try using the "F1" key. It should open "Help/Context and Index."

Yes, those are way to get to Help / Context and Index ... but they don't work either. I would have been surprised if any of those did work. The problem is not calling for the file, the problem is there apparently is no file to call .. or it is defective or misnamed or ... ?

Anyone know what it is named and where it lives?

It's called vegas90.chm and is found in C:\Program Files\Sony\Shared Plug-Ins\Help Files.

Mike

My help has vanished in v8 as well. File is still there, just wont open when you ask for it. I can open it from the vegas file. jm

I can't help with the help file but you can search the pdf via most pdf readers.

Strange it won't work.

From the SCS Knowledgebase:
Help files not working

Mike

Thanks Mike, but that didn't work.
Try the following for Sony Creative Software programs:

Could not find a "main.cab" file on my CD rom anywhere. Also the path specified for the CD does not even exist on my Vegas Pro 9 CD.

Did anybody ever find a solution to this ?? I have looked at the Sony article (I installed with the defaults )- there is no "main.cab" on either my C or D drive that is in any Sony directory for version 9 - there is In the folder "C:\Program Files\Sony\Shared Plug-Ins\Help Files" a "vegas90.chm and .chw" file, however that is dated back in March. As indicated in their article, indexing is enabled for the specified folder as well as the drive. The install was over an existing version 9.0b? (possibly c) using the default locations and with the antivirus disabled. Not only is the help missing, but it also screwed up my registration for version 8 and 9 as well as Acid Pro 7 (all 3 had to be re-registered). XP Pro, SP3. Seems to me their "version e" needs more than a little work. This was a download version.

One thing I did find interesting is if you look (at least on my machine) in the "C:\Program Files\Sony Setup" directory, there are folders there with main.cab's etc for Acid Pro, DVD Architect, Vegas Movie Studio (I have an older version installed), Vegas Pro 8, but NOTHING for vegas Pro 9 (including no folder for version 9) - obviously they have changed their install process and it is NOT an improvement.

more than a bit irritating !

One additional question - for those of you with "e" installed where the help files actually work, a) where are they and b) what is the date on them ??

mikey

mikey, I'm running Pro 9.0e (XP Pro), the help file is in the folder I mentioned earlier, it's 3.37 MB (3,543,040 bytes) in size, it works and the date is Tuesday, March 30, 2010, 10:25:46 AM

Mike

OK Mike - thanks - that is the one in the shared Plug-Ins\Help Files that I have as well, it just seems a bit "early" to cover the enhancements in "e". I wonder why Vegas can't find it ? Both the "F1" and "Help" menu option do nothing. No error message, nothing. I guess maybe that date isn't too bad - I was thinking they had added stuff in "e", but that was mostly bug fixes and that time is about right for the "d" release.

mikey

Well I thought maybe I had found the problem - I did verify the indexing was enabled for the folders as they indicate, however, in snooping around under "Computer Management", I found the "indexing service" was not started (there are a number of sources that suggest turning it off for increased performance under XP). Turned it back on and let it run all night -- seems to have completed, however, there is still no "help" from Vegas when I either press "F1" or select "Contents and index" from the Help menu (very brief hourglass then nothing). Nothing interesting in the event logs either. The help file itself is where it is supposed to be and I can open the file manually by double clicking it, Vegas just doesn't seem to have a clue where it is or something.

UPDATE: Seems that help for Vegas Pro 8, DVDA 5, Acid Pro 7 are all not working although the help files are all there in the path "C:\Program Files\Sony\Shared Plug-Ins\Help Files" and can be opened if I double click them. Interestingly, Sony Vegas Movie Studio Platinum 8, which also has it's help file in the same folder, still works when I select "Contents and Index" from the menu or press "F1".

UPDATE #2: - I have submitted a tech support request to Sony on this issue and will post back here if they respond (hopefully they will !! )

mikey

OK, Sony has gone around with it a couple of times (had me turn off the A/V, try and run as Admin (which gave a strange error message)) and a couple of other things. Decided to do a bit of snooping on my own - grabbed a copy of "Process Monitor" - a quirky utility that has some good things. Started Vegas 9, started Process Monitor and told it to watch file accesses. When I select either "Help -> contents and index" or "F1", Vegas 9 looks in two places for the help file - the first is in "C:\Program Files\Sony\Vegas Pro 9.0\vegas90.chm" and the second place it looks is in "C:\Windows\Help\vegas90.chm" (both of which return " NAME NOT FOUND")- it does not appear to look in the "shared plug-ins" folder that Sony talks about ! If I copy the vegas90.chm and vegas90.chw files to the main directory (first one searched), then help works fine for both F1 and Help->contents and index menu. We'll see what they say tomorrow - I think they have escaped for the night. For those of you where the help does work, are there copies of the help files in either of the two directory paths I listed above or just in that shared plug-ins folder ??

mikey

For those of you where the help does work, are there copies of the help files in either of the two directory paths I listed above or just in that shared plug-ins folder ??

I have no "vegas90.chm" in any of those three locations. I *do* have vegas81.chm in the shared plug-ins folder however.

There has to be a pattern here somewhere .. I'll pass my findings along to Sony and see if they have any comments tomorrow. I don't have Vegas 8.1 installed - just 8.0 and the help does not work on it either (nor Acid 7 or DVDA 5) all of which have help files in the "shared Plug-ins" path. I would have expected you to have at least the vegas90.chm file in the shared folder - at least that was where it was installed on mine. Oh wait - you said you were on Vista. Wonder what difference that makes ?

mikey