How can I speed up DAQmx install?

[NickS_537]

Every time we go to install the DAQmx software, it takes HOURS to install. I am currently installing DAQmx 9.5.1 and it has been over 2 hour and 15 minutes and we are still only at 91%. This is common with all installs of this software - regardless of PC type (but all under Win7). With a 1.52 GB driver installation package, I am not really surprised by this.

Is there any way at all possible to just install the specific drivers / SDK that we need? (what a concept!)

Or better yet, can we just copy over the library files we need and skip the install all together? It really makes deployment a hassle, and I am very concerned about production downtime if we have to re-install for any reason.

[Dennis_Knutson]

For deployed applications, you should be installing the core run-time. I usually include MAX though.

For development, you do have the option to select which application (LabVIEW, CVI, .NET, etc.) support to install. There is only one specific driver - DAQmx and not individual drivers for each device.

[NickS_537]

Actually, this installer appears to include drivers for every single piece of hardware that NI makes. I just want to install the drivers for the hardware I will be using (in the hopes of cutting down the 2 hours and 40 minute install time).

[Dennis_Knutson]

You keep saying 'drivers' but there is just a single one for all hardware - DAQmx.

Have you timed the installation of the core driver? The last time I did that it was no where close to 2 hours.

[NickS_537]

There is just one HUGE driver that's 1.3 Gigs in size? That makes no sense....

[Dennis_Knutson]

Well, when there are hundreds and hundreds of different devices, trying to keep new features and bug fixes, etc. synchronized across different drivers for each device is a quite impossible task.

You still haven't said how long it takes to install the deployment driver as opposed to the development version.

[John_P1]

The 1.3 Gigs is the full development installation including MAX, ADE support, etc.  Even so, the installation usually takes under an hour for me (unless you're counting download times as well).

The runtime is smaller (~200 MB or so).  If you want MAX the installation becomes much larger (though not the full 1.3 GB).

Best Regards,