Norton 360 Help Center Won't Start

The Norton 360 Help Center won’t start when I click on help within the 360 V2 application screens. Otherwise Norton 360 appears to be working fine (scans and updates). I have 360 running on a total of 3 computers. There is no problem with Help Center on the other computers. While the computers all have different hardware, they are similarly configured with the exception that the problem computer is running XP Home vs Pro on the other boxes (all Sp 2), and the problem box has the basic version of System Mechanics on it with all the active stuff turned off. I reinstalled 360 V2 on the problem computer a few weeks ago (because of the Help Center not starting issue), and Help Center worked initially (after the reinstall), but today, I noticed that it’s not opening again. Any ideas what the problem might be or how to resolve it?

I have the same problem. I get error 1316 when trying to use the chat.msi

Hi htaylor,

 

Is this since installing NIS or are we on another computer?  Also, can you walk us through the exact steps you took?

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

Hello geneintexas,

 

Can you walk us through the steps and what exactly you see at each stage?

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

When I click on any of the help buttons, I get the hour glass very briefly then nothing. As near as I can tell the help browser just doesn’t start(or is somehow blocked from starting). I did uninstall and reinstall 360 V2, and help worked just fine. Several days later, it wasn’t working again. Since it’s not a feature that I try to access all the time, I’ve no idea when it stopped again or what did it. Otherwise 360 seems to be running fine on the problem computer. I’m running 360 on 3 boxes. Help works fine on the other 2. They are all different hardware configurations but have the same security software (360 V2 - protections enabled, Malwarebytes-protection enabled, Webroot Spy Sweeper - active protection off, CounterSpy V2 - active protection off). The problem computer has Iolo System Mechanic standard  (active protection off) on it and is running XP Sp2 Home rather than XP Sp2 Pro which is on the other 2 boxes. Everything is updated at least weekly, and all boxes are current with MS security patches. Let me know what additional information you need. Thanks for asking.

Hi geneintexas,

 

Thanks for the additional details. In the main Norton 360 V2 Program window, there is a Help and Support link in the upper right hand corner. If you click on it, you get three options (Help, Support and About Norton 360). It sounds from your description like clicking on the Support link doesn't bring up the Support dialog. Can I assume that it never starts to load, i.e., you never see the dialog appear?

 

If so, it's possible that one of the other security programs is blocking it (even though they are all running the same basic set of products, it's possible that on this computer, the response to the Support loader). Support is associated with a file called hsloader and if you check your other security program options, you may find that one of them is blocking that from running.

 

Matt

Not Quite what happens: In the main Norton 360 V2 Program window, the Help and Support link in the upper right hand corner. When I click on it, the three options drop down (Help, Support and About Norton 360). Support and About Norton 360 come up as expected when clicked on. Help sand dials briefly then nothing. It’s Norton 360 Help Center that doesn’t start. Is hsloader the file to look for or does something else associate with Norton 360 Help Center?

Hey geneintexas,

 

Okay, now I get it - thanks for setting me straight :)

 

No, Hsloader is strictly related to One Click Support. The process for launching the on-board help content is relatively straight-forward. I think from a troubleshooting standpoint, here's how I would approach the problem:

 

  1. Can you open up the on-board help for any other program that uses chm files. Pre-2007 Office programs would work, as would most  of the other security products you listed. The call is to a common, MS-based API, so if it is a systemic problem, I would not expect those to open either.
  2. If opening other program chm-based help files works normally, browse to x:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\NHelp\09\01 and ensure that you have files listed here (should see them as chm files if you have your folder option set to see file extensions). If you don't, and you have already used NRT and reinstalled, we can be pretty confident that something - likely one of the other security applications - is preventing their installation.

Let us know what you learn.

 

Thanks,

 

Matt

1.Yes, all the other applications that I tried that use MS HTML Help (including Windows Movie Maker, CounterSpy V2, Spy Sweeper) launch it just fine.

 

2. C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\NHelp\09\01 is full of chm files (31 total). Double clicking on most any one of those chm files launches Norton 360 Help Center just fine. Once Norton 360 HelpCenter is launched, it works as expected.

