fix).

Thank you very much for reporting that neither "msu" file
will install in your OS -- could be some "policy" setting,
or something special about how Vista was generated
for your computer (perhaps by its manufacturer),
but I just don't know. The "server" forum
seemed to have the best-looking clue that I'd yet come across,
as to what "registry" key the downloaded file may be looking for,
as well as where it might be logging every step when it runs,
as many installers do, which may aid in diagnosis,
much as a Eudora log shows just where a connection fails.

By the way, the components mentioned in one of the previously found
postings are all on my XP system (and any XP cd), just as described
(the person posting said that these also work under Vista,
just "expand" and "associate" with files of type "hlp"):

Directory of C:\i386

08/04/2004 12:00 AM 171 WINHLP32.CN_
08/04/2004 12:00 AM 131,329 WINHLP32.EX_
08/04/2004 12:00 AM 5,813 WINHLP32.HL_

The "expanded" files are also in my C:\Windows (exe),
my C:\Windows\Help (cnt,hlp) and another unexplained
small (8k) winhlp32.exe ("stub") in C:\Windows\system32
(the "stub" might just call the full program).

Re-affirmed at (Check this out!):
http://searchenterprisedesktop.techtarget.com/tip/0,289483,sid192_gci1244222,00.html

Experiment shows the above "hlp" and "cnt" files to have no significance;
the "exe" file seems to be the only significant file,
just as the above article indicates,
and when I make a copy of winhlp32.exe in another folder,
I can display any "hlp" file by dragging and dropping
to the copy of winhlp32.exe ("associating" "hlp" files with it
would then also accomplish all future opening with the given program,
just as the above article says).

Apparently winhlp32.exe used to be distributed with third-party software,
but Microsoft's KB917607 now simply forbids it:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917607
"More information for Help content providers who are shipping .hlp files
Starting with the release of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008,
third-party software developers are no longer authorized
to redistribute WinHlp32.exe with their programs."

But YOU can get the file for yourself!

If the "official" Microsoft "msu" installers
give you a hard time about it, then you can go elsewhere!

The winhlp32.exe file on my computer (XP/SP2):
Version: 5.1.2600.2180 (xpsp_sp2_rtm.040803-2158)
08/04/2004 12:00 AM 283,648 winhlp32.exe

The following link will currently find two locations
for downloading the exact same file:
http://www.filewatcher.com/m/winhlp32.exe.283648.0.0.html

Here are MD5 checksums (and download locations) of these files:

3371d02425bf6d8ca33de9c92f359519 winhlp32.exe [my computer]
3371d02425bf6d8ca33de9c92f359519 ftp://ftp.jetway.com.tw/lhb/0/WinFlash/winhlp32.exe
3371d02425bf6d8ca33de9c92f359519 ftp://ftp.jetway.com.tw/lhb/g02-cd28-a5_sno080618a5/WinFlash/winhlp32.exe

Verifying checksums is a useful precaution against file tampering;
the following useful software displays these checksums for files,
as well as a host of other useful information about files:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/filealyzer/

The "obstacle course" erected by Microsoft between you and winhlp32.exe
was evidently to try to force third party program creators
to switch to other "help" file formats, which may in fact
be less susceptible to conveying malware into your computer,
but just like throwing everyone into "protective custody"
to keep you safe from any marauder, it also puts you "in jail" yourself,
just as "protected" from contact with your own friends and family
(why couldn't displaying a "hlp" file simply warn you
and let you say "OK for this file from now on"?)

It's a real turn-around for Microsoft to be so suddenly concerned
about "protective detention" for security -- when, by the way,
are they going to stop "autoplay" CDs from just installing
any software they like into your computer, without having to ask?
(legitimate CDs do ask, but nothing compels them to,
just as playing certain Sony music CDs on your computer
once used to silently install a dangerous "rootkit"
to prevent you from copying CDs, and also
usable as a "crowbar" by other malware).

> I'll try posting on one of the Microsoft forums.

There's quite a maze of forums out there, too;
if you get any other good answer (besides just
grabbing a copy of winhlp32.exe from elsewhere,
as suggested above), please do post your news here,
to enlighten all those who follow the same path.

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