64 Bit eWriter Help

[LanceRasmussen]

I have been using the standard eWriter Help project to create a executable eWriter file. When looking at migrating my own applications to 64 bit and installers, I need to also have the eWriter help project create a 64 bit executable eWriter file. Am I missing a flag when command line building to do so or a project setting? I prefer this to distributing as a eWriter eBook and the other files.

[Tim Green]

Hi Lance,

If you're looking for a 64-bit version you're using the EXE eWriter file with the embedded viewer. This is practical, but it does present distribution problems and you generally have to re-sign the EXE with a code-signing certificate every time you update your documentation. Nowadays we generally recommend using the data-only .ewriter format instead, combined with the eViewer viewer.

However, if you wish to use the EXE version notwithstanding, you can generate a 64-bit version. To do this, first download the current version of the eViewer 5.6 package that was just released today (eWriter for Application Help, further down on the page):

https://www.helpandmanual.com/ewriter/index.html

It's important to use this version, because it now includes the WebView2 loader DLL in the viewer itself. This ensures that even EXE eWriter files will always use the new Windows WebView2 HTML rendering engine instead of the old Internet Explorer version.

You should also update to the just-released Help+Manual 10.1 at the same time, because this also includes the current version 5.6 of the eViewer.

By default, Help+Manual creates EXE eWriter with the 32-bit viewer, because it is smaller and the 64-bit version doesn't really provide any practical benefits. If you must use the 64-bit version you then need to do this:

1. Go to the \Tools folder inside the Help+Manual program directory and rename the eViewer.e32 file, for example to eViewer.e32.bak.
2. Rename a copy of the 64-bit eViewer.exe file from the developer package to eViewer.e32 and copy it to the Tools folder. This will then be used to embed in the EXE eWriter files.
3. Copy the unnamed 64-bit eViewer.exe file to the root level of the Help+Manual program directory, replacing the version there. This will then be used for previewing eWriter files automatically after publishing, ensuring that you are using the 64-bit version for that as well.

[LanceRasmussen]

Thank you Tim!

I sign all the DLL's and EXE's in the installer as well as the MSI and Setup.EXE, so it isn't an issue.

I totally agree that a 64 bit ehelp vs 32 bit is not any performance benefit. However, it creates an issue requiring mixed mode installations when trying to put the exes in the program files folder intended for 64 bit, because it expects all to be 64 bit.