Help Menu in Applications

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Level 1

22 points

Help Menu in Applications

This Is more of Scratch my head thing. Although it continues with Mavericks, It has been an issue with the Help functions as long as I can remember in OSX. And seems to get worse with each new version of the OS.

I am in a application (doesn't make a difference what application. Whether finder or any application) I click in the help menu and type in the field. The computer sits and takes up to 5 minutes for anything to come up. If there is a choice for a Particular application (say for example Excel, or Acrobat, Adobe) there is no difference. I can remember in OS 9 and lower, when you typed in field, and the help would show up almost before finished typing. You'd think the Help would get Faster with the new technology.

MacBook Pro, OS X Mavericks (10.9)

Posted on Jan 30, 2014 1:53 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Jan 30, 2014 1:58 PM in response to pjonesCET1

Help in not local, so if you have a slow internet connection, help will be slow also.

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Answer 2

pjonesCET1 Author

Level 1

22 points

Jan 30, 2014 2:01 PM in response to Tony T1

Comcast Boost Cable Connection. I've went from PPP to DSL, and Now using Cable typical connection is about 35MBS

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Answer 3

Tony T1

Level 6

10,232 points

Jan 30, 2014 2:20 PM in response to pjonesCET1

The 5 minute wait you're getting is way too long. I have a slow connection (3mbs), and the longest wait I have in help is 15 seconds.

To test if this is a problem related just to your account, try booting into the Guest Account (->System Preferences->Users & Groups) and see if the problem occurs there also.

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Answer 4

pjonesCET1 Author

Level 1

22 points

Feb 1, 2014 9:47 AM in response to Tony T1

Tried two different Profiles Guest and Test.

Actually worse.

Guess I'll just live with it.

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Answer 5

pjonesCET1 Author

Level 1

22 points

Feb 1, 2014 10:38 AM in response to pjonesCET1

May have figured out issue . I use a Firewall Program called Little Snitch. Just grasping at Straws I went into its rules and looked up rule on apple help. Located one and couldn't delete or or edit but could disable. Seems to have helped.

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Answer 6

Network 23

Level 6

12,333 points

Feb 1, 2014 10:48 AM in response to pjonesCET1

What was the exact name of the rule you disabled? I have the same problem of Help taking a long time to come up, even though I have enough Internet bandwidth to watch multiple HD video streams.

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Answer 7

pjonesCET1 Author

Level 1

22 points

Feb 1, 2014 2:05 PM in response to Network 23

Click the little Snitch indicator in Finder menubar
Click on show Rules
In search bar type Help or Apple Help
Will see an item show and item called HELPD
In menubar for little snitch click on show Disabled
A new collum appears with * showing in active rules.
There may or may not be two items
On theone that has 443 in the explaination click on the astericks
Awarning will come up you are about to disable this rule.
Click okay

If there is one listed that say open anything leave that one on.

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Answer 8

Network 23

Level 6

12,333 points

Feb 2, 2014 12:48 PM in response to pjonesCET1

Thanks, I'll try that.

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Answer 9

pjonesCET1 Author

Level 1

22 points

Feb 2, 2014 1:12 PM in response to Network 23

One Comment it only disables temporaily. I have a note into the Makers of little snitch about this. But as long as you don't shut down during the day it allows help to Work.

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