
What's covered?
This topic explains your options. If the problem is with a RoboHelp 6 project, you might want to look at Snippet 79 first. |
Before attempting to fix ANY corrupt project or opening it in an earlier version, it is vital that you back it up. I recommend that you zip it up so that you cannot mistake the backup and open it causing further irreversible damage. If you then get anything wrong, you are no worse off than when you started. Keep the backup for a while just in case there is something that you don't spot immediately.
You can skip to the next section if you are not using RoboHelp 8.
RoboHelp 8 users who do not have Service Release 8.0.2 applied may encounter a bug the symptoms of which are:
If you are using RoboHelp without that service release and have encountered this problem, read on. Otherwise skip to the next section.
Service release 8.0.2 should be applied to all installations of RoboHelp 8 to prevent this happening in future, regardless of whether or not this problem has been encountered. Note that Service Release 8.0.1 must be installed before applying Service Release 8.0.2
It is available from the Adobe Downloads page and via Help > Updates. You will need local administration rights to install the service release on your PC.
The service release will not repair any damage to your project(s), that still needs to be done manually.
These steps apply to all source control systems recognised by RoboHelp. [Further information to be added here]
Steps 3 to 10 must be undertaken by one author and during that time no one else should be permitted to access the project.
After a project has been opened on a machine with this service release, it should not be opened on an unpatched machine. A warning will be given that the project is from a newer version. Whilsy you can delete the CPD file and then open the project on the unpatched machine, you then run the risk of losing files from Project Manager again. This practice is discouraged because of the attendant risks. Service Release 8.0.2 should be applied to all the machines you use.
In the event you cannot open the project using the XPJ file, you will have to open it with the HHP file and select No when prompted to use the existing XPJ file. Then follow the steps above before proceeding with the other steps described in Using the HHP File.
With 8.0.2 applied, you should not encounter any further occurrences of this problem.
After a project has been opened on a machine with this service release, it should not be opened on an unpatched machine. A warning will be given that the project is from a newer version. You can delete the CPD file and then open the project on the unpatched machine but you then run the risk of losing files from Project Manager again. This practice is discouraged because of the attendant risks. Service Release 8.0.2 should be applied to all the machines you use.
In the event you cannot open the project using the XPJ file, you will have to open it with the HHP file and select No when prompted to use the existing XPJ file. Then follow the steps above before proceeding with the other steps described in Using the HHP File.
For versions of RH that have an mpj file, the standard advice for dealing with corrupt files has always been to open the project with the HHP file. You can rename or delete the mpj file first and if you know your way around Microsoft Access, you may be able to import back some of the lost data (an mpj file is an Access database with a different file extension so that RH can be linked to it). That might of course reintroduce the problem so it's trial and error.
See Using the HHP File below.
For versions of RH that have an XPJ file (X5 onwards), the procedure is to rename the CPD file and then open the project with the XPJ file but read on a bit before you rush ahead and do that as that does not always work. The CPD file is an Access database holding much of the information about your project that was in an mpj file in earlier versions.
Adobe RoboHelp 7 and 8 changed things so that you should not lose any data if you rename the CPD and use the existing XPJ file to reopen your project. A new CPD will be created from various files within the project and that should correct the problem. Do make a backup of your project first.
Each folder contains an FPJ file. If you open it in a text editor such as Notepad, you will see it lists all the HTM files in the folder and any sub-folders in the format:

If you have missing folders and files, it is likely they are not listed. With the project closed, you can add them manually and use the XPJ file to open the proejct and see if that fixes the problem. It would be prudent to backup again before you reopen the project. If you have a lot of folders and / or files missing, it may be easier to use the HHP file as described below.
You must backup up first and if it appears to fix the problem, there is a further test. With the project closed, rename the CPD and then open the project and check it again. I have seen a project recovered then break again but there was something a little unusual with that project.
If you are using RoboHelp 8 and encounter this problem, check that you have Service Release 8.0.2 applied. If you do not, then do not edit the FPJ file(s) in this way, instead apply the service release and read the instructions under RoboHelp 8 Folder Bug above.
If you are using RoboHelp X5 or RoboHelp 6, then you might lose some data but if you follow the right steps, most things can be recovered easily. What you will lose and how to recover it is described later in this article.
Make a backup of your project and then in order try these methods.
Remember, make a backup before following any of these procedures and never work on that backup. When you get things going, keep that backup around for a while in case you discover something else that is not quite right when you are further down the line. I prefer zipped copies as you cannot work on them and you can extract the contents over and over again if necessary.
