Checklist: zenHelpService cannot start

Checklist: zenHelpService cannot start

Time estimate:  15 minutes

Please go through all the items in the following checklist. If necessary, confirm any information you cannot verify with the IT department before contacting your local COPA-DATA representative.

If during the installation of the zenon Software Platform or later the zenHelpService cannot start and the following behavior appear:
  1. Windows: "Service zenHelpService failed to start".
  2. When clicking Help button:
    1. Startup Tool: "Starting the help viewer failed"
    2. Engineering Studio (shortcut F1): "Failed to launch help."
  3. Property help in Engineering Studio does not show any content.
Proceed as follow:
  1. zenHelpService Service is listed in Windows Services and it is set as Startup type: 'Automatic'.
  2. User has sufficient rights to start system services manually.
  3. Mismatch between the zenHelpService.deps.json file and zenHelpService.exe version (see red boxes in screenshot below). These files are located in the "%programfiles(x86)%\Common Files\COPA-DATA\HelpNavigator\Service" folder. 


    4. -> Perform a build update of the zenon software component with the highest version installed.

  4. Wrong/Missing Microsoft .NET Core version installed (see blue box in screenshot above). The latest version can be downloaded from here .

    5. Info
    The respective installation folders are: 
    64-bit: %programfiles%\dotnet\host\fxr\3.1.xx
    32-bit: %programfiles(x86)%\dotnet\host\fxr\3.1.xx

  5. TCP port 50790 already in use. Running zenHelpService in console (-c) mode can help find if this is the case. If the port is used by other software you can try to change the port used by zenHelpService:
    1. In the command prompt, navigate to the folder "%programfiles(x86)%\Common Files\COPA-DATA\HelpNavigator\Service".
    2. Execute the command: zenHelpService.exe -c

    3. To change the listening port used by zenHelpService, edit the Help.ini file in the %CD_SYSTEM% folder. In the [HELPSERVICE] section, adjust the PORT parameter.
If the problem persists after working through this checklist and taking the recommended actions: Please contact your local COPA-DATA representative. Attach a SIC-Reduced Report of the target computer(s) and the result of this checklist. Please include any additional information or comments you feel are relevant.
Info
The System Information Collector is a stand-alone COPA-DATA application. It collects data relevant for troubleshooting about the operating system and the zenon software platform. SIC is installed with zenon. You start SIC via the zenon Startup Tool or Windows Start.