"Help and Support Error" - Service not started

**Henryosa** · 04-01-2010

Hello, I am using Windows xp operating system on my computer. Whenever I try to click on Help and Support button in Start Menu, it gives me the error message as given below:
Windows cannot open Help and Support because a system service is not running.To fix this problem, start the service named 'Help and Support'.

How to solve this error. Give me some solution regarding this.

**Devasis** · 04-01-2010

If you are not able to start the help and support service by clicking on it you can use the command to get that.

First click on the Start button.
Now click on Run.

Type the command below:

Code:

%Windir%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe

It will start the Help and support feature.

**Solomon** · 04-01-2010

You can simply reinstall the Help and support features with the help of steps below:

Open your computer in Administrator account.
Now click on start and then run and type the command as %systemroot%\inf and click OK.
Now you need to right click on PCHEALTH.inf file and then click on install.
It will reinstall the Windows Help and Support Feature on your computer.

**MrChris-** · 04-01-2010

To solve your "Help and Support Error" - Service not started problem you need to follow the steps below:

Open your command prompt in Administrator account.

Now simply type the command below one after the another:

Code:

net stop helpsvc
cd /d %windir%\pchealth\helpctr
rd packagestore /s /q
rd installedskus /s /q
cd binaries
start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install
start /w helpsvc /register

Problem solved.

**Calvin K** · 04-01-2010

Hey, same error here also. Whenever I try to use the Help and support function in my Windows xp it gives me error as "Cannot find helpctr.exe". If I try to use the command as %Windir%\PCHealth\HelpCtr\Binaries\HelpCtr.exe then also it shows me same error. Please give me solution for that. Can it be possible to get the HelpCtr.exe from any source from internet. If yes then please give me that.

**Lillebror** · 04-01-2010

I think you need to reinstall the Help and Support Center, so follow the steps below:

First it is needed to stop all the process related to this.
So, just open the task manager and then stop the process of the following files:

helpsvc.exe
helphost.exe
helpctr.exe

Now for reinstalling the Help and Support function use the steps below:

Open command prompt and type the command below without any mistake as it is :

Code:

        net stop helpsvc
        cd /d %windir%\pchealth\helpctr
        rd packagestore /s /q
        rd installedskus /s /q
        cd binaries
        start /w helpsvc /svchost netsvcs /regserver /install
        start /w helpsvc /register