Help error "HVURLHandlerErrorDomain error 1003"

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Level 1

71 points

Help error "HVURLHandlerErrorDomain error 1003"

Hi,

I just tried looking up an item in Help for Mail.app. instead help just did nothing for awhile then I get a popup window "HVURLHandlerErrorDomain error 1003" and my CPU usage goes to 100% on one core.

what gives?

TIA

MacBook Pro 15" 2.2 Ghz 2gig Ram, Mac OS X (10.6.4), Thunderbird & Firefox; XP Home in Parallels & WordPerfect

Posted on Nov 3, 2010 5:13 PM

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Answer 1

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andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Nov 3, 2010 7:37 PM in response to John Mertes

Hi

I'd begin by trashing these files & a cache folder, with all apps closed, then restarting.

Home/Library/Caches/com.apple.helpd/

Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.help.plist
Home/Library/Preferences/com.apple.helpviewer.plist

If that makes no difference - do you have another User Account to check the same help file with?

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Answer 2

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 3, 2010 9:52 PM in response to andyBall_uk

I haven't tried trashing the files suggested. However I did use another account and tried Help from Mail and got the same error. Went back to my main account and Help.app was taxing my CPU (1 core) at 100%.

Will try the trashing files shortly.

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Answer 3

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 3, 2010 10:16 PM in response to andyBall_uk

Trashed those files and restarted. in Mail.app, Help now works except it doesn't show the topic on message - bounce.

Is / was a part of my help file corrupt? or corrupt and then deleted?

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Answer 4

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Nov 3, 2010 10:31 PM in response to John Mertes

I'd think so, yes.
Perhaps you've a time machine or other backup of the Mail app? or
specifically
/Applications/Mail.app/Contents/Resources/Mail.help I would imagine; which is 21,241,461 bytes here, dated 5 November 2009

You could use Pacifist to grab it from the install dvd too.

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Answer 5

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Nov 3, 2010 10:36 PM in response to andyBall_uk

hmm, lost some of the message

worth a try at repairing permissions & verifying the disk, also a safe boot - but if the folder size is off, I think it's very likely a file missing/corrupted.

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Answer 6

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 4, 2010 6:11 PM in response to andyBall_uk

Looking at this file I get:
kind: folder
size: 28.3 MB on disk (21,228,022 bytes) for 3,645 items
where: /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/Resources
created and revised both: Wednesday June 24, 2009 09:20

so my version is old but Software Udate says I'm all up to date.

so what next?

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Answer 7

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Nov 4, 2010 6:34 PM in response to John Mertes

as I said - assuming it's the help files within the app... either reinstall via optionals on dvd, restore from a backup, or use Pacifist to pull it off the dvd.

My Mail has a different sized/dated help folder, as you know - you are on 10.6.4 & Mail 4.3 ?

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Answer 8

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 6, 2010 12:32 PM in response to andyBall_uk

I've reinstalled Mail from my OSX disk. Then when I tired to open Mail, I got a message saying Mail 4.0 is incompatible with SL 10.6.4. Ran software update and it said everything was up to date!
Retrieved Mail 4.3 from TimeMachine. It opened OK. But as soon as I click help, help hangs and CPU usage goes to ~100%. Forced quit help; then Finder CPU jumped to near 100% and gradually declined. So relaunched Finder and that is where I am at now. Also again ran software update and it says I am up-to-date.

So where to now?

Where/how can I get a good version of Mail with its help files?

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Answer 9

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 6, 2010 12:35 PM in response to John Mertes

Also my help file is still June 24, 2009 09:20 and 21,228,022 bytes.

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Answer 10

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Nov 6, 2010 1:31 PM in response to John Mertes

Hi John

If the backup Mail was from a time before this problem began - then clearly it's not caused by a corrupted/missing help file. However...

Are you using English language?
If so, then the idea of a damaged/missing file would presumably be within

/Applications/Mail.app/Contents/Resources/Mail.help/Contents/Resources/English.l proj

my copy of that from 10.6.4/Mail 4.3 is 1,106,489 bytes - 11 February 2010. The content is all from Nov 2009

You could doubtless find it in the version installed from dvd, or I'll happily email it.

---
Otherwise, have the dvd version in /Applications/ and run the 10.6.4 combo update

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Answer 11

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 6, 2010 5:08 PM in response to andyBall_uk

My folder for this is 1.5 MB on disk (1,093,048 bytes) for 201 items and dated 06/25/2009. Even so a lot of the contents are listed as created 07/23/2009 and some have subsequent updates.

I don't know when this problem actually started -- I first had trouble when I used Help for Mail. Ordinarily I use Thunderbird.

From the forum rules, I gather that we are prohibited from posting our personal email addresses so how can you email me that folder?

I'm downloading the 10.6.4 combo update and I'm going to run that. Maybe this will resolve the problem. Otherwise I can contact another local user and probably get the file from him.

So I'll get back to you.

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Answer 12

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Nov 6, 2010 5:17 PM in response to John Mertes

Hi

There's seemingly a variation in dates (not surprising) & sizes on different original disks - I'd have expected the language specific iproj folder to be the same, but hey ho.

I don't know of any prohibition, just advice - feel free, anyway : A1@howmarvellous.plus.com

the mailhelp bundle wasn't part of the 10.6.4 combo

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Answer 13

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 6, 2010 6:04 PM in response to andyBall_uk

I'll contact you via email for the folder.

After running the combo update, it seems that Mail Help only now hangs and goes to 100% when I select help, then enter bounce in the search box, and select "returning unwanted messages" for the help topics.

Seems like a bug in the help files to me.

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Answer 14

John Mertes Author

Level 1

71 points

Nov 6, 2010 8:14 PM in response to andyBall_uk

Received and installed the replacement /Applications/Mail.app/Contents/Resources/Mail.help is 28.3 MB on disk (21,241,463 bytes) for 3,648 items; 2 bytes different.

But Mail Help now works!

Thank You!

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Answer 15

andyBall_uk

Level 7

20,516 points

Nov 6, 2010 8:27 PM in response to John Mertes

You're welcome, John
The backup was affected too, it seems - glad you're fixed now.

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