If you simply want to open a project in an earlier version, you have to accept that things not compatible with the earlier version are not going to work. If you know how to use Microsoft Access, you can minimise the loss by tweaking the mpj file and using that rather than the HHP file. Visit Rick Stone's site and download his Tips and Tricks file.
This is not possible with RoboHelp 7 and RoboHelp 8 projects.
If you cannot successfully open the project in the ways described above, then you will have to resort to using the HHP file. Either use RoboHelp to browse to the HHP file or right click the HHP in Windows Explorer and use Open With.
Almost certainly the project will now open but there will be damage. Here's how to repair it. Not all the items listed apply to all versions of RoboHelp.
| Topics created since the HHP was last updated. | Note the word "created". The HHP is updated in a number of situations as described in Snippet 119. Principally this is when you generate online help. Any folders and files created after then will not be in the current HHP. The first step in the rebuild is to look at Tools > Reports > Unused files. Any topics created since the HHP was last updated will be listed there and need to be imported back into the project. |
| Replace missing Conditional Build Tags | Simply create new CBTs with EXACTLY the same names (spacing, underscores etc). The new CBT will associate itself with the topics and text. |
| Replace missing single source layouts | Look for the SSL files in WE and simply create new layouts with EXACTLY the same names (spacing, underscores etc). The new layout will find the old settings. Tip: Highlight an SSL file in Windows Explorer, press F2 and then CTRL C. In Project Manager, use CTRL V to create the layout name, making sure you do not include the file extension. |
| Snippets and variables | With RoboHelp closed, copy rhsnippet.apj and rhvariable.htm from a backup and paste into the project. Open both in a text editor. Check that rhsnippet.apj shows all the .hts files in the project. Add any that are missing. Check that rhvariable.apj shows all the variables in the project and their values. If any are missing, try recreating them in RoboHelp with their original names and see if they are still shown in the topics. Reopen the project and check everything here is OK. |
Replace missing TOCs, Indexes and Glossaries |
The default TOC, index and glossary will be restored but any additional ones will be missing. Use Windows Explorer to delete the original file. Now you can rename the new file with the original name. Follow the same steps for indexes and glossaries. |
Don't have an HHP file? Click here to download Adobe's HHP builder.
Point it to the root of the project and enter the name of the file to be created. The name is important. Look for the CPD, HHC, HHK files. They will all be the same except for the extension. That is the name you need for the HHP file.
For a while at least after having problems like this and maybe until you have identified the cause, it might be advisable to go a little overboard with protection procedures in case things go wrong again.
Here's one method.
If at any point, there is a problem after opening the project, then turn off the option to rebuild the cache and close RoboHelp. Then unzip the last good backup and open that in RoboHelp. The CPD will not be rebuilt so you are back to having a good project. Then you need to investigate just what the root cause is.
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Date |
Changes to this page |
| 19 Dec 2009 | 802 procedures revised to include source controlled projects. |
| 05 Nov 2009 | Minor amendment to section on rebuilding the FPJ file(s). |
| 04 Nov 2009 | RoboHelp 8 problem revised and the Post Recovery procedures built into the main article. |
| 29 Oct 2009 | Rewritten to include how to recover what will be lost in all versions if the HHP is used to open projects. |
| 15 Aug 2009 | RoboHelp 8 added plus explanation that the HHP does not contain all the information a project needs. |
| 28 Apr 2008 | Various changes so that topic recommends deleting the CPD file to see if that works. Reduces what can be lost. |
| 23 Apr 2008 | Instruction re any missing folders amended. |
| 01 Dec 2007 | Procedures for variables and snippets added. Taking a backup further emphasised. |
| 03 Oct 2007 | Reference to Snippet 79 added. |
| 01 Apr 2006 | Loss of SSL settings revised. Default layouts retain their settings. Additional layouts are lost but can be recovered. |
| 23 Mar 2006 | Updated to cover loss of Conditional Tags. Also added a note re Rick Ferrell advising that SSL settings will be lost. |
07 Oct 2005 |
Creating an HHP file using Macromedia's HHP Builder added. |
16 Aug 2005 |
Instructions revised to clarify when to compile a CHM file before deleting the CPD and XPJ files. Additional instructions added re reinstating lost folders and files. |
| 16 Apr 2005 | Topic revised to include instruction to compile a CHM file before deleting the CPD and XPJ files. Link to old eHelp forums removed. |
| 27 Dec 2004 | New topic. |