Q: How do I view the "Local Information Center"?
Problem
When launching the "Local Information Center" link with some Internet Browsers, a webpage is displayed with two empty frames or with frames with endlessly flashing contents.
This is true for
•Google Chrome (as of version 13.x)
•Firefox (as of version 50).
Solution
One solution is to use an alternative browser to view the "Local Information Center". However, it is possible to loosen restrictions and allow your preferred Internet Browser to display the WebHelp.
Chrome
Google Chrome (as of version 13.x) has a "feature" that inhibits JavaScript from being able to access web pages on the local file system. As a result, this "feature" has caused issues when viewing WebHelp based documentation locally. While you can use an alternative browser to view the "Local Information Center", there is a workaround that will loosen the necessary restrictions in Google Chrome. To use the workaround, please follow these instructions:
1. Close all instances of Google Chrome
2. Locate the "Local Information Center" link. Bring up a properties view on the "Local Information Center" link. (Right-Click --> Properties).
3. Once inside the properties view, make a copy of the URL and put it aside by pasting it into notepad, or whatever mechanism you prefer. We will refer back to the URL in a subsequent step.
4. Create a shortcut to Google Chrome. It is easiest just to make a copy of an existing Google Chrome shortcut. You may wish to rename this new shortcut to something like "Local Information Center (Chrome)". Bring up a properties view on the new shortcut. (Right-Click --> Properties).
5. Once inside the properties view, modify the Target by appending a special parameter: "--allow-file-access-from-files" and the URL that was retrieved from step 3.
Example Target before modification:
C:\...\chrome.exe
Example Target after modification:
C:\...\chrome.exe --allow-file-access-from-files file:///C:/.../help/index.html
By clicking on your new shortcut, you are now able to launch the "Local Information Center" in Google Chrome.
Firefox
As of version 50, Firefox has a security enhancement that happens to prevent local file access. As a result, this "feature" has caused issues when viewing WebHelp based documentation locally. There is a workaround that will loosen the restriction in Firefox. To use the workaround, please follow these instructions:
1. Open Firefox.
2. In a tab, type about:config.
3. Search for privacy.file_unique_origin and set it to false.
You are now able to launch the "Local Information Center" link with Firefox.
Last modified date: 01/06/2021