ChemDraw Beta 21.0 Portal
I am not using ChemDraw very often. Most of the time I just draw a few structures and reaction pathways for my protocols or create worksheets for my tutoring students. Instead of using the help tab I tried to get along with youtube videos. So I decided to try the help tab to give you some feedback from a beginner's point of view. But saidly I cannot (See the pictures below). The only options that work are the 'shortcuts and hotkeys' and 'contact support' as well as 'About and activate ChemDraw' tab.
For you to know I use windows 10 and a free pdf tool called 'pdf24'.
I cannot tell if this is a common problem which should be fixed or is just because of the beta version.
Mona, I'd love to hear your experience around PDF24 App and Help functionality in ChemOffice. In my case, even after uninstalling PDF24 Help is opened not in Adobe app, but in Internet Explore {there is Adobe plugin there, that you cannot uninstall, only disable}. As a solution, I had to uninstall IE11, otherwise Help was opening through IE11, not Adobe Acrobat :)
Without uninstalling PDF24, change of default app for .pdf extension in Windows setting to a different app [Microsoft Edge or Adobe Acrobat DC] still gives those error windows when you try to open Help in ChemOffice App. That's how I started to think only Adobe Acrobat DC, not Microsoft Edge work as an external program for Help functionality.
Unfortunately, PDF24 overwrites some settings, that affect how access to pdf Help in ChemOffice apps is performed. If you uninstall PDF24 and set Adobe Acrobat DC as a default app for .pdf extension [or Microsoft Edge, as recommended for Windows 10], Help is opened in Internet Explorer, not Adobe Acrobat DC. Nasty :(
Help functionality in ChemOffice apps heavily relies on external support of PDF reading functionality. You need a specific pdf reader to be installed on your PC and pdf extension to be associated with that reader. Windows 10 provides pdf reading functionality built into Microsoft Edge browser [Recommended for Windows 10], however, syntax of help in ChemOffice works only with Adobe Acrobat Reader (either free or paid version).
Looks as PDF24 is a good novel alternative for wildly popular pdf reader from Adobe. However, it doesn't support the implemented syntax for Help functionality in ChemOffice apps.
It might make sense for PerkinElmer Informatics development team to start approaching other PDF app developers to adapt the existing syntaxes. Meanwhile, you may install FREE PDF reader from Adobe to gain that functionality.
Download FREE Adobe Acrobat Reader DC from Adobe:
https://get.adobe.com/uk/reader/
Install it.
Make sure, PDF extension in windows settings is associated with installed Adobe app [if you click any existing pdf-file on your PC it should be opened with Adobe Acrobat Reader DC not PDF24]. If no, make changes in Settings > Apps > Default apps > "Choose default applications by file type". Find .pdf extension in the list and make sure "Adobe Acrobat DC" is selected as a default app to handle these files.
A bit inconvenient, but at least you will gain implemented Help functionality.
Alternatively, you can manually navigate to the corresponding User guides in pdf-format and open them in PDF24:
C:\Program Files (x86)\PerkinElmerInformatics\ChemOffice2021\ChemDraw\ChemDraw.pdf
C:\Program Files (x86)\PerkinElmerInformatics\ChemOffice2021\Chem3D\Chem3D.pdf
C:\Program Files (x86)\PerkinElmerInformatics\ChemOffice2021\ChemFinder\ChemFinder.pdf