NI-488.2 doesn't install: using GPIB-USB B

[swintern]

Hi,

I'm trying to install NI-488.2 on a Windows XP machine to use the GPIB-USB B.  The install program runs fine, and I add the hardware at the end of the install and reboot.  Upon restart, the Troubleshooter opens up, and says that the NI-488.2 software did not install correctly, and to reboot, reinstall, and try the troubleshooter again. 

In Control Panel >> Add/Remove Programs, the NI-488.2 doesn't show up explicitly.  There is a listing for "National Instruments", and when I select that to change, it brings up a window, and the NI-488.2 is list there.  In addition to reinstalling, I have tried the Windows "Repair" function.  The repair function seems to find things that need to be fixed each time I run it for the NI-488.2.

I tried this several times, but still ended up in the same spot.  When I plug in the GPIB-USB into the computer, it seems to also have a problem with the driver.  It shows up in Device Manager, but gives "Error Code 37" (can not initialize driver).  It looks like I have the most recent driver for the GPIB (2.4). 

I'm not sure where to go from here- any help is greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

[Robert M]

It sounds like something has been corrupted in your installation.  Have you tried uninstalling and reinstalling NI-488.2?  Do you have any other NI drivers (NI-VISA, NI-Serial, etc.)?  If so, you may want to uninstall and reinstall them at the same time.  After uninstalling but before reinstalling you may want to delete the folder C:\Program Files\National Instruments\MAX\Data.  Corrupted data in this folder can sometimes cause problems, and it is not automatically removed with an uninstall.

[swintern]

I've tried uninstalling/reinstalling NI-488.2 several times.  I've also done the same with NI-VISA.  I've tried several different variations on the install (ie installing all available options, taking out some language support, with/without NI-VISA, etc) and still get the same error.  I don't have any other NI programs on the computer.  The only things are the programs available on the NI-488.2 version 2.4 disk (488.2, NI-VISA).

After uninstalling, it looks like the Windows installer deletes the C:\Program Files\National Instruments\ folder and everything in it.  I've looked for it, and its not hidden- but its gone after the uninstall.  I've also deleted the NI-VISA folder when reinstalling.

Another interesting note is that on the installer, it has the option to check the amount of space required for the NI software.  This tells me the software should take up about 170MB, but when I check it after installation the folder is only ~70MB. 

I agree that something is probably corrupted in my installatioin, but am not sure what it is or how to fix it/ get around it.  Thanks again.

[swintern]

Also tried downloading the most current driver off the web, and that one didn't work either.  The USB ports work fine for other USB devices. 

[Robert M]

Your next step would probably be to see if any hidden NI installations are on your computer.  You can do this with msiBlast.  It will show you and allow you to uninstall any lingering NI installations.

If that doesn't work, and you don't want to reimage/reformat your computer, we will have to go in the registry and see if anything has been left behind.

[swintern]

Ok, I went ahead and rolled back to a system restore point, and was able to install correctly.  The driver is loaded, and the NI-488.2 Troubleshooting Wizard sees the interface and sets its status to "passed".  However, when I go to the Measurement & Automation Explorer, the GPIB interface isn't listed.  I tried to add a new interface by right clicking "Devices and Interfaces >> Create New", but the GPIB-USB interface isn't there.  All I see is GPIB-VXI interface, Port, and VISA TCP/IP Resource.

The GPIB device shows up fine in device manager.

Any ideas?  Thanks

[swintern]

Update:

I tried using the Interactive Control, and was able to control my device over GPIB.  The device (and the GPIB Interface) still don't show up in MAX though.  I guess I can move from here, but still am a bit curious as to why it doesn't show up in MAX.  Thanks

[Robert M]

What version of NI-VISA do you have installed?  The Interactive Control only uses the NI-488.2 driver, so it looks like that is working ok, but MAX also uses NI-VISA.  Your MAX or NI-VISA installation may still be corrupted or faulty if you are unable to see the device in MAX.

[swintern]

From the generated report...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

System Information:
Operating System(OS): Microsoft Windows XP
OS Version: 5.01.2600
OS Info: Service Pack 2
Processor:               Intel(R) Pentium(R) 4 CPU 3.40GHz / x86 Family 15 Model 4 Stepping 3 / GenuineIntel / 3391 MHz
Number of Processors: 1
Physical Memory: 1,046,584 KB RAM
Drive C:\ 223,732,000 of 244,051,444 KB free

NI Software Information:
CVI Run-Time 7.0.0.395
NI-488.2 Software 2.40
LabVIEW Run-Time 7.0
Measurement & Automation Explorer 3.1.1.3003
Measurement Studio 6.0
     For Visual Basic 
          ActiveX User Interface 6.0.3.594
          ActiveX 3D Graph 6.0.3.601
          ActiveX DataSocket 4.0.3.367
Measurement Studio for VS2003 7.1
     .NET Languages Hardware Support 7.1.0
          Common 7.1.0.243
          GPIB (NI-488.2) 7.1.0.273
NI-PAL Software 1.9.3.f
NI Spy 2.2.0.12
NI-VISA 3.2
     visa32.dll 3.2.0.19
     NiVisaServer.exe 3.2.0.19
     NIvisaic.exe 3.2.0.19

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just can't see the device in MAX; I can see (and communicate with) the device in the NI-488.2 Interactive Control as well as the VISA Interactive Control.  I've tried reinstalling MAX, but no luck there.  The device I'm trying to connect is a Krohn-Hite 522 Calibrator.

[Robert M]

You can try upgrading to NI-VISA 3.6, but I would first recommend uninstalling the other drivers through Add/Remove Programs, using MSIBlast to clean up any other installs, and cleaning the registry by following these directions:

Go to START button, choose RUN and type "regedit". This will open the Registry Editor window. Go to the Registry Menu and choose Export Registry File. Select "All" for the export range, and select a file name. This creates a backup of the Registry in case a mistake is made when deleting the keys.

Remove the following registry components from the Windows Registry:

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\National Instruments Delete the entire tree!
  
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\National Instruments Delete the entire tree!
  
• HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Enum\PCI\ , \ISA, or \PCMCIA and delete registry entries containing any keys with 1093 in them.