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ZHELP CHM
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Convert ZHELP to CHM

Verified by Adam B.· reviewed by FE Editorial ·updated Jun 21, 2026
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Is it possible to convert ZHELP to CHM?
Yes - ZHELP converts to CHM.

A .zhelp is finished output, so the clean path is to open the source project in EC Software Help+Manual and publish it again choosing the CHM (Microsoft HTML Help) target. That build step needs Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop compiler (HHC.exe) installed. If you only have the .zhelp, you can unzip its HTML and feed those pages into HTML Help Workshop to compile a CHM manually.

Also to CHM: HLP · HDX · GID

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Tested on macOS, Windows & Linux
Last verified Oct 2026

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Why convert ZHELP to CHM?

.zhelp (ZipHelp) is just WebHelp HTML packed in a Zip, while .chm is Microsoft's compiled single-file help. People convert to CHM because older Windows apps and legacy help buttons still expect a .chm, whereas ZipHelp is a newer cross-platform format.

How to convert ZHELP to CHM

EC Software Help+Manual (re-publish) EASIEST

Open the source .hmxp project, choose Publish and select the Microsoft HTML Help (CHM) output; point View > Program Options > Compilers at the CHM compiler first.

Microsoft HTML Help Workshop FREE

Unzip the .zhelp, then in HTML Help Workshop create a project from the extracted HTML pages and compile it to .chm with HHC.exe.

About these formats

.ZHELP Ziphelp Package

A .zhelp file is a Ziphelp Package, an open help-documentation format from EC Software. It is a standard ZIP archive that holds an extended sitemap.xml plus the HTML topics and media that…

Open .ZHELP details →
.CHM Microsoft Compiled HTML Help file

A CHM file is a Microsoft Compiled HTML Help file - a single compressed bundle of HTML pages, images, and a searchable index, used for Windows software manuals and e-books. On Windows,…

Open .CHM details →

Quality & what to watch

  • CHM is a Windows-only, largely obsolete format; the required HTML Help Workshop hasn't been updated since Windows 98.
  • Rebuilding from the extracted HTML by hand loses the automatic table of contents, index and full-text search that Help+Manual generates from the project.
  • Modern responsive skinning in ZipHelp does not translate to CHM's fixed three-pane layout, so the look changes noticeably.

Frequently asked questions

Can I turn a .zhelp straight into a .chm?
Not directly. You either re-publish the Help+Manual project to CHM or unzip the HTML and compile it in HTML Help Workshop.
Do I need extra software to build a CHM?
Yes. CHM requires Microsoft's HTML Help Workshop compiler (HHC.exe), which is a free but very old download.
Why does the CHM look different from the ZipHelp?
CHM uses a fixed three-pane viewer, so the responsive WebHelp skin from ZipHelp is replaced by the classic layout.
Is CHM still worth using?
Only for legacy Windows apps that require it; for anything cross-platform, ZipHelp or WebHelp is the better target.