Single MSI File Instead of Volume Folder

[Steve_Block]

I have projects which were developed using CVI 8 and 9 and want a single .msi .exe file instead of a volume folder. I can't just zip up the volume folder either. Is there a way to accomplish this? I noticed that .msi is on the screen where the distribution is created.

[srdfrn]

Hi Steve,

What do you mean by create a single .msi .exe file?   Are you trying to create an executable instead of an installer on your machine?  If so, you can navigate to Build >> Target Type >> Executable, and then navigate back to Build >> Create Release Executable.

One more question -- are you running the .msi file instead of the setup.exe file?  We recommend that you do not run the .msi, but instead run the setup.exe. This is because the setup.exe creates flags for the .msi to run properly.

Regards,

Stephanie R.

National Instruments

[Shako]

What i think Steve means is instead of the Volume folder to have a single file which contains every thing which the user can use to install the application. eg like an .msi file.

[srdfrn]

Hi Steve,

Unfortunately, there isn't a way to build a CVI distribution that contains only one .msi file.

Regards,

Stephanie R.

National Instuments

[Ian.W]

Please see this post on how I make a single EXE (not MSI).

hth,

Ian

[Steve_Block]

Just in case I wasn't clear to everyone, I'm looking for a single file(not folder solution). This is for the distribution and not the executable. I know how to create a .zip file, but that won't suffice for the application. Hopefully the next version of CVI will have this feature if it is impossible to do with the current version.

[ngay528]

I had a similar question to yours and sounds like it may apply here.  I wanted a self-extracting, auto-installing file.

To accomplish this for free, I generate my distkit (Volumes), zip them up in winzip or whatever you prefer.  Then I used "ZIP 2 Secure EXE" to create a self-extracting installer.  There are plenty enough options to setup auto-run setup.exe upon extraction, and auto-extract and delete when through.  I believe you can even suppress certain windows as well.  if you have Winzip Self-Extractor Program, then you could use that, but it costs $.

[Ian.W]

Yes, I agree with ngay528. In both cases we are making a single file to distribute as a stand-alone installer. 

The end user does not see any of the folders CVI makes when doing a regular build.  They just run it and the installation happens.  

Note that we make our single file as another separate process after CVI builds the "distribution kit" (folder). 

Ian

[ngay528]

@Ian,

Seems like you have responded to this similar question quite a bit now 

Hopefully NI will pick up on this feature request!!!

I mainly wanted it too because recently when I created a distkit, two Volume folders were created, tipping the iceberg for me.

[srdfrn]

Hi all,

One thing you can do is post this idea to the NI LabWindows/CVI Idea Exchange, which is a product feedback forum where other users, as well as NI R&D, can view it and show their support through comments and Kudos.  It looks like Shako has already posted this idea -- look for "Single File Distribution."

Regards,

Stephanie R.

National Instruments