LabView 7.1 and MAX problems after installing and removing LabView 8.2

[RubbahSlippah]

Hi all,

I came into a research lab and am using computers/programs set up by lab members in the past. We have been running LabView 7.1 on a Fujitsu P8020 laptop (its about 6 yrs old maybe?). Recently, we decided to install LabView 8.2. However, we could not get our program to work properly on v8.2, so we did a system restore to return the computer to its v7.1 settings. This seems to have been a bad idea.

Now, after the system restore, when opening the Measurement and Automation Explorer (it is v3.1), I get a message that "NIMax has encountered a problem and needs to close - we are sorry for the inconvenience". Additionally, when opening the labview script that had been working on v7.1 prior to 8.2 installation, it appears that certain VIs are missing, since it is asking me to "please find the VI named "xxxx.vi".

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts/help with this. I worry that fumbling around witht his by myself would only exacerbate problems.

[Cameron-T]

Generally the best bet is to go with the newer version of LabVIEW and make necessary changes to the code in order to get it running properly. What was the root of the program not working in LabVIEW 8.2? What VI's are now missing?

I'm guessing a fresh install of the LabVIEW 8.2 with the necessary driver updates would get your program working pretty quick.

[billko]

---

@RubbahSlippah wrote:

Hi all,

I came into a research lab and am using computers/programs set up by lab members in the past. We have been running LabView 7.1 on a Fujitsu P8020 laptop (its about 6 yrs old maybe?). Recently, we decided to install LabView 8.2. However, we could not get our program to work properly on v8.2, so we did a system restore to return the computer to its v7.1 settings. This seems to have been a bad idea.

Now, after the system restore, when opening the Measurement and Automation Explorer (it is v3.1), I get a message that "NIMax has encountered a problem and needs to close - we are sorry for the inconvenience". Additionally, when opening the labview script that had been working on v7.1 prior to 8.2 installation, it appears that certain VIs are missing, since it is asking me to "please find the VI named "xxxx.vi".

I would greatly appreciate any thoughts/help with this. I worry that fumbling around witht his by myself would only exacerbate problems.

---

Go to Control Panel --> Add or Remove Programs and click on National Instruments Software.  Click the Change button.  Repair all the stuff you find.  (Be sure to have the CDs ready!)  Hopefully it will get you back where you need to be.

 

I'm curious - did you try a mass compile after you upgraded to 8.2?  There were fundamental differences between the two versions and a mass compile could've helped...

[Bob_Schor]

I've installed newer versions of LabVIEW "on top of" older versions, and as long as I don't need to go "backwards", I'm usually fine.  In addition, I've had reasonable luck having LabVIEW 8.6 and more recent versions "co-existing", and as long I don't open code in a more-recent version of LabVIEW then try to save it, I don't have problems.  [Saving it is only a problem if you want to open it again in the older version].

However, I also have some LabVIEW 7 code.  LabVIEW 7 (I can't speak much about 7.1) does not play as well with newer versions (in my experience).  Almost every time I've "added" a newer version of LabVIEW to a system running LabVIEW 7, I ended up (1) uninstalling every version of LabVIEW, including all of the "pieces" I could find in the Control Panel, (2) deleting every LabVIEW (program) file and folder I could find, and (3) cleaning "National Instruments" and "LabVIEW" out of the Registry.  [This last part is a pain, a tad dangerous, and I'm not 100% certain that it is necessary].  When I do this, I can successfully reinstall LabVIEW 7, and get it working again.  When I tried "doing less", I was not successful.

Needless to say, I now do all of my LabVIEW 7 development and maintenance on either (a) the dedicated PCs where the code runs, and which have no later LabVIEW versions installed, or (b) on a VM which is also a LabVIEW 7 "shop".

BS