How To View HLP Files On Windows 7/8 When You Cannot Install The WinHLP Update.

This also works on Windows Vista and Windows 8.1.
There are other work arounds but this is the easiest way.


On Windows XP you can view HLP files from Windows 3x without any problems because it is built into XP, as it is in versions before that.





But Microsoft removed support for these files on Windows Vista and later versions of Windows.
Although there is still the Winhelp exe in Windows Vista, Windows 7 and 8, it is inactive. So you cannot read HELP file unless you install the WinHLP Update.

I recently reinstalled Windows 8 and one problem I was having was I could not install the WinHLP update from Microsoft on my Windows 8. Even though I did download the correct update for my version of Windows, Windows 8 Pro it would not install.

WinHLP Update Error Message On My Windows 8.

This can also happen on Windows Vista and Windows 7 but there is an easy way to overcome this problem.

You need to replace both the WinHelp and WinHLP32 exe on Windows Vista,7 or 8 with the ones from Windows XP. Or an earlier version of Windows such as Windows 2000 or Windows NT4.

So here is how:

On Windows XP :Go to your Windows Folder and copy both the Winhelp and WinHLP32 files and save to a CD or USB drive.

Then on Windows Vista,7 or 8: 
Go to your C/Windows Folder,look for both the WinHelp and WinHLP32 exe.

Take Ownership of both files then delete them.

You need to install a software such as Take Ownership to do this.

Once you have deleted both files replace them both with the ones you have copied from Windows XP. As shown in my picture.

WinHelp and WinHLP32 files from Windows XP.

Windows folder on Windows 8.

You will now be able to read HLP files without any problems as seen in my pictures.

HLP files now open on Windows 8.

This also works on Windows 8.1 but  I am not sure about Windows 10 since I don't have it. 

Warning:Some Windows updates will replace the Winhelp exe to the later version. So you may have to reinstall the Windows XP files again, but that depends on the updates. But if that happens just repeat the same steps again which will resolve this.