BUG: "Need a Newer Version of HHCTRL.OCX" Error Message When You View Help Files

On a computer running Windows NT 4.0 with Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) 2.5 or 2.6 installed, you may receive the following error message when you attempt to open HTML Help files: When you click OK, the error message remains on the screen. You may need to click OK up to ten times to dismiss the error message.

The MDAC installation did not update the HTML Help files to the latest versions available. MDAC 2.5 and 2.6 Help requires version 4.73.8412 or later of the HTML Help files.

To resolve this problem, either upgrade to Microsoft Internet Explorer 5 or Microsoft Visual Studio 6.0 Service Pack 3 (SP3) if Visual Studio 6.0 is already installed. You can also obtain the latest HTML Help files by doing the following:

1. Connect to http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms669985.aspx
2. Download the HTML Help file update package (the Hhupd.exe file) corresponding to your language and processor architecture. For example, click English in the x86 column.
3. After you download the file, double-click the file to update your HTML Help files.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article.

This bug occurs only on computers running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 and associated service packs. MDAC 2.5 and 2.6 Help displays correctly on computers running Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Window 98 with Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 2 (SP2).

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

1. On a Windows NT 4.0-based computer with Internet Explorer and MDAC 2.5 or 2.6 installed, start the ODBC Administrator tool in Control Panel.
2. Click Help. Depending on which version of Internet Explorer is installed, one of the following events occurs:
   
   
   • If Internet Explorer 4.01 SP1 is installed, you probably have an older version of the Hhctrl.ocx file. A message stating "You need a newer version of HHCTRL.OCX to be able to read this file" is displayed on the screen. You may need to click OK up to ten times to dismiss the error message.
   • If Internet Explorer 3.02 SP1 is installed, you may not have a copy of the Hhctrl.ocx file. In this case, clicking Help in the ODBC Administrator tool in Control Panel may not display the Help topic.
   In either case, either upgrading to Internet Explorer 5 or downloading and running the Hhupd.exe file as instructed in the "Resolution" section of this article resolves the problem.