labview 6 is

[svt4cobra6]

We have an old computer that has Labview 6 on it and when you open an existing VI it just runs it.  I would like to get to the diagram view and set break points but can not seem to.  Any ideas?  Could the machine be missing the development software and if so is there a way to generate the vi diagram from a vi executable?

[Omar_II]

Is it a VI (.vi) or is it an executable (.exe) file? If all you have is an executable you are out of luck, Need to find the VIs. If it is a VI file then you are in luck which means it is running with the LabVIEW development software. Find LabVIEW.exe and launch it. Create a new blank VI. Drop your VI on to the block diagram and you should be able to open the VI without it running.

[Hooovahh]

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@Omar II wrote:
Is it a VI (.vi) or is it an executable (.exe) file? If all you have is an executable you are out of luck,

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Not exactly.  Remember back in the 6.x days a built EXE was little more than a LLB file.  You may be able to rename the EXE to have a .LLB extension instead.  Then you can open the LLB in a LabVIEW development environment and see the VIs in it.

The catch is most likely the VIs will not have a block diagram and can't have breakpoints, probes, or be modified.  But you can use the VIs in other applications...but only for that version of LabVIEW.  But if debug was turned on in the EXE then the block diagrams may exist.

[josborne]

Could it be that the VI in question simply has "run when opened" set to true?

If so, a useful shortcut is to hit:

     Control-.  

That is "control-period" to abort execution.  Try it.

- John

[svt4cobra6]

Thanks for the responses.  The file is *.vi.  I tried opening Lab Vew first and then using open vi selected the vi but it seems to run it only.  Someone here was saying I could be missing a portion of the Lab View development enviroment.  Since I do have the *.vi file sounds like there is a way to get to the code or diagram.

[svt4cobra6]

also when it looks like it is Lab View 6i

[smercurio_fc · Accepted solution]

As noted, it's quite likely that the VI is simply set up to run when opened. You can stop the VI as John had suggested. If that doesn't work then do the following:

• Create a new VI.
• Drag the file from the file system onto the block diagram of this new VI.
• Double-click on the VI icon on the block diagram.

[svt4cobra6]

that worked, thanks!