Generating Debug Logs for LabWindows/CVI 9.0 and Later

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Often when debugging an issue with LabWindows/CVI, it becomes necessary to generate a debug log to send to National Instruments.  Logging can be done for either the LabWindows/CVI environment, or the LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine.  Let's take a look at how and why to generate logs for both of these scenarios.  To generate a log for either case, you will need to run the ConfigCVILogging.exe utility located in <National Instruments>\<CVI Version>\bin.

Environment

Generating a log for the environment can be a very helpful debugging aid for things like crashes during startup and shutdown of the LabWindows/CVI environment, and error messages shown in the LabWindows/CVI environment.  To generate a log for these types of issues, configure the ConfigCVILogging tool as shown below:

1. Make sure you select Environment and not Runtime Engine
2. Pick the version of the environment you want to log (in this case, year based versions are not used, so 9.1 corresponds to 2009)
3. Unless otherwise instructed, just select all message types.
4. Log the output to file.  If you are on Windows 7 or Windows Vista, make sure the location you pick is writable.  You might need to run LabWindows/CVI as Administrator if your user account does not have sufficient privelege to write to the location you pick.
5. Unless otherwise instructed, the default message format is good.
6. When you're done configuring, be sure to press the apply button.

Run-Time Engine

Generating a log for the Run-Time Engine can sometimes be helpful for things like a crash in a program built with LabWindows/CVI, or for other similar run-time oddities.  To generate a log for these types of issues, configure the ConfigCVILogging tool as shown below:

1. Make sure you select Runtime Engine and not Environment
2. Unless otherwise instructed, the version should just be      "Release"
3. Unless otherwise instructed, select all message types.
4. Log the output to file.  If you are on Windows 7 or Windows Vista, make sure the location you pick is writable.  You might need to run the application loading the CVI Run-Time Engine as Administrator if your user account does not have sufficient privelege to write to the location you pick.
5. Unless otherwise instructed, the default message format      is good.
6. When you're done configuring, be sure to press the apply button.

Now the next time you run LabWindows/CVI, a log that can be sent to National Instruments support will be generated in the specified location.