WD2000: Error Message: 'The RTF file .\<filename> is corrupted at offset...'

ID: Q211605

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to compile a Word 2000 Rich Text Format (RTF) file in the Help Compiler that ships with Microsoft Visual C++ 4.0 or the Microsoft Visual C++ 4.2 Help Workshop, the following error messages may appear:

HC4002: Warning: The RTF file .\<filename> is corrupted at offset <###>

HC4005: Warning:The .\<filename> help file has not been created.

CAUSE

Word 97 and Word 2000 write a few new RTF flags. The older Help Compilers do not correctly discard the new RTF flags and instead attempt to process them. Because the flags are new, the Help Compiler fails during the compilation process.

RESOLUTION

This problem is corrected in Help Workshop version 4.03, which is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library:

~ Hcwsetup.exe

For more information about downloading files from the Microsoft Software Library, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q119591: How to Obtain Microsoft Support Files from Online Services

An updated Help Workshop version 4.02 is available through the following sources:

Microsoft Office 97, Developer Edition

Microsoft Developer Network - Library - Jan 97

Updated Microsoft Help Workshop 4.02
\HELPSHOP\SETUP.EXE

Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows Version 5

Enterprise and Professional Editions
\DevStudio\Vc\Unsupported Tools\Hcw

NOTE: Visual Studio 97 ships the older 4.01 compiler.

MORE INFORMATION

Help Workshop is a program that you use to create Help (.hlp) files, edit project and contents files, and test and report on Help files. Help Workshop takes the information in the project (.hpj) file to combine the topic (.rtf) files, bitmaps, and other sources into one Help file that can be viewed using the Microsoft Windows Help program.

Help WorkShop 4.02 compiles Help files from RTF written by the 16-bit versions of Word, such as Word 6.0, and also the 32-bit versions such as Word 7.0, 97, and 2000.

Help Workshop 4.02 does not compile projects created in the MS-DOS version of the Help Compiler.

A Help file created in Help Workshop 4.02 does not run under Windows 3.x, because Help Workshop 4.02 creates 32-bit Help files, and Windows 3.x is a 16-bit operating environment.

Additional query words: help compiler rtf


Keywords          : kb3rdparty kbinterop kbdta wd2000 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: August 12, 1999