Simplify Installation with the LabVIEW Platform DVDs

A typical automated test, industrial control, or embedded design application relies on more than just the LabVIEW Development System for the desktop – it is likely to incorporate modules such as LabVIEW Real-Time and LabVIEW FPGA.  Previously, the installation of all this software required six CDs, five media swaps, and four computer restarts. Substantial user interaction was also necessary to step through countless license agreements and serial number prompts. With the new LabVIEW platform DVDs, this same installation requires just two DVDs; inserting DVD 2 is the only required interaction after configuring the installer.

Figure 1. LabVIEW software is organized into intuitive categories so you can easily find the software you want to install or evaluate.

To download the LabVIEW modules and toolkits included on the platform DVDs, visit ni.com/trylabview.

With the LabVIEW platform DVDs, you no longer need to install LabVIEW modules and toolkits using CDs. NI highly recommends you use the platform DVDs for installation to ensure compatibility between LabVIEW and its add-ons. To install products from the LabVIEW platform DVDs, follow these instructions:

• Insert DVD 1 and select the products you wish to install or evaluate. Installers for every product you select are queued in the appropriate order and run sequentially to limit the amount of user interaction required.
• To install additional components from the platform DVDs at a later date, select “install” or “custom install” for the product. Components that are marked as “Do not install” are not removed from your system. To remove components from your system that were installed by the platform DVDs, use the Add or Remove Programs applet in the Windows Control Panel.

Figure 2. You can install more than 25 add-on modules and toolkits with the LabVIEW Development System.

• Enter the serial numbers for your purchased products. Leave the serial number field blank to evaluate a product or, if you prefer, enter serial numbers later using NI License Manager.

Figure 3.  Simply leave the serial number blank to evaluate any product on the LabVIEW platform DVDs.

• Select your preferred installation directory and accept the license agreements shown. Note that license agreements for every product you install are compiled into a single screen with tabs. This is the only time you are shown license agreements throughout the entire installation process.

Figure 4. Compiled license agreements limit the amount of user interaction required.

• Review the installation instructions screen to confirm when your input is required during installation. Media swaps are noted at the bottom of the screen and asterisks are used to denote specific user interactions.  

Figure 5. It is no longer necessary to monitor the entire LabVIEW installation procedure. The installation instructions highlight when user interaction or media swaps are required.

• Enter platform DVD 2 or the driver DVD when prompted.
• Review the installation results to confirm that your products have been successfully installed.

Follow these top five tips and tricks to install products using the LabVIEW platform DVDs:

• Configure your installation and walk away – You have three options when you install a product listed in the product tree: “install,” “custom install,” and “do not install.” Selecting “install” configures the installer to run with default settings. This negates the need to show a product tree for this particular product before it is installed, which means no user interaction is required. Setting every desired product to “install” requires user interaction only for DVD swaps.

Figure 6. Select the “install” option to significantly reduce the amount of user interaction required during installation.

• Customize your installation – Selecting “custom install” introduces another step during installation, but it also gives you the flexibility to choose which components are installed with each product. Every “custom install” shows a product tree before that particular product begins installing. A product does not have a “custom install” option if a product tree is not available for that software.

Figure 7. Select the “Custom install” option to view the product tree during installation or “Do not install” option to avoid installing a product.

• Use your existing serial numbers – LabVIEW products have lifetime serial numbers. Upgrade and SSP customers should use their existing serial numbers to install and activate purchased LabVIEW software.
• Don’t reinstall purchased software that you evaluated – If you choose to evaluate a LabVIEW product on the platform DVD, the fully functional version of that product is installed on your system. You do not need to uninstall and reinstall the software if you decide to purchase the product, even if the evaluation period has expired. Open NI License Manager and use your serial number to activate the purchased software.

Figure 8. Use NI License Manager to activate purchased products that were previously installed and evaluated.

• Install products on the LabVIEW platform DVDs without a DVD drive – If you do not have access to a DVD drive, visit ni.com/info and enter lvcd to learn how to install your software.

Installing a LabVIEW development system with modules and toolkits used to be a lengthy and complex process that required countless CDs. LabVIEW 8.6 provides more than 25 LabVIEW products, complete with NI device drivers, on just three DVDs. You can configure these LabVIEW platform DVDs, which make it easy to evaluate virtually every LabVIEW product, to install your software with no user interaction whatsoever.

• To learn more about new LabVIEW 2009 features, visit the LabVIEW 2009.
• To try new features now, download LabVIEW online.

• LabVIEW Help: Platform DVDs
• Manuals: LabVIEW 8.6 Upgrade Notes