Corrupt VB help files

If you have the original CDs, try reloading the help files.

All help files have this problem.Stuff like "Related topics","Next", "Click here"

This happens not only in windows help file but also in office help, MSDN help files too.
Infact the PC which I use to connect also had the similar problem but I tried updating from windows update site and it seems to have solved the problem.I have zonealarm and AVG antivirus installed and updated everyday.

I did a repair on the VB installation and didn't help either.

To give you an example of the problem.
In case of "related topics" hyperlink, all I get is a small square with a dot in the centre, the one we see in internet explorer when a small gif or a jpeg file is missing on the page.

On viewing the source, I get to see the following:

<object id="alink_1" type="application/x-oleobject"
classid="clsid:adb880a6-d8ff-11cf-9377-00aa003b7a11"
width=12 height=12>
<PARAM name="Command" value="ALink,MENU">
<PARAM name="TEXT" value="Text:Related Topics">
<param NAME="fONT" VALUE="VERDANA,8,0x000800,underline">
<PARAM name="Item1" value="">
<PARAM name="Item2" value="A_PLUGNPLAY_DEVICE_SETUP; win_sys_download_wdl">

what could be the reason. Is it some component got disabled by another program. Another problem that has started is the script error messages when I click some of the links in the help file.I have applied the latest service pack 5 for VS6.

I too have exactly the same problem with MSDN help files. I been having this for quite some time and I have tried quite a number of methods to solve. Some have worked, but still the root cause is yet to be identified. I faced the problem in atleast 3 systems in which I used MSDN. In System A, I still have the problem. In System B, the following steps I tried and the problem got solved.
1. Uninstall MSDN and VB 6 in the system.
2. Installed VB 6, but skipped the MSDN installation which comes with the Visual Studio setup.
3. Instalied VS SP5.
4. Next I installed MSDN with typical installation option from my netcopy.
5. Checked whether the links are working. It was not working.
6. Then I installed HTML Help which came with VS SP5(htmlhelp.exe).
7. After this installation the MSDN was working perfectly with all the links active.

But, the same method I tried with System A and the problem still persists.
With System C, I tried a different combination.
1. Uninstalled MSDN alone from the system.
2. Removed any traces of MSDN from the system by deleting the folders and registry entries pertaining to that.
3. Then I re-installed MSDN in a different path. I installed it under D:\MSDN where as the previous installation was in the default C: drive.
4. Still MSDN links were corrupted.
5. So, I uninstalled MSDN and re-installed it under default path in C:.
6. Voila!!! It started working perfectly.

It all sounds crazy... But this is how I was able to make the links active.. .. My system A is still in limbo with MSDN links refusing to work properly...
My Systems A & B runs on Win2K Professional with service Pack 4
System C runs on Win2K Server with service pack 4.

Any help in identifying the root cause is appreciated..