What .dlls are needed to execute CVI exe without doing a full install?

[Twitch]

Hi-

I have a very very small and simple utility program written using LW/CVI 8.1.1.  I would like to give it to several co-workers for use in various labs, but if I create a distribution kit, they cannot use it because they do not have admin rights to these machines (not to mention the huge installation software bloat that gets added to my tiny exe!).

What minimum CVI run-time .dlls/files etc. would I need to bring along with my .exe in order to allow its execution without doing a full MSI distribution kit install?

-OR-

(Alternately) is there any way to do an install without requiring admin priviledges?

Thanks.

-Tim

[LuisG]

Hi Tim,

I assume that the reason the distribution kit is requiring admin access is because it tries to copy files to the windows\system32 folder. It really depends on the permissions of the target PC. In some systems (Vista with UAC, for example) you probably won't be able to install anything without admin access.

In any case, if the problem is the system32 folder, you can do the following:

1. in the Drivers and Components tab of the Edit Distribution dialog, unselect the "LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine" item and then select only one of its sub-items: "Standard Run-Time".

2. In the Advaced tab, select the "Install CVI Run-Time Engine in the application directory" option.

This will install a "private" version of the minimal run-time dlls and support files. But I'm not completely sure that this will no longer require admin access. You'll need to test it and verify for yourself.

Luis

[Twitch]

Hi Luis-

Our company standard operating system at least for now is XP.

Although I was already checking only the "Standard Runtime Engine" box in the installer "Drivers and Components Tab" (which by the way automatically checks the "LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine" Box above it), I was not forcing the CVI runtime Engine files to be installed in the application directory.  This approach is worth a try, although I thought that the install required access to the Registry, which would still require admin.  I'll definitely give it a go - I wont be able to try out the install out until next week.

Thanks for taking the time to help - much appreciated !

-Tim

[LuisG]

Hi Tim,

A colleague has pointed out to me that this solution would probably still require admin access, since the private install still attempts to write to the system registry. If you do confirm that that's the case, then your best bet will be to look at the files that it installs in the application directory (assuming that you are able to install it in at least one computer). Those files and folders constitute the minimum set of files that you need, and you have the option of adding them manually to your installer instead of checking any of the run-time engine flavors. To add those files manually, look for them in the system32 folder of your development computer. If there's any file you can't find, let me know and I should be able to find it.

The downside of this solution is that these files might not be upgraded/downgraded correctly, whenever you switch to a later version of CVI. But if that's not a concern to you, then you can certainly give it a shot.

Luis

[s060340]

I had exactly the same problem, and since there was no conclusion to this topic I though it might be good to comment that suggested procedure actually works out great.

There was one problem that 'mesa.dll' was not included. There have been previous reports about this problem, but it can be solved by manually adding mesa.dll (~1mb) in the distribution.