There is a lot of stuff in a LabVIEW Distribution. I'm going to "guess" that installing everything may well take over 100 GB of disk space, and will take a huge chunk of time (hours). You need to think about what you want to do, and install just enough to do it. You can always add other toolkits, modules, and drivers at a later date if you find you need them.
Start by installing LabVIEW. A few years ago, I'd say "Install 32-bit LabVIEW unless you (a) know that the drivers you need have 64-bit counterparts, and (b) you need to access really large chunks of memory, but now most devices and features work with 64-bit LabVIEW (I still use 32-bit, which works for me ...). If you are not running code on a Real-Time Processor (PXI, RIO, etc.), don't load the Real-Time Module. I recommend installing JKI VIPM, DAQmx (a Must!), VISA (for serial communication). When asked about AddOns, be judicious. I mostly use NI hardware, don't try to do "fancy things" with Windows, so I slip .NET items in Add Ons. This will speed up and simplify installation. If something is missing that you need, you can install it when you find you need it.
A note on LabVIEW Vision -- I'd been writing Real-Time LabVIEW code for 4-5 years before a colleague asked me to help with a project of his involving video monitoring. Vision is "different", and quite a challenge that you may want to avoid if you have no immediate use for it. Get a good grounding in LabVIEW and DAQmx first ...
;
Bob Schor
