To assist a user expecting to make an inactive part active in a graphical user interface.

The graphical user interface includes a control element or other designation portion for selection of a respective control function. The control element includes a designated appearance, graphical indicator, or other representation that indicates the current status of the control element, such as a status condition of inactivity or for interoperability due to one or more secondary settings or conditions. Invocation of the functionality of the control element causes a context-based help dialog to be presented to the user, which informs the user of the basis for the current status condition and which includes a prompt for automated modification or resolution of the secondary settings, so as to change the current status condition of the control element to a new status condition that offers the desired control function.