Executable does not find .dll file

[Mr. Zabala]

Problem Description :
I have a VI that is calling a Construction Node, which is referencing a .dll.
I set the search path under tools -> options -> path dialog box to search
for the dll's.
The VI executes properly and device communication is established.
However, I created an executable file and an installer file for the VI and
when I Install and run on another machine the VI can no longer find the dll.

I wonder if this could be a compatability issue between versions, but I was under the impression that 

if I went about packaging an EXE with an installer, then it should run the same on every computer.

Thanks,

[Hillman]

Hi Zabala,

Thanks for your post and I hope your well today.

Firstly when making your EXE build are you selecting to 'Always' include the dll in the Source File Settings in Application Builder?

Why Am I Prompted for the Location of lvalarms.dll when Running an Executable?

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/6FF5D9EF51A3B8288625714F00783562?OpenDocument

* has some guidance for including dlls in EXE builds. 

Out of interested, is this a 3rd party dll? Or was it an NI dll... did you get any error codes/messages?

Secondly, have you specifically provided a path for the dll - this could well be different on the deployment machine. Built executables only look in certain directories for a given function library. For any built executable, be sure to have your DLL installed in one of the following:

• The same directory as the executable
• <windows>\system (\winnt\system32 for NT systems)
• Any path that is specified with the set path command in the autoexec.bat file or listed in the path environment variable on NT

Thus, you can install a DLL in any directory that you wish, but be sure that the respective directory is, at the least, listed in autoexec.bat as described above.

Hope this helps,

[smercurio_fc]

The search path applies to VIs, not DLLs. For DLLs LabVIEW depends on Windows to find the DLL. See here.

[Mr. Zabala]

Here is the error message for the error that I was having. I have not been able to get back to the actual machine yet, but I will try out soon as I am able.

Error 8000 at Contructor Node in GetNetRef Z.vi -> .....

This error code is undefined. No one has provided a description for this code or you might have wired a number that is not an error code to the error code input.

Again, the VI works on the original computer, but when I try it elsewhere it craps out.

I will let you know how everything goes as soon as I can.

Thank you.

[smercurio_fc]

OK, hold on. You're talking about a .NET assembly, not a DLL. That's different. Even though a .NET assembly has a .dll extension, it's not a DLL. The .NET Runtime uses a different mechanism for finding .NET assemblies. See How the Runtime Locates Aseemblies. Is your .NET assembly a private assembly? Is it installed in the GAC? Is it dependent on another  private .NET assembly?

[Mr. Zabala]

---

Sorry for the delay, but the life of an intern is sometimes unfair!

 - Is your .NET assembly a private assembly :

Excuse my ignorance, but what does private assembly mean? I wrote it myself if
that helps.

 - Is it installed in the GAC? : No unfortunately I
do not have access to the GAC under my current user status on the computers
which will be running the software.

- Is it dependent on another private .NET
assembly?  : No, this is actually the primary .net file on which
other files are dependent.

It defiantly has to be a referencing
error because when I package an
exe. and run in it on the same computer, it runs just fine. However if
I pass
it on to another computer it craps out and gives me the error above.The
idea is to be able to run this file, which is being used to test a
piece
of hardware on several different computers at the same time, all the
while
connecting to a main controller which will monitor all the computers in
the
system.  

[smercurio_fc]

I'm assuming both computers have the same version of .NET. Which version of LabVIEW is this, and which version of .NET? Can you upload the VI and the .NET assembly?

[Mr. Zabala]

Yeah, actually both have the same version of .NET 3.5.

At first I thought that the problem was that I had written the LabView code in 8.6 and was installing in a computer with 8.5, but with the executable/installer, that shouldn't really matter.

As for uploading the LabView vi,  I would not be allowed to do that here, however the .NET I think I can get my hands on by the end of today.

Thanks for your help  smercurio_fp !

[smercurio_fc]

---

Mr. Zabala wrote:

Yeah, actually both have the same version of .NET 3.5.

---

.NET 3.5 is not officially supported in LabVIEW. It may work, it may not.

---

At first I thought that the problem was that I had written the LabView code in 8.6 and was installing in a computer with 8.5, but with the executable/installer, that shouldn't really matter.

---

I'm assuming the target machine is getting (or has) the 8.6 Runtime.

[AnalogKid2DigitalMan]

Does the .Net assembly rely on or make calls to any other files, especially a config file?

-AK2DM