Does Mac Help Viewer quit unexpectedly when you try to use it from within an application? Learn what you can do if this happens to you.
Note: This document applies to Mac OS X 10.2 through 10.3.9.
Note: "Help Viewer" refers to the Apple (Mac) Help Viewer. Third-party applications such as Microsoft Entourage may use their own help viewers. To see a list of applications that have installed content for the Apple Help Viewer, click the Finder icon in the Dock, Choose Mac Help from the Help menu, then click the Help Center button in the Toolbar of the Help Viewer.
Mac OS X 10.2
Update to Mac OS X 10.2.1 or later. For more information, see
"Mac OS X: How to Update Your Software".
You should also make sure that you are using the latest version of any third-party application in which this issue occurs or which adds Help content to Mac Help Viewer.
Mac OS X 10.3 through 10.3.9
This can be caused by a problematic cache or "Help book".
First,
troubleshoot the cache. Just do this:
- Quit Help Viewer, if it's not already quit.
- From the Finder's Go menu, choose Home.
- Open the Library folder.
- Open the Caches folder.
- Look for the "com.apple.helpui" folder.
- Rename that little folder to something else, such as "old Help cache folder".
- Open Help Viewer. Does the issue return?
If the issue is gone, you're all done!
If the issue persists, use these easy steps to
troubleshoot for a problematic Help book. Having a problematic Help book in a Help folder can cause Help Viewer to quit, even if you are opening an unrelated help book.
- Quit Help Viewer, if it's not already quit.
- From the Finder's Go menu, choose Home.
- Open the Library folder.
- Open the Documentation folder.
- Open the Help folder.
- Double-click each Help book (one at a time) to open Help Viewer.
- When you find one that makes Help Viewer quit unexpectedly, take it out of the folder. Put it in the Trash, for example.
Tip: If you don't see any Help books here, do this instead:
- Quit Help Viewer, if it's not already quit.
- From the Finder's Go menu, choose Computer.
- Open your Mac OS X volume.
- Open the Library folder.
- Open the Documentation folder.
- Open the Help folder.
- Double-click each Help book (one at a time) to open Help Viewer.
- When you find one that makes Help Viewer quit unexpectedly, take it out of the folder. Put it in the Trash, for example (you may be prompted for an administrator password).
If this doesn't work either, skip to "A third solution" below.
I removed the Help book(s) that caused the issue, but now that book's Help content is gone. How do I get it back?
Once you've isolated the issue to the specific Help book and deleted it, reinstall it (from its application installer if an application-specific book, or from Mac OS X if it came with Mac OS X). Remember, it's usually best to use the latest versions of third-party software products.
A third solution
No luck with the cache or Help book fixes? Most of the time they should work, but if not you can try this:
- Quit Help Viewer, if it's not already quit.
- From the Finder's Go menu, choose Home.
- Open the Library folder.
- Open the Preferences folder.
- Delete these files:
- com.apple.help.plist
- com.apple.helpui.plist
- com.apple.helpviewer.plist
Tip: Troubleshooting preference files is much less likely to be useful than troubleshooting Help books and Help caches.