Abort a VI That Continually Produces an Error Dialog Message

Updated Aug 22, 2023

Reported In

Software

  • LabVIEW

Issue Details

My VI is stuck in an endless loop producing an error message. Every time I hit the OK button the error reappears and does not allow me to access any VI. How do I stop this VI when I cannot press the stop or abort button?

Solution

When a VI is continuously doing an operation that produces an error there are several ways you can attempt to abort or stop the VI depending on how the VI is set up.
  • Abort button is visible -- Run-time window is configured as default:
    • You can attempt to click on the red abort button on the toolbar of the front panel or block diagram of the VI between error messages.
    • If the error message appears again before you have time to move the mouse to the abort button, try using the keyboard to acknowledge the error <Enter> and then quickly press the abort button with the mouse. You may have to try several times before it works.
    • If the timing is too quick to allow for the clicking of the abort button, you can use the keyboard shortcut for aborting the VI, <Ctrl+.>.  You will acknowledge the error dialog with <Enter> and then press <Ctrl> and < . > (period key) to abort the VI.  This may require a few attempts.
    • If all of the above options do not work out due to timing, you can open up the Windows Task Manager <Ctrl+Alt+Del> or the MacOS Task Manager <Ctrl+Apple+Esc> where you can end the LabVIEW Task.
      • Note: You will lose unsaved changes to all of your open VIs when closing LabVIEW in this manner.
 
  • Abort button not visible when the VI is running -- run-time window configured to appear as a dialog
    • Use the keyboard shortcut, <Ctrl+.> to abort the VI. Hold down the Control and period keys while you acknowledge the error with either the mouse or the keyboard. You may have to try it several times before it works.
    • If all of the above options do not work out due to timing, you can open up the Windows Task Manager <Ctrl+Alt+Del> where you can end the LabVIEW Task or if you are on MacOS <Ctrl+Apple+Esc> to force quit LabVIEW.
      • Note: You will lose unsaved changes to all of your open VIs when closing LabVIEW in this manner.
 
  • Abort button not visible when VI is running -- customized VI to remove abort button 
    • Open up the Windows Task Manager <Ctrl+Alt+Del> where you can end the LabVIEW Task or if you are on MacOS <Ctrl+Apple+Esc> to force quit LabVIEW.
      • Note: You will lose unsaved changes to all of your open VIs when closing LabVIEW in this manner.
    • The keyboard shortcut <Ctrl+.> will not be available in this case because the abort option was removed in the customization of the VI run-time.

Additional Information

To avoid this situation, use error-checking within loops to automatically end your program when an error occurs.

Do not use the Run Continuously button (if that is how you got into the endless loop of error messages), before you add error handling into your code.

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