Help Content Manager Overrides

You can modify the registry to change the default behavior of the Help Viewer and Help-related features in the Visual Studio IDE.

Task

Registry Key

Value and Definition

Define unique service endpoint

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VSWinExpress\11.0\Help

NewContentAndUpdateService--HTTPValueForTheServiceEndpoint.

Define online/offline default

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VSWinExpress\11.0\help

UseOnlineHelp--Enter 0 to specify local Help, and enter 1 to specify online Help.

Define unique F1 endpoint

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VSWinExpress\11.0\Help

OnlineBaseUrl--HTTPValueForTheServiceEndpoint

Override BITS job priority

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node (on a 64-bit machine)\Microsoft\Help\v2.0

BITSPriority--Use one of the following values: foreground, high, normal, or low.

Disable Online (and IDE Online option)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node (on a 64-bit machine)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\Help

OnlineHelpPreferenceDisabled--Set to 1 to disable access of online Help content.

Disable Manage Content

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node (on a 64-bit machine)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\Help

ContentManagementDisabled--Set to 1 to disable the Manage Content tab in Help Viewer.

Point to local content store on network share

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Help\v2.0\Catalogs\VisualStudio11

LocationPath=ā€¯ContentStoreNetworkShareā€¯

Disable installation of content at first launch of Visual Studio feature.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node (on a 64-bit machine)\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\Help

DisableFirstRunHelpSelection--Set to 1 to disable help features that are configured the first time that Visual Studio starts.

See Also

Concepts

Help Viewer 2.1 Administrator Guide