Hi geneintexas,

 

Can I take it from you that only when you launch it from the product it fails? Otherwise, the Help Center would start just fine. Am I correct in assuming this?

 

Thanks,

TomV

Norton Forums Moderator

Symantec Corporation

 

 

Yes. Norton 360 Help Center starts and runs fine when one of the .chm files is clicked on directly. It does not start when I click on any of the “Help” buttons within the Norton 360 application.

Just chimming in.  I have the exact same problem. The hour glass displays for but a second then disappears and that is the end of it.  I simply wanted to confirm that there are others experiencing the same event.

 

Gleafully watching the outcome :)  Thank you much.

For others that have this problem, a workaround that I've found works for me is to double click directly on the NRTHelp.chm file located at x:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\NHelp\09\01\. That opens Norton 360 Help Center just fine for me. From there I can navigate through the 360 Help Center application as needed. 

 

I'm not going to mark this issue as solved as it really isn't. I'll raise it again in a new thread if it reappears in the production version of V3.

Hi geneintexas,

This problem appears to be related a missing registry key. Here are the steps:

  1. Open the registry and browse to:
  2. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\HTML Help
  3. Create a REG_SZ with the name “NRTHelp.chm” and the data set to the help path:

           %path%:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec Shared\NHelp

 

Let me know if that works for you.

Matt

Message Edited by matt_phillips on 02-25-2009 11:37 AM

Bingo, the NRTHelp.chm registry key wasn't there. I added it, and 360 Help Center comes right up now from the 360 screens as it should. System Mechanic's registry cleaner is the likely culprit (for the key's removal). I'll pay more attention to what it wants to do the next time I run a System Mechanic scan. Previously, I've let it do what it recommends to the registry without problems (oh well).

 

Thank you for sticking with this even though it's a minor issue which (as it turns out) is likely not with your product.

 

Problem solved!

Excellent news - thanks for confirming the fix!

 

Matt

A little follow up: I have the standard Iolo System Mechanic installed on the system that I was having trouble with. It was the registry scan/repair tool within System Mechanic that was identiifying the Norton Help key as invalid and deleting it. I confirmed this by running a System Mechanic scan after I added the Norton Help key back into the registry. System Mechanic can be set to ignore the key.

<< System Mechanic's registry cleaner is the likely culprit (for the key's removal).  >>

 

Join the club of many many people who have found out the hard way that registry cleaners -- and other attempts to tidy up Windows and get rid of things that are not needed -- causes more trouble than it is worth!

 

How about giving up Registry Cleaners for Lent <s>...... and seeing how much less trouble you have with your computer?

 

I really wonder sometimes if even Microsoft knows what is going on inside Windows and especially in the Registry and so how can a third party utility know more and be safe to use?

If this thread is still viewed by any Symantec employees may I please ask,  as programs such as Registry Mechanic and others can change the registry so that N360 may not function as intended, is there a way to have a program that would, perhaps, either set the registry keys back to a default setting or keep track of changes made by the user and at any given point reset them to those settings should a feature in N360 stop functioning as this might be an easy fix rather than uninstalling and reinstalling or using up time that might be better spent by support of my personal favorite, banging my head on the keyboard (j/k’g) :smileyhappy:

I hope this is appropriate as I am having the same issue but am not too familiar with the registry and avoid making changes unless I am absolutely sure I know what to do, (Usually Symantec has great directions for removing viruses from the registry and other registry related instructions) especially considering the fact that I am running WinXp Home and I don't believe I am able to do a full registry restore should I make a blunder!!

 

 Associated with the prior mentioned area of the registry at: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\HTML Help  -- I see    Name         Type        Data

                          ab default   reg_sz    (value not set)

                          AopHelp     reg_sz    NRTHelp.chm

 

I take it even though I see NRTHelp.chm listed under data that I still need to create a new key?

 

If the answer is yes, and I think it is may I please ask where I may go for step by step instructions so that I may precisely set the proper key without messing anything up, paweeze. :)

 

Signed,

Noobie registry editor.