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Configuring Offline Help with VS2010 SP1

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General: CTRL + ALT + F1 (help settings); F1 (view help)

Visual C# 2005: CTRL + F1, M (help settings); CTRL + F1, CTRL + M (help settings); F1 (view help)

Windows: ALT + H, S (help settings); ALT + H, V (view help)

Menu: Help | Manage Help Settings; Help | View Help

Command: Help.ManageHelpSettings; Help.F1Help

Versions: 2010 SP1

Code: vstip0127

 

 

Prior to Service Pack 1 the offline Help experience in Visual Studio 2010 was less than ideal. I’m happy to announce that it has improved significantly now. To take advantage of the new offline help system you first need to do a few things.

First you need to install Service Pack 1 (or better) for Visual Studio 2010. At the time of this writing you can find Service Pack 1 here:

https://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=75568aa6-8107-475d-948a-ef22627e57a5&displaylang=en

 

 

Next, you need to go to Help | Manage Help Settings and click on Choose Online Or Local Help:

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Then select the I Want To Use Local Help option then click OK:

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Once you are set up to use local Help you then need to install the help features you want. To do this go to Help | Manage Help Settings and choose Install Content From Online or, if you have the original VS2010 DVD, Install Content From Disk. In this example I’ll assume we want to install from online:

Note: If you do decide to install from disk then you will need navigate to the HelpContentSetup.msha file in the ProductDocumentation directory on the original VS2010 install DVD.

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The next dialog will enumerate the help items that are available for install and then present a list for you to choose from. Just click Add next to each help topic you want installed to be available offline:

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When you are done, click Update. You will see a progress dialog:

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When it is done you will see the final screen:

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Click Finish and then go to Help | View Help to start using the new offline help:

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Comments

  • Anonymous
    March 31, 2011
    I like the new help system, but it sure would be nice if you could add a help library reference using a simple chm file wthout having to decompile it and create a manifest.  Do you know if that's in the works, or if I'm missing a simple workaround?