Developer technologies | Windows Forms
A set of .NET Framework managed libraries for developing graphical user interfaces.
You can get files from MSDN archives =>
HTMLHelp Workshop - download for CHM compiler installation failed
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(140.8, 84%, 23%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EUK%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ulrich Kulle
31
Reputation points
Searching for HTML Help Workshop on https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/search?q=HTML+Help+Workshop gives back a link list and the first link is leading to Microsoft HTML Help Downloads.
So, there is a misleading note (running one into a loop) on top back to the download Center "All HTML Help downloads are now available from the Microsoft.com Download Center.", where HTMLHelp.exe download and zipped docs cannot be found.
But, the really problem are broken links for the HTML Help Workshop including the CHM compiler. Generating CHM's as an only working Windows application help is not possible for developers when e.g. a new environment must be setup.
The compiler for CHM files is still needed after more than 20 years, because no replacement for CHM help files has been provided by Microsoft.
The files should be made available in the Download Center.
Where can the HTML Help Workshop and documentation be downloaded?
Best regards
Ulrich [Microsoft Help MVP 2007-2009]
Developer technologies | Windows Forms
Developer technologies | Windows Presentation Foundation
Developer technologies | Windows Presentation Foundation
A part of the .NET Framework that provides a unified programming model for building line-of-business desktop applications on Windows.
Answer accepted by question author
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Castorix31 91,191 Reputation points2021-02-09T16:01:17.503+00:00 -
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(272, 70%, 36%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EMF%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Mike Feng 26 Reputation points2021-06-21T05:48:46.1+00:00 thank you so much, help a ton
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Castorix31 91,191 Reputation points
2021-09-14T13:06:48.657+00:00 The archived links still work...
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Karen Payne MVP 35,591 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator2021-09-15T01:03:07.74+00:00 A better tool is Sandcastle.
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(278.4, 47%, 36%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EMV%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Marcel Versteeg 6 Reputation points2021-10-05T18:13:28.09+00:00 But Sandcastle also requires the HTML Workshop to create the .chm files.
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(86.4, 79%, 18%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EDW%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Derek Wickern 6 Reputation points2022-01-14T23:32:54.657+00:00 Links are dead
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Castorix31 91,191 Reputation points
2022-04-08T08:48:51.66+00:00 I just tested, they still work....
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Laurie Stearn 91 Reputation points2022-06-01T09:33:25.86+00:00 Links are good at this time!
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(214.4, 3%, 30%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
지욱 허 5 Reputation points2023-02-15T08:57:26.9366667+00:00 Thank you! I was finding this file for hours.
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Derek Wickern 6 Reputation points
2023-02-19T02:28:58.8066667+00:00 The archived links no longer work either. Please fix this!
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(185.6, 63%, 27%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EY%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Yaroslav 1 Reputation point2023-02-19T02:29:22.58+00:00 Castorix31, thanks for information, I downloaded these files (release of 2000) too.
Of course this is a workaround (deep thanks to Wayback Machine), but not a real solution. Can the support staff to eventually fix this obvious problem or, contrary, they want us to forget about HTML Help and whole Win32 programming ASAP?
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(214.4, 6%, 30%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EF%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Feedback333 1 Reputation point2023-02-19T02:29:40.24+00:00 I just tried to download.
It is still a dead link...You should either provide a new tool or grant access to the old software.
Please fix the broken link! -
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(112.00000000000001, 17%, 20%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EA%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
AB 1 Reputation point2023-02-19T02:29:58.6+00:00 Come on... after YEARS Microsoft is not even able to fix a broken link.
Not expecting they can provide an efficient operating system at this point...
It's a shame. -
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(233.6, 5%, 32%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ERY%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Rabbit Ye 1 Reputation point2023-02-19T02:30:15.8933333+00:00 I want to look for a new version of HTMLHelpWorkshop of supportting UTF-8
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Castorix31 91,191 Reputation points
2023-02-19T10:40:02.5766667+00:00 I just re-tested (19/02/2023, 10:46 GMT) and links still work..
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(92.8, 74%, 18%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EKC%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Kenny C 0 Reputation points2023-12-06T02:03:02.53+00:00 Thanks :>
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4 additional answers
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Eric Woodruff 121 Reputation points2022-08-06T18:43:30.183+00:00 I've archived a copy of the HTML Help Workshop installer in the Sandcastle Help File Builder project if anyone needs it:
https://github.com/EWSoftware/SHFB/raw/master/ThirdPartyTools/htmlhelp.exe
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(48, 31%, 14%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EEG%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Emiliano Gallarato 0 Reputation points2023-03-31T14:25:59.1133333+00:00 gracias!!!! 😁🙌👍
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Ulrich Kulle 31 Reputation points
2023-04-02T12:33:49.3+00:00 I've archived a copy of the HTML Help Workshop installer on top of the FAR HTML download page if anyone needs it:
https://www.help-info.de/far-html/far-download/#microsoft-html-help-workshop
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(278.4, 51%, 36%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EDB%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
DUHOT Bastien 0 Reputation points2025-10-10T14:10:43.3333333+00:00 The two links on official Microsoft website are dead is it normal ?
There is the error : "404 - File or directory not found."
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Ulrich Kulle 31 Reputation points
2025-10-14T08:56:22.87+00:00 CHM files can still be opened as help files in Windows 11.
However, the compiler (HTMLHelp Workshop) is no longer maintained and has been discontinued by Microsoft. The links mentioned are also no longer maintained.
The installation files for HTMLHelp Workshop are now only available externally (see above in this thread).
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(294.40000000000003, 22%, 38%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EHS%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
HUBENOV Stephen 0 Reputation points2025-10-24T13:26:57.38+00:00 I found that this download link worked for me today
https://web.archive.org/web/20200918004813/https://download.microsoft.com/download/0/A/9/0A939EF6-E31C-430F-A3DF-DFAE7960D564/htmlhelp.exe
It was not working before ...
This was taken from thechoco install html-help-workshopcommand