Error 1 or 6: Input Parameter is Invalid in LabVIEW

Issue Details

• When running my LabVIEW program, I get an  Error 1 message when trying to Open, Read or Write certain files such as images, text files, etc.
• I see an error message that states:

Solution

• The Windows file naming convention prohibits the use of certain characters in the file path that is eventually input to the File I/O sub VI's. This error is most commonly associated with backslash, colon, and other control characters that are unintentionally included when a string is converted to a file path - especially if a date is included in that string (i.e. 9/22/04). The following characters should not be present in any file name: \ / : * ? " < > | . Removing or replacing all of the control characters from the input string should remedy this error.
• It also possible that the input string is invalid if the enter key has been pressed and all the string info is not on the first line. Just remove the enter to resolve the issue.
• An invalid input path can be a result of LabVIEW not having proper access to the target file. Check the File or Folder Permissions, try to Log in as Administrator, or ask your IT department about Group Policies on the specified destination
• This error could also occur if you specify a file name without a drive path inside a file path entry. You need to make sure that your drive path is included along with your file name (i.e. C:\filename or E:\filename).

Additional Information

Even if control characters are not visible in the input string they may still be present, but are easy to find. Connect either a control or indicator to the input string and enable backslash code display (select Properties » Display style by right-clicking the indicator). If you determine that control characters have been included, they can be replaced with a non-control character (such as underscore) by using the Search and Replace Pattern .vi located on the string sub-palette. See snippet below for example on how to apply this VI to alleviate issues that cause Input Parameter Invalid errors.

 Note: This image is a LabVIEW snippet, which includes LabVIEW code that you can reuse in your project. To use a snippet, right-click the image, save it to your computer, and drag the file onto your LabVIEW diagram.