Ecco help file will not display.

 
 I'm posting 3 messages separately so each subject line concerns only one item that will come up in a search if someone else has this issue.
 

 This problem I stumbled on to the solution but want to share it if anyone else runs into this.
 

 I got this Windows (not Ecco) generated error when I tried to open the Ecco Help file. 
  "Cannot display this help file. Try opening the help file again, and if you still get this message, copy the help file to a different drive, and try again".
 

 Tried Google search but only came up with very complicated possible causes that didn't seem to be relevant. Also I noted that because of my transitioning from an old XP setup to a  "new" Windows 7 setup with two hard drives I have two folders with all the Ecco files needed to run Ecco. When I opened Ecco from one of the folders the Help file displayed. Opened from the other folder it would not. 

 

 What I stumbled on is that Windows on the older versions (at least 95, XP, 7 and VISTA) has to have a file in the same folder as the help file that has the same name as the help file and a .gid extension (GlobalInDex). Also this .gid file has to be up to date. Normally this is a Windows hidden file but I have the display set to show hidden files. 

 

 So I tried renaming Ecco.hlp to Ecco2.hlp just to see if a new name made any difference. When I did this a new .gid file with same name and today's date suddenly appeared on its own. Ecco2.hlp opened with no problem when I double clicked it. I noticed there was a .gid file with the name Ecco.gid with a date of several years ago. 

 

 So I renamed Ecco2.hlp back to Ecco.hlp and the Ecco.gid file blinked and recreated itself with today's date. Ecco.hlp now displayed no problem both when I directly double clicked on it and when I tried to open it from an Ecco .eco file.

 

 Hope this may help someone.