ClickHelp User Manual

Create a CHM Manual

Along with other popular formats, your documentation can be exported to a CHM file. The CHM-based documentation is usually shipped with downloadable desktop software.

To fulfill the task, you need to create a new Project, add all the necessary content to it, and publish your Project to create a Publication. Then, you'll be able to export the Publication to a CHM file by selecting the CHM format in the Export wizard.  

As seen from the screenshot, you can also choose the path in the Storage where your exported file is going to be stored.

CHM export specifics

After you export your Publication to a CHM file and download it from the Storage, Windows Security will block the file by default. This is a well-known issue that appeared after some Microsoft Security Updates were implemented. It means that when you double-click the file, the CHM viewer will open with empty content. There are several ways to avoid the situation:

  • Open the CHM file properties and click Unblock.
  • Copy the CHM file to a different folder. The newly created copy should open without problems.
  • To avoid Windows blocking the file, open the following registry key:
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Attachments\SaveZoneInformation

    Change SaveZoneInformation to 1.

    Note:
    0 = Not Configured
    1 = Enabled
    2 = Disabled
Important
Elements such as YouTube and Vimeo videos, SlideShare presentations, and other interactive elements will not work in CHM.

When creating a Publication, make sure to make all active elements conditional for your CHM Export. You can use Conditional Blocks and Output Tags to exclude such elements from this CHM output.