NIDAQ/MAX locks up - nimax.exe runs in background on Xp Professional - 45 second delay after starting Windows

[TomAtMicrochip]

Using Windows Xp professional, NIDAQmx 7.4.

After rebooting Windows (not just logging out of a user account and back in), any attempt to access NIDAQmx causes that program to lock up. This happens with MAX (Measurement Automation Explorer) and also with our own code.

Using Windows Task Manager right after startup, I discovered that "nimax.exe" ran as a process starting about 35 seconds after starting Windows and ran for about ten seconds. If we wait to run any programs until after nimax.exe's process is done, then we can run MAX and our own programs without any problems.

So how do I stop nimax.exe from running when Windows starts up? What's it doing? I can't believe nobody else has posted a problem with this so I suspect there's something wrong with my Windows configuration etc.

I'm using a brand new Dell PC with plenty of 512 Meg of memory and Windows Xp Professional.

Thanks in advance

[Sean_C.]

Hello TomAtMicrochip,

This sounds like a bad installation. Try uninstalling NI-MAX (this should also uninstall NI-DAQ 7.4). When you reinstall NI-DAQ, MAX should be included.

Let me know your results,

Sean C.

[TomAtMicrochip]

Great suggestion Sean. Great minds must think alike because we tried that too.

A new development. If we unplug the network connection, the problem goes away. We should've tried this first! (duh).

We now know that as the network comes up, it delays nimax.exe from executing. I still need to know a way to check to see if nimax has installed properly so we can run our software (or even MAX).

We don't know if the target computer will have a network connection or how long it's initialization will take so there needs to be a dynamic way for our program to wait, rather than just some time limit. Our program should have code like:

while (nimax != installed)
Sleep(100);

I wonder if there's an environment variable or something.... Any ideas?

[TomAtMicrochip]

If there are any WIndows Xp Gurus out there this is a good time to speak up. Is it possible to have Windows delay showing the desktop for some set time after startup?

I think the key to all this is:

1. nimax.exe needs to run when Windows starts, to initialize the drivers.
2. our network is delaying this initialization for some reason.

So two strategies to fixing the problem:

1. wait for nimax.exe to complete (either waiting a set time period or by detecting that it's complete)
2. some OS fix, either with the network or something else I don't understand!

[TomAtMicrochip]

I just received the following response from NI:

"nimax.exe is querying for the current hardware config so that when another program tries to use an NI driver, it uses accurate hardware information. The solution is probably to go ahead and sleep for a minute upon startup
and then start the tests. No current utilities or features exist to currently determine if/when the nimax.exe startup task completes."

So what I'll probably do is create a program to record the date and time when Windows starts, in a file in a common directory. Then, when our application program begins, it will read the start time from this file and delay access to NI software until one minute after start time.

[Lorna Slater]

I've built a LabView executable with application builder and put a shortcut to it in the Start Up folder of Windows XP. On one particular PC when I reboot, there is a delay of up to 3 minutes before the front screen of the VI comes up, even though it shows up in the task bar and on the list of processes in the task manager. During the delay the executable appears in the applications list of the task manager as 'Not Responding'. This PC is not connected to a network and the application includes IMAQ, VISA and NIDAQ with FieldPoint. After a couple of minutes the software starts up and runs perfectly well.

As best I can tell it is NiSvrLoc.exe that is the process that is causing the delay, can anybody tell me what this is or any suggestions as to what I can do to minimise delay? I have already uninstalled all non-essential software and drivers and stopped spurious system services, but no improvement.

Thanks

Lorna

[Ankita]

Hi Lorna,

I think this is what you need

What Network Activity is LabVIEW Performing at Startup?http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/FB8F357CEADE7DF186256CCA00191C6D?OpenDocument

What Is The NI Service Locator And How Do I Troubleshoot?http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/websearch/227453F884CE035386256E55007A303D?OpenDocument

Regards,

Ankita

[gel]

You can use one of advanced startup managers. For example - Absolute startup manager

You can define by this manager - startup application delay. Or to change any parameters of your startup.

May be it helps to resolve problem or more exactly to define the problem.