Distribution Overview

[redgumturner]

I am trying to develop a CVIDISTKIT Folder that contains the files required to export a CVI program onto other company computers.

I am following the information I found on the NI WEB headed Distribution Overview.

I followed the steps in the sub heading Creating a Basic Window Installer.

In step 3 Manage Distribution , when you are asked to click on NEW I get a message

Failed to initialize distribution support library. A file or registry key may be missing.

It appears it cannot find the .cds file but it then generates a file projectname_1.cds when I exit..

Is this normal?

In step 5 Build Distribution Name to build the Installer, it does not generate a cvidistkit.projectname folder

I have worked with CVI 7.1 and have recently purchased and installed version 10

Any idea what I am doing wrong.

[Luke_W]

Hey redgum,

This issue has been seen on the thread before related to upgrades (other post). I'd like to follow a similar procedure and have you check for the dll's that were the underlying problem of the other incident. They should exist in these directories:

\\National Instruments\CVI10\NIMdf.dll
\\National Instruments\Shared\MDF\Bin\MdfCommon.dll

These may be missing due to an incomplete installation. If this is the case, try a repair of the installation followed by an uninstall/reinstall if the issue still persists.

Luke W

[redgumturner]

I did what you suggested I uninstalled CVI2010 and reinstalled.

The sub directory CVI10\Shared\bin still does not appear

 But I have had a bit of success.

In Manage Distributions when you select NEW I do not get any errors.

When I Select BUILD PROGRAM Name it starts to build the Cvidistkit but it can not complete the task without asking for the device driver disk.

One thing I did notice that after the installation NI automatically sent to my PC some extra files that were required.

Did NI send me a faulty installation CD

[Luke_W]

CD's are susceptible to manufacturing defects just like other products. While they are rare, its a possibility. I think it might have had more to do with updating from CVI 7. 

Either way, do you have the driver cds?  You should be able to cache the components that are added so you wont be prompted for the driver cd again.

The files may exist elsewhere. On Windows 7, they are here:

C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\MDF\BinRTE\MdfCommon.dll

C:\Program Files\National Instruments\CVI2010\NIMDF.dll

[redgumturner]

Hi Luke

            I am using Windows XP, hopefully our systems people will be upgrading the three PC's I have NI gear on and will have Windows 7 loaded, but that does not help me at present.

I did a search on c:\National Instruments for MdfCommon.dll and it definitely does not exist.

NIMdf.dll  exist at c:\National Instruments\CVI2010

Should I call NI for a replacement CD?

Thanks for your help so far

Lawrence V

[Luke_W]

Contacting NI for a new cd is a good idea. For a more immediate solution, you can try downloading the evaluation software and just activating it with your serial number/activation code that you are already using

[Luke_W]

Hey redgum,

Any luck with a new install? If not, you may want to create an installation log by installing from the command prompt and posting it.

[D_Biel]

You can create a log for a National Instruments installer using the instructions in the following KnowledgeBase article. Go ahead and post it back here, or private message it to me and I will take a look at it. Unfortunately, creating the log will require you to reinstall CVI, but hopefully this can give us a bit of insight into what happened to that MDFCommon.dll.

Creating an Error Log File for a Software Installation

[redgumturner]

I found a log file it may be of some help, if I have to reinstall do I have to go to the trouble of uninstalling again.

[redgumturner]

After I last contacted you I  emailed a contact I know in NI and that seems to have resulted in a response from a NI Product Support Engineer D Biel which has pointed me in another direction. If you happen to be in attendance to the Melbourne NI Seminar next Thursday I will be attendance also.

Lawrence Vella