| Cause | Description | |-------|-------------| | | Windows 8, 10, and 11 do not include the legacy 32-bit WinHelp viewer. | | Incorrect file path | FORMS90_HELP_PATH or FORMS_PATH does not include the folder containing the .hlp file. | | Corrupted help file | The .hlp file is damaged or was compiled for a different platform. | | Registry restrictions | Windows blocks WinHelp execution by default due to security patches (KB917607). | | 64-bit vs 32-bit mismatch | Oracle Forms (32-bit) cannot launch a 64-bit help subsystem component. | | Network latency/timeout | When help files reside on a network drive, timeouts can trigger FRM-18105. |
(procmon) can also capture winhlp32.exe launch attempts. 12. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Q1: I’m on Windows 11. Will FRM-18105 ever be fixed permanently? A: Only by migrating to .chm help or using Oracle Forms 12c with HTML help. Microsoft will not restore WinHelp. frm18105 failed to start the help system fix
CreateProcess failed with error 5 (Access denied) → Permission issue. | Cause | Description | |-------|-------------| | |
echo %FORMS90_HELP_PATH% Your directory should appear. Even with the correct path, Forms sometimes fails because the help file’s extension is not associated with the viewer. This fix forces the association. | | Registry restrictions | Windows blocks WinHelp
HELP: Attempting to open file: C:\ORACLE\BIN\forms.hlp HELP: CreateProcess failed with error 2 (File not found) → This means the file is missing. Or:
Last Updated: October 2024 Applies to: Oracle Forms 6i, 9i, 10g, 11g, 12c, Oracle Developer Suite