MathCad Help

vlehner · ‎Aug 21, 2018

Hello,

I installed MC5.0 and tryed to start the F1 Help Button, but there is no Help dokumentation available.

How can I fix this?

Windows 10-64Bit

Java is updated

Thank you for your help

Volker

Werner_E · ‎Aug 21, 2018

Not sure why you don't see the help pages.

In Prime 5 there seems to be no local help. Help is only available online.

If you press F1, your default browser should open, connect to support.ptc.com and show the appropriate page.

Start page of the help is

https://support.ptc.com/help/mathcad/en/index.html#page/PTC_Mathcad_Help

So if you have a browser set up working OK and a working internet connection, you should see the help.

You may try a reinstall of P5 or contact PTC support.

Fred_Kohlhepp · ‎Aug 21, 2018

@Werner_E wrote:

In Prime 5 there seems to be no local help. Help is only available online.

Surely you jest!

Using the browser to read local files is enough, but no local files? Wow!!

Werner_E · ‎Aug 21, 2018

@Fred_Kohlhepp wrote:

@Werner_E wrote:

In Prime 5 there seems to be no local help. Help is only available online.

Surely you jest!

Not me, its PTCs special sense of humor.

DJF · ‎Aug 21, 2018

The default is to not install it locally, but it should be an option during installation.

Fred_Kohlhepp · ‎Aug 21, 2018

does that mean they download the files to your computer but don't use them unless you tell them to?

Memory hogs!!

Werner_E · ‎Aug 21, 2018

@Fred_Kohlhepp wrote:

does that mean they download the files to your computer but don't use them unless you tell them to?

Memory hogs!!

No in standard installation the help files are not unpacked locally and are only available online.

If you chose at installation time to unpack the help files locally, the browser is pointed to the locally saved files of course.

I don't like the behaviour of having online help as default option - it should be the other way round and clearly stated at installation time that you can save about 75 MB of disk space per language (the help is available in 10 languages) if you chose to use online help.

Given nowadays storage size this minimal save of space sure does not justify the hassles of online help files.

Only reason for online help could be better timeliness. But there is no reason why locally stored help files shouldn't be automatically updated as need, too, and given the development speed of Prime this is very unlikely anyway.

Werner_E · ‎Aug 21, 2018

@DJF wrote:

The default is to not install it locally, but it should be an option during installation.

Yes, I can confirm the documentation is correct. I had not noticed that option when I installed the software.

There is no option to change the installation later and add the help files- you'll have to start the Prime 5 setup anew to install the help files locally.