Problems with nimxs.exe

[Hann]

We have a Windows XP TestStand station that had been running okay, but the operators were complaining that the computer was slow and everything taking forever. In response our IT guy reset the computer back to factory and I was to reinstall all of the testing software. The main problem I seem to be running into is MAX, I get errors on startup and when I continue I can't expand out "Devices and Interfaces' without getting a 'Database Connection Error'. Searching for that in the Knowledge Base led me to nimxs.exe, and I notice that it wasn't running as a process at all. My attempts to execute it manually didn't set it running either.

I've uninstalled and reinstalled multiple times now. Occasionally the first time Windows starts back up after the restart it will be running. Then I'll run MAX and nimxs will vanish off the processes list and MAX will throw out it's errors again. I've also added nimxs.exe and the other listed in the Knowledge Base to the firewall exception list to no avail. Does this sound like a Windows problem or a MAX problem? I have other machines running MAX, LabVIEW and TestStand just fine. Has anyone seen this before?

[Esteban_B]

Hi Hann,

I would like to know more about your software/hardware configuration, In the mean time, I found this KB’s that are related to the “Database Connection error” that you mention and I would like you to review them and let me know how that goes.

Why Do I Get a Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) Database Connection Error?

What Do I Do with a MAX Database Connection Error with Info Code "MAXSvcLocError"?

Why Do I Get "MAX Database Connection Error" When Using NOD32 Anti-Virus Software?

I would also like to know the installation process that you followed when the computer was reset.

Regards,

[Hann]

The computer itself is a Dell running Windows XP, we've installed a NI PCI-DIO-96 card, a NI PCI-GBIP card and a NI PCI-CAN2 card. The computer is running McAfee virus scanning and the Window's firewall. I've reviewed those KBs a few times while trying to solve this problem, adding the suggested files to the firewall's exception list did not make any difference. The Device Loader service and Configuration Manager service will generally not be running, but can be started. That does clear up a few error messages, but not the main database connection error. I have tried to cleaning out a corrupted database as per How Do I Clean a Corrupted Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX) Database and Start With a New One... without success. 

As for the installation process, I deactivated the TestStand Deployment Engine and gave the computer over to our IT guy to wipe out. At this point I don't think he wiped everything clean and reinstalled. I think he just ran through the setup and reinstalled windows over the old version without doing anything else. Then when I tried to reinstall everything some of it was already there some wasn't and who knows what is going on inside the machine at that point. Unfortunately since it's a Dell, we have a Dell Windows disk, which won't allow me to boot directly from it so I can properly wipe the hard drive clean. I'm hopeful that today I'll be able to get a hold of an actual bootable Windows disk and purge everything before starting over. 

Does any of this sound plausible? What could keep nimxs from running as a process?

[Hann]

Just an update. I wiped the hard drive clean and reinstalled windows and everything from the ground up. Everything seems to be working fine now, it must have just been a Windows thing.