Cannot uninstall LabView

[alexwebber]

Hello,

I recently screwed up my LabVIEW enivronment, and need to re-install LabView.

Here's where I am at:

• I have tried the uninstaller under NIUninstaller\ (this was copied from another machine, as I have nothing LabVIEW related on my computer in my both my Program Files and Program Files (86x) for National Instrumants.
• The installer that I copied over shows up on my program files list, but is corrupted
• I cannot install over what is 'currently' on my computer
• The only folders inside of National Instruments in both Program Files and the 86x version, is Shared. I have nothing other LabVIEW related anywhere else.

The only possible option I can think of is the MSIBlast, but I am unsure of if there are any other solutions, or where I can find that file from.

Thank you!

[Daikataro]

This sounds more like a Windows problem than a LV one, but here's some help either way

-This sounds like a registry issue. Have you ran free registry cleaners like CCleaner or IObit Anti Malware?

-What's the prompt when you try to uninstall from "uninstall a program"?

-What error do you get when running the LV installer? Have you checked your Program files (both 64 and 32 bits ones) and made sure nothing named National Instruments is around?

-If it gets stubborn, you might need the assistance of Revo Uninstaller, which is what I use standard issue for uninstalling solutions. Other uninstallers will most likely work too, but I haven't tried others so can't vouch for them.

[alexwebber]

Thanks for your reply!

I used CCleaner and removed over 11,000 registry entries for National Instruments.

When I went to Uninstall a Program and clicked on "National Instruments Software", nothing happened. (the uninstaller was copied from another computer using LabVIEW.

Program Files\National Instruments contains

• Shared\mDNS Responder\

Program Files (86)\National Instruments contains

• Shared\LogosXT
• Shared\mDNS Responder
• Shared\NIUninstaller
  • InstallValidator
  • nipie2
  • uninst
• Shared\Security
• Shared\TraceEngine

[alexwebber]

I cleaned more registry files, and 2 different cleaners say that my Registry has no more invalid entries.

I deleted all NI files Revo Uninstaller, and have no National Instruments folder in Program Files and Program Files 86.

When I try the installer for 2016 LabVIEW I get "this feature will remain on your hard drive"

[Bob_Schor]

If you installed LabVIEW, then the (only?) safe way to uninstall it is through Control Panel, Programs and Features, National Instruments Software, Remove All.

I have done a Manual Install (dangerous and tedious) as follows:

• Look (thoroughly, meaning in all Hidden folders as well) for "National Instruments" and "LabVIEW".  Delete Files and Folders.
• Look through the Registry for "National Instruments" and "LabVIEW".  Delete as high up the Chain as seems safe.  Take note of Files and Folders you may have missed in the first Step (I had "IVI" folders that showed up).  Take note of other Registry entries that seem NI/LabVIEW Related for another pass.
• Repeat the above steps until satisfied.

Having done this 2 or three times, I now have a much simpler and much faster way (the above can take hours, particularly if multiple LabVIEW Versions and multiple Modules/Toolkits are installed.

• Step 1, the most important -- reformat the Hard Drive.
• Step 2 -- Reinstall Windows.
• Step 3 -- Reinstall Commonly Used Programs/Utilities.
• Final Step -- Reinstall LabVIEW.  This is an excellent time to force yourself to "standardize" on the current version by installing no earlier versions first.

In my experience, the above "drastic" method is quicker and definitely surer/safer.

Bob Schor

[natasftw]

Try a forced installation.  Google "force install LabVIEW"

If there's nothing in your progam files foder, it'd make sense you can't uninstall.  How would the uninstaller remove something that doesn't exist.

After the forced installation, let us know how that went and what your current state is.  If you want to continue to take the shotgun approach you've been taking, save everyone some time and use Bob's second method

[Hooovahh]

I didn't see it mentioned so here are a few links NI provides on removing software.

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/74C642A698602E7C86257E0F00113B02

http://digital.ni.com/public.nsf/allkb/AC6ED75D3D93375686256E8E00245F0D

And a discussion on MSI Blast which will remove all NI software but isn't supported by NI.

https://forums.ni.com/t5/Multifunction-DAQ/TO-uninstall-all-NI-products-i-need-MSI-BLAST-EXE/m-p/273...

[billko]

I'm not sure why you didn't try uninstalling it from "Programs and Features"/"Apps & Features"/etc, first?

[altenbach]

---

@alexwebber wrote:

I recently screwed up my LabVIEW enivronment, and need to re-install LabView.

---

• What exactly did you do to screw up the environment? Do you remember?
• What is your OS version?
• I would recommend to reinstall LabVIEW (there is no such thing as LabView, note the lettercase)

[WNM]

I too have had to occasionally rip all the NI software off my machine by its roots so I could get it reinstalled properly.  I first start out by backing up. At times it has been the system. Other times it has been the NI folders.  I've then gone on to use REVO Uninstaller to first run the NI uninstaller followed by its own search for leftover items.  The outstanding Everything search tool is used to find all leftover NI files or folders which I delete.  Finally multiple cycles of CCleaner are used to flush out the registry.  If you still get complaints when trying to reinstall, you need to (backup then) search the registry for NI-related keys and values, deleting them. Follow that with CCleaner until it comes up clean again. I never have had to take it further than this.

At some point though it becomes simpler/faster to do a full system/image backup before trusting/running any NI installer so you can restore the system when you find the system has been hosed.