>I don't understand.. are you saying your TEST form works but your real one doesn't, and you are doing the same think on both forms.

Yes. I created a test form and set its help context id to 16. In the load I set help to "icp.hlp". In the destroy I "set help to". When I run the form and press F1, the correct topic displays.

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>Oh.. here is one show stopper.... are there any ActiveX controls on the form?
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nope.

>Also, if you keep VFP's help file set, and press F1, does it bring up a topic? This may give you an idea what that 'long ID' is really for?
>

great idea. when i tried it, the vfp help brought up the topic "Syntax Conventions". Why would it do that?

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>BOb