Win32: HtmlHelp doesn't work from a network share. What's the alternative?

Question

Since 2005, when Microsoft prevented HtmlHelp functioning off a network share, e.g.:

\\appserver\tos\PointScanner.exe
\\appserver\tos\PointScanner.chm

What are we supposed to do instead?

(Given that the application is not installed locally.)

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To rephrase: What is Microsoft's intended, supported, out-of-the-box, help solution?

Answer 1

You can allow access via the Registry setting described here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/896054/

If you don't want to open any security vulnerabilities by modifying Registry settings your application could also create a local copy of the .chm file, e.g. in the users temp folder (%TMP%) and open the help from there. You can remove the file again when your application exits (in case you don't want to leave anything behind on the user's workstation)

Answer 2

I started with the registry change mentioned by divo. Eventually I moved from network folder based chm files to actual "html help". This was easy for me since I use RoboHelp which can generate either format from the same source code.