How to repair NI software, such as package manager, if I mistakenly delete something in the National Instrument folder in Program files?

[Chia0225]

Hi,

I made a stupid mistake by deleting something in the C:\Programs Files\National Instrument, which probably includes the NI Package Manager folder. Now when I run any NI installer, it will call NI package manager first and the following message will pop up. 

While I tried to reinstall the NI package manager, it told me the NI package manager has been installed as show in the follow. 

What should I fix this? I assume I have to completely clear up some register file of the NI package manager to be able to reinstall it.

Please help me with this issue. Thank you very much. 

[Bob_Schor]

First, do a complete backup of your PC.  Windows is finicky, and deleting files or folders that should only be "touched" by Administrators (which is why MS recommends that you have a separate account for doing Admin work!) can often mean "Reformat the Hard Drive, reinstall Windows, reinstall all your Programs, restore all your "data" (such as your Profile).

If NIPM is still intact, you should try to use it (and only NIPM, not any software that tries to mess with the Registry, including RegEdit) to remove all NI software.  I like to use Control Panel, as it has (to my mind) the cleanest interface, so I'll use that here.  I forgot to say that in my almost two decades of LabVIEW experience, a situation like you described cannot be "repaired", it can only be "removed and re-installed".  Of course, that means that you need to be able to re-install whatever LabVIEW versions you need, which requires access to the installation media (now mostly via the Web) and appropriate License numbers.  Compared to a "Remove all and reinstall all", a "Repair all" will probably take 6-20 times longer (meaning hours, at least).

To remove LabVIEW safely,

1. In the Windows Search bar, type "Control Panel", and when it comes up, do a "Run as Administrator".
2. Open "Programs and Features".
3. Search for National Instruments Software (or words to that effect).  (On my machine, I see "NI Package Manager" and "NI Software" -- you want "NI Software").
4. Double-click NI Software.  It should launch NI Package Manager (and needs Admin Privileges to do so).
5. [I'm not logged on as an Admin, so I'm going to say this from memory, hence it might not be 100% accurate.
6. In NIPM, there should be a check box on the left side above all of the installed Packages.  You want to look at the top of the list to include as much as possible -- I don't remember the name of the button, but it will be something like "All features" or something similar.
7. NIPM will ask if you want to remove all that is checked.  You do.  This will go reasonably quickly, but may take a significant part of an hour (or more).
8. Reboot.
9. Run the above steps again.  You should see only NI Package Manager in the list of NI Software to remove.  Go ahead and remove it.  You will get a warning, but since you've already removed everything else, it is safe to remove NIPM.
10. Reboot.
11. One more time -- see if any more NI Software appears.  Some older code might show up, so go ahead and remove this, as well.
12. One more reboot, and you are ready to start re-installing NI Software.
13. In the "Good Old Days", the rule was "Install the oldest version first".  Now, it seems "better" to install the newer versions first (and, in some cases I've encountered, it only works "Newest first").

If you've got a LabVIEW Guru in the vicinity, ask him or her to be present when you do this ...

Bob Schor

[softball · Accepted solution]

Hi

If your action was related to NI Package Manager as indicated, I would :

1. Find another computer ( call it 'fresh' ) without any NI software on it.

2. Install the Package Manager and nothing else on the 'fresh' computer.

3. Copy missing content or everything 'National Instruments' related in the 'Program Files' folder from the 'fresh' computer to your computer.

To do step 3 in a sensible way you should use a file manage that allows you to compare folders and copy with administrative privilege. I highly recommend using 'Total Commander' for that.

Regards

[Chia0225]

Hi softball

Thank you very much. I would like to make a comment additional to your solution. Copying NI package manager folder from another computer solved my problem. I can launch NI package manager and uninstall/reinstall the NI software with no problem except for the NI package manager itself. It was grey out and can't be selected to be uninstalled. My solution is to install the NI command line interface and uninstall all NI packages using the command lines. This enabled me to clean all NI packages including the package manager. Then I installed all the NI software back.

Best,

[softball]

Hi

Nice to see you solved your problem.

The Package Manager can un-install everything except itself. Therefore it is grayed out.

You un-install the Package Manager as normal programs, 'Control Panel' => 'Programs and Features'.

Regards

[Bob_Schor]

---

@softball wrote:

Hi

Nice to see you solved your problem.

The Package Manager can un-install everything except itself. Therefore it is grayed out.

---

This is wrong, and potentially dangerous.  The NI Package Manager can uninstall itself, but only when it is the only thing left.  When you do this (as I explained in my earlier post), it will warn you and ask "Are you sure?", to which you can (safely) answer "Yes".

Bob Schor

[softball]

Sorry Bob, but I have to correct your correction.

You cannot just use the Package Manager to uninstall itself. You have to go through 'Programs and Features'. From there you can initiate the uninstall of the Package Manager.

When everything selectable NI is removed from the Package Manager, and after a reboot you will see this :

But there You still cannot select the NI Package Manager. Its grayed out. Click on it. Nothing happens.

But if you select the marked line in 'Programs and Features' as shown below, then the Package Manager wakes up and will offer to uninstall itself in this special dialog box :

To do a thorough uninstall thereafter, select the other line called 'NI Software' and uninstall that. It might surprisingly list 100+ packages to be removed.

I usually then use 'Everything' to search for 'National Instruments' and delete all folders and subfolders found. They are all in standard locations, and it s just my modus operandi. I have seen no downsides doing so.

Regards

[decallahan]

In my opinion,  everytime you use Package Manager it will upgrade itself. In my case, at around file version 24.8.0.49279, all one's NI installed software will disappear, and one will be asked to re-register and re-install all installed NI software. This works for awhile but eventually one attempts to re-install some piece of software that got deleted (for what ever reason, but apparently related to upgrading Package Manager) and at this poin, the website says something like (see attached PDF) "your software is too old" (e.g. 2019, before NI was acquired by Emerson). The message says one must have an active support contract to install such old software. Since Package Manager deleted one's old, functional and operational (and fully paid for as in "perpetual license" days) software, it appears that one must apparently purchase a yearly service contract in order to get your already paid for software re-installed. Last time I checked, NI wanted about $8,000/yr for such a contract which is about what I first paid for this software in 2019 (e.g., before Emerson acquired NI). I have been using NI software since around 1991. Am I missing something? I have never purchased a service contract after the inital year 1 of support. Are we being forced to move from our installed, (paid for, perpetual license,installed via a DVD) NI software to a model where we must pay *yearly* to renew a service contract or else our existing software will be uninstalled? I would appreciate if anyone could tell me I am wrong.

[Scott_Richardson]

You are not wrong. Prior to recently, I believe that ni.com allowed you to install the latest version of a software via an small online installer or a large offline installer, but required you to have an active license to download an older version of that software. Now it appears that you need an active license to download even the latest version, although if the software offers a trial version, it appears you can still get that.

Note that still today you can download and install any version of NI Package Manager, and then if your system can connect to ni.com, you can install almost any software via NIPM's Browse Product tab. That obviously does not work for systems that cannot connect to ni.com.

Technically, from a system that is connected to ni.com and if you can determine the path to a product feed, you could use nipkg.exe commands to download a product feed and then use that feed to install the software on a offline system. Determining paths for product feeds is a different challenge.

I am not aware of other options unless someone shares a copy of an older installer with you.