build distribution error (error code -30)

[flash7ok]

I have a project that builds the distribution okay on my desktop, but fails on my new laptop.  Both are running Windows XP.  The build log on the laptop is:

Adding files to installer

Done adding files

Preparing to build deployment

Copying products from distributions

**************

*** Error: Improper function call or command line argument. (Error code -30)

*** End Error Report

**************

**************

*** Error: Improper function call or command line argument. (Error code -30)

Error verifying distribution present: National Instruments Device Drivers - August 2008, Disk 1

*** End Error Report

**************

See the attachment for the full log.

I believe I've installed the latest 8.5.1 updates from DVD.  Here is the installed list (from Add/Remove Programs) on the laptop:

NI IVI Compliance Package 3.3

NI Instrument I/O Assistant

NI LabVIEW 8.6

NI LabVIEW Modules Training

NI LabVIEW Run-Time Engine 7.1.1

NI LabVIEW Signal Express 3.0

NI LabWindows/CVI 8.5.1 FDS Package

NI LabWindows/CVI 8.5.1 Run-Time Engine

NI LabWindows/CVI VS2005 AddIn

NI Measurement & Automation Explorer 4.5

NI Measurement Studio 8.5 Enterprise Edition

NI Measurement Studio Common .NET Language Assemblies for .NET Framework 2.0

NI Measurement Studio VS6 Support Enterprise

NI Measurement Studio Visual C++ Common Libraries for MFC 8.0

NI PXI Platform Services for Windows 2.3.2

NI-488.2.2.5

NI-DAQmx 8.7

NI-VISA 4.4

NI-VISA Runtime 4.4

NI-VISA Server 4.4

Traditional NI-DAQ 7.4.4 (Legacy)

The desktop has the same NI LabWindows/CVI 8.5.1 packages but slightly older versions of ICP 3.2, MAX 4.4.1, Measurement Studio 8.1 Enterprise and VISA 4.3.

The DVD (NI Development Suite, Third Quarter 2008, DVD 1 of 4) is in the machine when I run the build.  On the desktop, I'm sure I cached the products from the last CD or DVD (not sure which I used at the time) I installed.

One additional tidbit:  If the DVD is not inserted originally, after the build starts and runs a little, the question is asked to insert the CD. I insert the DVD and click Retry.  Then this popup occurs:  Internal API was passed an invalid parameter.  After pressing OK, the build fails as above.

This last part doesn't happen if the DVD is already inserted in the machine before the build is started.

Any help would be appreciated.  Thanks.

[Mert_A.]

After some investigation, it appears that there is a bug related to enumerating the distributions on a volume of the developer suite. It is actually a very difficult bug to work around if products need to be copied from one of the distributions on the dev suite DVDs, however, in your case, it looks like you don't need to provide the dev suite DVD. Take the Developer Suite DVD out of the F:\ drive when you are building your distribution. During the build, you should be prompted for to insert National Instruments Device Drivers - August 2008, Disk 1. It looks as though you were mistakenly providing the Dev Suite DVD instead.

You could concievably run into this problem again at a later time if you install some products from one of the Dev Suite DVDs that you subsequently need to redistribute with your application. To be safe, I would strongly recommend that before installing anything (further) from those DVDs, you should first copy the distribution to your hard drive and install it from there. I recognize that this could be a serious inconvenience, but until this bug is fixed, I think that's your best bet.

Let me know how it goes. Sorry again for the difficulty.

Mert A.

National Instruments

[flash7ok]

Mert,

Thanks for your excellent reply.  I chose to only copy the Device Driver DVD to my hard drive for now (didn't want to consume all my free disk space) and then was able to finish building the distribution from the individual directories there.

Thanks again.