C:\ProgramData\National Instruments directory has became corrupt

[GeneHancock]

I am working on a project for a client that needed me to install support for the RoboRIO, FPGA, and a few other items. I have several versions of LabVIEW installed and have had no issues till today. Somehow during the install the the entire C:\ProgramData\National Instruments directory has became corrupt (i.e. cant be opened, shows a size of 0, cant be deleted). LabVIEW still seems to work but Max has issues and NI update service and lord only knows what else is not working.

Can anyone help me repair the issue or do I need to uninstall and reinstall?

So far I have tried:

1. Deleting the directory an let LV repair it.  ( Won't let me)

2. Repair the NI Update Service  (Can't find the distribution even when pointed at the NI Thumb Drive but maybe I am missing where to point it exactly)

3. Downloaded the Update Service installer but I thinks all is installed and well.

4. Tried running MAX to see if I could at least update my RoboRIO but it give me an error and then freezes as I keeps it s DB in the folder that is corrupt.

Any ideas?

[Bob_Schor · Accepted solution]

Ouch!  Definitely deleting the Directory didn't help!  Now, at best, you have a Windows Registry in direct conflict with "reality", i.e. it "points to" things that don't exist, which explains why "Repair" doesn't work (it uses files that are in the now-non-existent Folder).

You probably will not be able to do a re-install very easily.  Assuming you have working Installation Media, the following is almost guaranteed to work (assuming functioning PC hardware):

• Reformat the Hard Drive.
• Reinstall Windows.
• Reinstall other programs/utilities you need.
• Install LabVIEW, oldest version first, installing Drivers last.  Best is to install only one version.

This is pretty drastic, of course.  If you are sufficiently "brave", you can try to skip the first three steps by cleaning the Registry.  Remove entries that mention LabVIEW or National Instrument.  That gets most of them, particularly those that point to the missing National Instruments folder in Program Files.

Unless you absolutely need 64-bit address space and have the 64-bit drivers, install 32-bit LabVIEW (preferably on 64-bit Windows, but you already have, or are installing, Windows).

I regret to say I've "been there, done that" ...

Bob Schor

[GeneHancock]

Thanks Bob for the reply!  

I took you advice and nuked windows and started over.  Everything seems to work now.  Kind of a crappy failure what ever it was.  Worries me that I may have an issue with my SSD that caused it.