Varieties of CHI Files

Main CHI Affiliation

.CHI

File ID:	.chi
Category:	Microsoft Help File Index

A CHI file type is primarily associated with Microsoft Help file index files. The file is used when CHM files are shipped and enables local installation of some of the navigation information on a hard drive. It's however not supposed to be used in scenarios like when there is no CD-ROM.

Developer:	Microsoft Corporation
Division:	Data Files
Key:	HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.chi

Software Programs That Open The Microsoft Help File Index:

Microsoft Visual FoxPro by Microsoft Corporation

Windows

Microsoft Windows by Microsoft Corporation

Windows

Microsoft Windows Help by Microsoft Corporation

Windows

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CHI Troubleshooting

Common CHI Opening Problems

Microsoft Visual FoxPro is Not Installed

Double-clicking your CHI file prompts the message "%%os%% Can't Open CHI File". When this happens, it is commonly due to Microsoft Visual FoxPro missing in %%os%%. Because your operating system doesn't know what to do with this file, you won't be able to open it by double-clicking.

Tip: If you don't have Microsoft Visual FoxPro installed, and you know of another program to open your CHI file, you can try opening it by selecting from the programs listed under "Show Apps".

Outdated Microsoft Visual FoxPro

Sometimes your installed version of Microsoft Visual FoxPro won't support your Microsoft Help File Index file. Visit the Microsoft Corporation website to download (or purchase) the latest version of Microsoft Visual FoxPro. This issue mainly occurs when your Microsoft Help File Index file was created by a newer version of Microsoft Visual FoxPro than you have on your PC.

Tip: Right-clicking on your CHI, then clicking "Properties" (Windows) or "Get Info" (Mac), can provide clues about your file version.

Regardless, most of the CHI file opening problems relate to not having the right version of Microsoft Visual FoxPro installed.

Additional CHI Opening Issues

Assuming you have the right Microsoft Visual FoxPro version installed, other problems can prevent you from opening CHI files. Other CHI opening errors can be created by other system problems inside of %%os%%. These other problems include (listed in order from most to least common):

• CHI file references in the Windows Registry are broken
• Deletion of the CHI file description from the Registry by mistake
• Defective install of a CHI program, such as Microsoft Visual FoxPro
• Your CHI can't be loaded properly (file corruption)
• CHI file integrity has been compromised by malware
• Device drivers for CHI-related hardware are out-of-date
• Your PC doesn’t have enough available resources to open the Microsoft Help File Index file