LabVIEW 8.5 Ugh!

[chucklippmeier]

Tried to install LV8.5 using the obvious DVD that came in my distribution labeled "LabVIEW 8.5 Professional Development Syatem and Device Drivers DVD". Well after trying to install it to my LabVIEW 8.2 directory it didn't install. All that happened was the addition of a LabVIEW 8.5 directory to the LabVIEW 8.2 directory. Tha LV 8.5 directory only contained 4 subdirectories but no LabVIEW.exe. This took an hour and a half and LV8.5 still isn't on my computer.

So I tried the other CD that came with my distribution labeled "NI LabVIEW 8.5 Professional Development System". This one doesn't mention whether it is a DVD and doesn't mention device drivers in the title. This installation tried to install LabVIEW 8.5 in the LabVIEW 8.2 directory but I changed it three times during the course of the install to put it in it's own dir "LabVIEW 8.5". It then asked for the Device Drivers. The distribution contains 3 disks labled device drivers and I installed them too. OK, an hour later and I reboot and bring up the new LabVIEW 8.5. Since I know I probably won't like the options the first thing I do is click on Tools-> Options. Well the cursor turns to an hour glass for 2 minitues and turns back to a crosshair, but no options dialog.

I call NI and they say to Add Remove Programs and repair LabVIEW 8.5. I put the CD, not the DVD in the drive but the repair says it's the wrong disk. I put the DVD with the device drivers in and it's repairing X of 64 parts. It's been doing this for over an hour and it's only up to part 15. I sure hope this works but I'm sceptacle.

Who at NI still has a job after approving this disk labeling? Who at NI still has a job after allowing this out of the box hassle and waste of my and my clients time and money.

I had high hopes for LV 8.5 after seeing it at NI week but now I'm looking for problems everywhere.

Chuck Lippmeier

[altenbach]

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@chucklippmeier wrote:

Well after trying to install it to my LabVIEW 8.2 directory it didn't install. All that happened was the addition of a LabVIEW 8.5 directory to the LabVIEW 8.2 directory.

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Why would you decide to install LabVIEW 8.5 into the LabVIEW 8.2 folder!!???

Typically, you would install into the default paths predefined in the installer so 8.2 and 8.5 can peacefully coexist. You never know if you have to go back to 8.2 to troubleshoot a problem.

It is never a good idea to "customize" the install paths unless there is a very good reason (Is there?). Micromanaging installs that way wastes a lot of time for no tangible advantage. Only the default paths guarantees that everything can be easily found in the expected location. I always hate troubleshooting a PC where all installs are "customized". It takes me twices as long to find my way around.

Your example is especially bad. Now you have the LabVIEW 8.5 installation in a folder labeled LabVIEW 8.2, just confusing everyone. Why!!!! 😮

Message Edited by altenbach on 08-28-2007 09:21 AM

[tbob]

Many other people have installed LV 8.5 successfully.  I dont' think the problem lies with NI or the disks.  I agree with Altenbach, you should not have installed 8.5 into the 8.2 directory.  My suggestion is that you uninstall everything to do with 8.5 and re-install using the default directories given by the installer.  Things may be so screwed up that you may have to uninstall 8.2 as well.  Please don't blame NI for your mistakes.

[chucklippmeier]

No, the installer defaulted to install the LabVIEW 8.5 version in the LV 8.2 dir. I didn't choose it. I had to customize what the installer suggested to get it to install in an indepentendent LabVIEW 8.5 dir.

Chuck

[altenbach]

Are you using windows? Here's how the NI folder looks like with multiple LabVIEW versions installed if you just accept the default paths.

How's yours?

Message Edited by altenbach on 08-28-2007 09:54 AM

[chucklippmeier]

OK, an hour and a half later, the repair is complete and I still can't get a Tools->Options dialog box.

I'm removing it from this computer.

Chuck Lippmeier

[chucklippmeier]

Mine is just like yours but I also have LV 7.1 and LV6.1 dirs

Chuck

[altenbach]

Make sure you take notes and report this all to NI tech support. It should not be that easy to break an installation. 😞

(Let's assume that the CD/DVD is not scrateched/corrupt and that your HD does not have any serious errors.)

[wb2nvy]

Of the two disks stored on the left panel of the "book" of 5 disks, one is labeled NI LabVIEW 8.5 Windows Vista/XP/2000, and the other is labeled NI LabVIEW 8.5 and Device Drivers Windows Vista/XP/2000 DVD-ROM. They are identical. They both can be used to do the basic installation. The one marked DVD-ROM is not a DVD-ROM.

[_S_G]

I don't think they are identical.  The one marked DVD includes all the device drivers.  It is easier to install from this disc since you don't have to remove and load the CDs for the drivers.  My install went pretty smooth.