Member Avatar for jeffy1

I want to start Windows help and support center from the start menu but without success. When I choose help and support center from the startmenu I get the following message:

Windows cannot find helpctr.exe. Make sure you typed the name correctly, and then try again. To search for a file, click the start button, and then click search.

Hence I chose search from the same start menu and managed to find 3 instances on my computer (I searched for "helpctr.exe"). I tried to double click all three, one at a time and then this message was displayed:

Windows cannot open Help and Support because a system service is not running. To fix this problem, start the service named “Help and Support.

Therefore I used the start menu again and the run alternative. I typed services.msc. Then the various services of my system is displayed but I can’t find any service named “Help and Support. Hence, it is difficult to start that service.

I also tried to look at in the "add windows component" and "add program list" but without success.

Therefore I hope you’ve got an idea about how to get my windows help and support center running the way it should again.

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by bluethunder

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A short, practical checklist that picks up where left off and builds on suggestions from and the link posted.

The problem usually means the Help system files or the service registration for the Help and Support service (helpsvc) are missing or broken — the UI helpctr.exe can exist while the service that hosts it is not registered. The Help/Service DLLs normally live under C:\Windows\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries. Confirm those files first (helpsvc.exe / pchsvc.dll / helpctr.exe). (file.net)

First, try the broad repair steps (this matches ’s advice to check system files). Run the System File Checker utility to restore protected system files, reboot, then retry Help. If that does not restore the Help files, reinstall the Help components by right‑clicking the pchealth.inf file in the Windows INF folder and choosing Install; you may be prompted for your Windows XP source (point to the XP CD or the ServicePackFiles\i386 folder if present). (support.microsoft.com)

If the service itself is missing from Services, re-create and register it by running the Help/HelpSvc registration commands from an elevated command prompt (run as Administrator). Example sequence that many technicians use to restore the service (run each line and allow each to finish, then reboot): 

net stop helpsvc
cd /d %windir%\pchealth\helpctr\binaries
start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install
start /w helpsvc /register
start /w helpctr /regserver

Run these only if pchealth files are present and you understand how to use an elevated command prompt; back up the system first. (learn.microsoft.com)

If starting the service produces Error 126 or it still will not appear, check for a missing pchsvc.dll (antivirus/quarantine or aggressive cleaners sometimes remove it). If that DLL or other files in the Binaries folder are absent or corrupt, restore them from the XP source or from pchealth.inf install as above. As a last resort, you can set the Help and Support service to Manual or Disabled to stop the error messages while you repair the files. (learn.microsoft.com)

Cautions: work from an Administrator account, make a restore point or full backup before editing system files or the registry, and avoid copying unknown pchealth.inf files from random sites.

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Member Avatar for J_Search

jeffy1,

Try two things.

Place your Windows CD into your CD-Rom drive. Then...
Start >> Run >> type: cmd >> type: sfc /scannow >> Reboot >> Done.

If that doesn't work, then...

J_

Member Avatar for bluethunder

I had the same problem, guys and I thought the following link would be helpful in resolving this.

Hope you have a nice time.

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