Q163318: Helpfile Word Lists May Be Rebuilt After Daylight Savings Change

Article: Q163318
Product(s): Microsoft Windows NT
Version(s): winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbenv kbtool
Last Modified: 10-AUG-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
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SYMPTOMS
========

The first time you select the Index or Find tab in a Helpfile Help Topics
dialog, the Help system prompts you to build an associated word list. Once the
word list is built, it should not need rebuilding unless the Helpfile has been
modified.

However, if the Helpfile resides on an NTFS partition, and your computer is set
to automatically adjust for Daylight Savings Time (DST), you may be prompted to
rebuild the word lists following a change to or from DST, even though the
underlying Helpfile has not been modified. For example, if you build the word
lists in August (in DST), and revisit the Index or Find tabs in November
(outside of DST), you will be prompted to rebuild the word lists.

Word lists for Helpfiles that reside on FAT partitions are not affected by this
problem.

CAUSE
=====

File timestamps on NTFS file systems are stored as UTC (GMT) times. These times
are adjusted to Local Time by applying the DST bias, for display purposes, as
and when required.

When the Help system builds word lists, it records the timestamp of the Helpfile
from which the lists were built in the word list files themselves, and uses this
time to detect changes to the Helpfile, when deciding whether or not the word
lists need to be rebuilt.

The Help system was incorrectly comparing the timestamp Local Time format, which
is incorrect -- it should have been comparing the timestamps in UTC format, as
these are invariant with respect to DST changes.

RESOLUTION
==========

To work around the problem, rebuild the Helpfile word lists following each
Daylight Savings Time change.

Alternatively, apply the related hotfix and rebuild the word lists once -- word
lists built using the hotfix are not affected by DST changes.

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. This
problem was corrected in the latest Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 U.S. Service Pack.
For information on obtaining the service pack, query on the following word in
the Microsoft Knowledge Base (without the spaces):

  S E R V P A C K


Additional query words: prodnt

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Keywords          : kbenv kbtool 
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNTWsearch kbWinNTW400 kbWinNTW400search kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400
Version           : winnt:4.0

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