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Q152225: .Gid File Location Determined by .Cnt File Location in Help

Article: Q152225
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): 3.51
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbnetwork
Last Modified: 09-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.51 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.51 
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SUMMARY
=======

In some instances, it may be desirable or necessary to have all Help files
together in a common directory rather than in individual default storage
locations (such as the system root directory for the Help files shipped with
Windows NT or the application root directory for the Help files shipped with
various Windows applications).

If you move only the .hlp files to the new common directory, their associated
.gid files are created and/or updated in the original directory and not in the
new common directory, because Windows NT Help creates and/or updates the .gid
files based on the location of their associated .cnt files.

To ensure that the .gid files are updated in the new common directory, move the
related .cnt files to the new common directory and either move the current .gid
files to the new common directory (in which case they are updated in the common
directory) or delete them from the original directory (in which case they will
be re-created in the new common directory).

MORE INFORMATION
================

Windows NT 3.51 uses a Help engine based on the Windows 95 Help engine. With
this Help engine comes the implementation of several new support files (listed
below) in addition to the standard Help files (.hlp).

FTS
---

Files of this type contain key words and/or phrases for full-text search queries.
If such a file does not exist for the base Help file being opened by Help, you
are prompted to create one by the Find Setup Wizard.

CNT
---

Files of this type enable the use of multiple help file grouping for the Help
Topics dialog box by providing the indexes to the relevant Help files.

FTG
---

Files of this type are generated by the Help engine when a Help file is opened
for which a .cnt file exists. They contain the data necessary for cross-file,
full-text Help file searches.

GID
---

Files of this type are hidden files generated by the Help engine when a search is
performed in a Help file. These .gid files contain the indexes displayed on the
Index tab of the Help Topics dialog box.

NOTE: Files of the type .ind (full text search index), used by earlier versions
of Windows NT Help, are no longer used or supported by the new Help engine.


To ensure that all Help-related files are in a common directory, move all of the
above defined files, along with the .hlp files, to the new location (with the
possible exception of the .gid files, which can be deleted, as noted in the
Summary section above).

NOTE: To ensure that Windows NT Help can locate these files in their new
location, update the path environment variable to include the new common
directory, by using the System Control Panel.

Additional query words: prodnt

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Keywords          : kbnetwork 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNT351search kbWinNTW351search kbWinNTW351 kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS351 kbWinNTS351search
Version           : 3.51

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