The Software Execution Cannot Proceed Because visa32.dll Was Not Found

Updated Aug 15, 2019

Reported In

Software

  • LabWindows/CVI
  • Measurement & Automation Explorer (MAX)

Driver

  • NI-VISA

Issue Details

I am trying to run a project in LabWindows/CVI. I am able to build my code successfully, however, when I try to run the code I get the message:
The execution cannot proceed because visa32.dll was not found.

Also in NI-MAX (NI Measurement & Automation Explorer) under Devices and Interfaces there is a yellow exclamation mark next to the device.

What steps can I take to find visa32.dll?

Solution

This issue can be caused by NI-VISA not being installed correctly. Follow these steps to try and fix NI-VISA:
  1. Download the latest possible version of NI-VISA. Make sure to check the corresponding Readme for OS and software compatibility.
  2. Uninstall and Reinstall your current version of NI-VISA.
  3. Reset NI-VISA as the core VISA library of your system.

Additional Information

If the issue is with the visa32.dll file then repairing the NI-VISA installation will not automatically overwrite this file. The file will only be overwritten in the event that a newer version of visa32.dll is attempting to be installed, which will happen if installing a newer version of the NI-VISA software.