topic Re: Set Permissions for file deletion in LabVIEW

Set Permissions for file deletion

id — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:15:00 GMT

I need to create a new temp directory and at the end of my program, I need to delete the temp files...pretty common thing to do. My problem is the permissions dont allow me to delete the files unless I set them first somehow. I want to know what the settings must be in the Set Permission.VI so I can then delete the files. How do I mechanize this?

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

NLutz — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 21:58:45 GMT

Try turning off the UAC. I've found that I get file permission errors if it is enabled.

Edit:

On setting permissions: https://www.ni.com/docs/en-US/bundle/labview-api-ref/page/functions/setting-permissions.html

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

id — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:41:31 GMT

Thats interesting. Unfortunately in my case I cannot turn off the User Account Controls due to network security assurance issues. Thanks but are there any other ideas?

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

id — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:41:31 GMT

Thats interesting. Unfortunately in my case I cannot turn off the User Account Controls due to network security assurance issues. Thanks but are there any other ideas?

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

NLutz — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 21:59:06 GMT

Do you still have an issue if you run the program as administrator? If this resolves the issue, you can follow these steps to have the executable request administrative privileges when it starts.

https://knowledge.ni.com/KnowledgeArticleDetails?id=kA00Z0000004A62SAE&l=en-US

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

id — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 16:54:09 GMT

So if I read this correct, in order to delete a file from a labview 2014 program that is stored in a windows temp directory I have to alter the windows 7 manifest xml file to allow this to occur? Is there no way to do this with the Get/Set Permissions VI tool or has microsoft made this too difficult? thanks

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

NLutz — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 17:55:53 GMT

Are you having this issue in both the Development Environment and the Run Time Environment? The second solution that I linked is for executables only, and only makes it so that you don't have to turn off the UAC because it has administrative privilages. Anything that an administrator is able to do, the executable will now have permission to do. To test if this solution will work at all, just right click on the executable and select "Run as Administrator". If you are still having issues when the executable is running as administrator, the above solution will not work.

Try running this snippet and let me know what happens. All it does is create a file in the temp directory, read its permissions, then deletes the file. This runs on my computer with no error in the Development Environment and has the permissions of binary 110110110 (Decimal 438).

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

id — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:00:00 GMT

Yes I think that this is what I am more looking for. Here is the one that I got working which is similar to the one you posted.

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

id — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:01:57 GMT

I am working in the development environment now...but will eventaully build an exe for this program. Is there something I should be aware of here for exe's?

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

NLutz — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:16:57 GMT

The transition from Development Environment to Executable is where the UAC permissions may become important. Adding or deleting files in the Program Files directory can be blocked by windows, and LabVIEW will return an error saying that it doesn't have permission to change these files. Turning off the UAC is the most simple solution, but having the Executable request administrative permission is a work around that I have found. There's probably a better way to do this, but I don't have much experience in this area.

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

id — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:19:05 GMT

Sounds like something that ought to be capable of being set in the labview installer dialog.

Re: Set Permissions for file deletion

NLutz — Mon, 08 Sep 2014 18:20:59 GMT

You would think that this would be the case, however editing the manifest file is the only way that I have found to do this.