getting stuck when trying to run a built installer!

[Mitchum]

Hello, all!  I am new to the forum.  I've been working on and off in LabVIEW development.  One of my projects requires that I build a VI to download information from a PLC.  The information is laid out in an excel file, where a macro is programmatically ran to convert the info for a more user-friendly look and read.

It's my first time building an installer so I thought to test it out.  When I packaged the VI into an executable and an installer, it all was smooth sailing.  However, when I tested out the installer on multiple computers (with no LV or LV-RTE), a few took 5-to-10 minutes to finish installation.  Others got stuck early in the install process...commonly when the process is installing "Microsoft Run Time Engine".  On one computer, the installation process was cancelled and restarted multiple times without success.  Then, the next morning (after a reboot), the installation worked without issue.  On another computer, I did the whole "install-cancel-restart install" process.  After three times, I checked the task manager and noticed there were equally as many msiexec.exe files still running even after the installations had all been cancelled and the install interface closed.  I ended all of the msiexec.exe processes, ran the installation again, and it ran smoothly from 0 to 100%.

Although it's great that I got the installer to go through smoothly after ending the msiexec process, this cannot do as the solution to get through to a full installation.

Has anyone ever run into this issue?  The computers i've tested them on are all connected to the company network, but the files are being installed in C:\Program Files.  I am going to test the installation on personal laptops and computers to see if it's some sort of Admin/Norton/Security issue that our IT has set up.

[Jason-H]

Are there any differences between the development machine and the deployment machines? What else are you trying to install with this installer? Also, did it work on your personal laptop?

[Mitchum]

Jason, thanks for the response!  The development machine is on a Win-7 (64-bit) with LV2011.  I used eight deployment machines which vary between Win-XP and Win-7. 

DEPLOYMENT MACHINES WITH WIN-7 (64-bit)

1x WORK TOWER -- Never had LV or LV-RTE's installed prior to my test...install successful.

1x WORK LAPTOP -- Had LV2011 and LV-RTE installed prior to my test...install successful.

1x PERSONAL LAPTOP -- Had (Demo) LV2011 and LV-RTE installed prior to my test...install successful.

DEPLOYMENT MACHINES WITH WIN-XP

1x WORK TOWER -- Never had LV or LV-RTE's installed prior to my test...install successful.

1x WORK TOWER -- Had LV6.1 and LV-RTE installed prior to my test...install got stuck three times but managed to get it through on the fourth time after I ended all msiexec.exe processes (coincidence?).

1x WORK LAPTOP -- Had LV-RTE only...install got stuck three times, but the files still showed up despite an install progress that never completed, and they worked smoothly (to which i said "...eh?")

2x WORK LAPTOPS -- Had LV-RTE only...install successful.

The Installer includes: my VI, two .rtf's (readme files), one folder that has an executable non-NI software that the VI calls, and another folder that has an install file for a driver required to recognize a USB.  With regards to 'Additional Installers' under the Installer Properties, I only included the NI-LV RTE 2011 SP1 (i.e. I did not include NI Logos, SSL Support, TDM Streaming, etc...see attached photo).  Theoretically, the Installer I built is going to be distributed to computers likely without any trace of LV, and likely Win-XP.  Unfortunately, I don't have enough deployment machines to run multiple tests to figure out why the installer gets stuck.  They all commonly get stuck at 13%, 30%, and then 0% progress.

I noticed the following: after I successfully install on a computer (whether it got stuck before or not), I could do an uninstall (via Add/Remove Programs), then reinstall, and it would install much more quickly.  I assume this is because the LV-RTE stays on the computer even if I do an Add/Remove of the my program.  I lack the computers to run the installer and do more tests, so I was wondering how to undo everything the Installer does, other than a System Restore?

Again, thanks for your help.  I tried to look up info online and on various forums.  Either i'm not using the right keywords to search, or this is a rare issue...or it's just me, haha.

-Mitch

[altenbach]

Do the computers that gets stuck have any extra "security" software installed?

Do they have a large number of cores?

Are they AMD FX processors?

[Mitchum]

Altenbach,

Thanks for the response!  With regards to security, the only thing our IT has running on them is Norton AntiVirus and Windows Defender (?).

With regards to the number of cores and processors, let me check the computers and get back to you.  I do notice that I can grab the installation screen and move it around as much as I want to and as quickly as I want to without issue i.e. the installation isn't frozen and crashed...not sure if your query is leading to this.

[Mitchum · Accepted solution]

Hello all,

Thanks to those who replied in attempt to assist me.  After a couple of weeks of investigating, i've come to the following conclusion: the LV built installer is hanging due to the Windows XP msiexec.  I've found a couple of solutions online, one of them involving "re-registering" the MSI Installer (I don't remember the other...).  Due to the nature of the software i'm building, having users go into their registries is not a viable option.  Instead, the following roundabout instructions will have to do:

1. Win-XP User installs software.

2. If Win-XP User's installation gets hung up (see attached photo where I got hung up on a Win-XP PC), they will have to open task manager and "end-process" all msiexec.exe processes...after a few seconds, the installation prompts the user that a certain file has failed to install and asks if they want to continue.  User will click continue, and repeat if installation hangs up again.  This will have to be done until the installation process is finished (i've experienced having to do this three times repeatedly).  At the end (if memory serves correctly), the installation will prompt the user that the process has failed. 

At this point, the installation will close...BUT all the necessary files seem to be there.  The software seems to function ok through multiple test runs--no issues.

As I am running out of time and have to run out of the office...I just remembered that the other solution is to try installing on Administrator account.  Possibly, the reason why the installer hangs is because the given User Account does not have appropriate read/write permissions into C:\Program Files.

Any thoughts are appreciated.  Thanks LV community--have a good weekend!

[LindsW]

Hi,

I notice you said you are building the applications on a 64-bit machine.  Are you also building in 64-bit LabVIEW?  If so, are the deployment machines with XP 64-bit?  I know sometimes there are issues with application compatibility between 32- and 64-bit machines as outlined here:

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/71E9408E6DEAD76C8625760B006B6F98

[Mitchum]

Hi, Lindsey!

I am running 32-bit LV2011, and the Win-XP machines are also 32-bit per my IT department.

The software is now being used by two different machines outside of the company: a Win-7 and Win-XP.  No issues have come up with the installation hanging midway (thank goodness).  I'm beginning to think less and less that it's an admin issue, and leaning more towards the whole "re-registering the MSI".  The link below is where I found out info on tinkering with the MSI, although I have yet to try it.

http://forums.ni.com/t5/LabVIEW/Install-Error/td-p/1519500

It is unfortunate that I do not have the necessary tools or time to dig more into why it happened.  I also cannot duplicate the issue on the deployment machine that it occurred on.  It seems that once I get the built installer through, the issue occurs no longer, even if I uninstall everything NI/LV related.  The only thing I could think of is to have a dedicated machine that I would have to wipe clean each time--provided it is even experiencing the same hanging issue.

Again, thanks to all for the responses!  Wish this could've gone better, but it is what it is.