Downgrade NILM from 4.4 to 4.3, possible? To resolve issue with VLM still at 3.1

[DavidBoyd]

Found the article here which describes how the local license manager (NILM) release 4.4 is not compatible with Volume License Manager 3.1.

Unless/until I can get our admin to update the license server, I would like to downgrade NILM to 4.3, so I can get my LabVIEW installation out of eval mode.  NILM 4.3 is available for download (as a zip of a standalone installer) but it refuses to install with 4.4 present.  And, in turn, NIPM won't remove NILM without removing most of LabVIEW and tools.  Sigh.

Is there a NIPM-compatible package for NILM 4.3 (and if so I'd fiddle with nipkg CLI to force a downgrade), or some other way I can trick the installers to do what I want here?

Thanks,

Dave

[hschen · Accepted solution]

Hi David,

Please use attached batch file to remove NI License Manager 4.4.

[DavidBoyd]

Nearly two years later, I've run into this problem again, this time when NIPM installed NILM 21.0, which again breaks compatibility with our VLM (not sure of its version).  I returned here and only now noticed hschen's delayed reply (posted well after our VLM admin had fixed the 2019 problem).

Thanks, hschen, if you're still around.  The command-line interface for the NI uninstaller definitely saved me much time since I could roll back NILM and get back to work.

Dave

For those who don't want to unwrap the batch file inside the 7-zip file et cetera, the relevant command line is simply:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\Shared\NIUninstaller\Uninst.exe" /ShowAll /IgnoreDependents /NoNIPM

Be not afraid: you will get warned about the listed dependents, but you still get a button to delete only the targeted package

[Ronald_Byrd_(NI)]

Dave,

I think hschen's suggestion is more of a temporary workaround and not a solution. If you are installing the latest version of LabVIEW then you should also use the version of NILM that it depends on. When there is a compatibility problem between NILM and VLM, it's because we upgraded the version of FlexNet Publisher they are built on, and the version they are currently using has many bug fixes and improvements in it. So you should at least be a little bit afraid when you remove NILM and get warned about its dependents.

Regards,

Ron

[DavidBoyd]

So noted, and thanks for replying.

The "be not afraid" was a bit of snark to just suggest that the uninstaller invoked via CLI will complain, but the user is still given an option to do as they wish.

I'd much prefer to run the local LM released with LV 2020 in this case, to avoid any compatibility issues, but I have zero visibility/control over the VLM installation that serves up our enterprise agreement.  I managed, once, to get them to update.  I can probably do it again if I can find the right person (it changes).  But on a Friday afternoon, after letting NI Package Manager do its latest-and-greatest thing, I rendered my development environment(s) inoperative and I was looking for the Easy button.

Dave