Tips to open HLP file

Can't open the HLP file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open HLP files as well as a list of programs that support HLP files.

HLP file extension

File Name Windows Help Format
File Developer Microsoft
File Category System Files

The HLP file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the HLP files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the HLP file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 7
  • 1
  • 1
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is HLP file?

The HLP file has been categorized as System Files. The author of this format is Microsoft. In addition to this file, the System Files category includes 323 related files. Windows Help Format is supported by 3 operating systems. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on Linux, Mac OS, Windows. It is recommended to use Adobe RoboHelp to handle this file. This is a program created by Adobe Systems Incorporated. This file type can also be opened by 8 other programs. You can use Alpha Five, Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Help, Help Explorer Viewer in case Adobe RoboHelp cannot be used.

How to open HLP file?

The most common problem when using Windows Help Format is that a specific HLP is not associated with the program. Thus, when you open HLP, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the HLP file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Adobe RoboHelp

In this case, you should first verify that the Adobe RoboHelp application is installed on the computer. This can be achieved by typing Adobe RoboHelp into the operating system search engine. In the absence of an appropriate program, its installation in the vast majority of cases will fix the problem. Below you will find a list of applications that support HLP files.

Step 2. Create association of Adobe RoboHelp with HLP files

However, it may happen that the application itself does not cause the HLP file to open in the Adobe RoboHelp application, but you can set it manually. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. The displayed window will contain information about the program that supports this type of file. Using the "Change" button we can set the program to handle this type. It may happen that in the next window there will be no appropriate program - however, this can be corrected with the "Browse" option where you should manually indicate the program location. Checking the "Always use the selected program ..." box will permanently associate the HLP file with the Adobe RoboHelp program.

Step 3. Update Adobe RoboHelp to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Adobe RoboHelp program with the Windows Help Format file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version. Some applications allow you to update from the program level, and for others you need to download the installer from the Adobe Systems Incorporated page and install.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the HLP file

Of course, it may happen that despite the above steps, the file still does not work. File problems can be divided into the following:

The affected file may be 0 KB or smaller than expected. This is most often caused by a problem while downloading the HLP file. The file should be downloaded again, making sure that the process has finished correctly.
The computer may have fallen victim to a computer virus or hacker. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. If this is not possible, you can use the online scanner. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our HLP file. As a result of the scan, sometimes it is not possible to recover HLP files, which are deleted if there is a backup of this file, then after restoring it, it must also be scanned.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the HLP file. These problems are known and are often very easy to fix using the software developers's website.
There can be many reasons for this. The repair method must be adapted to the type of file and damage. Sometimes the program itself has options to repair the most popular HLP file corruption. The easiest way to restore the file is from a backup or by contacting Microsoft, but this one can be expensive. Not all damage can be reversed.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted HLP files can be used by the device on which they were encrypted, on any other device it is required to have the appropriate cryptographic key and decrypt the file before its recovery.
Some of the system directories are excluded from modification. While there is usually no problem reading such a file, it may not be possible to save it. If possible, you can try to move the HLP file to another location.
This problem usually affects more complex files. In this case, the HLP file is blocked by the first application to open it. Running programs (including those in the background) should be verified. If the error persists after closing other programs, wait for a while. Antivirus programs or a backup being made may lock the file for a while without the user's knowledge. If the problem persists, restart the machine.