How to Uninstall the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine if I Used a LabVIEW Application Installer

Issue Details

• I built and compiled a LabVIEW VI into an executable using the LabVIEW Application Builder, and chose the option to Create Installer which includes the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine. After running the installation on the target computer, I don't see the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine listed under Windows Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel of my target computer.
• My program runs fine and works as expected, but the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine is not listed with all the other software installed and so I can't uninstall it.
• How do I uninstall the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine from a computer that doesn't have any other NI software, and uses a LabVIEW built application.

Solution

When an installer is created for a LabVIEW executable, you have the option to include the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine required to run the compiled program.

While the installer does install the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine, it does not create a separate entry within Add/Remove Programs in the Windows' Control Panel. If you need to uninstall the Run-Time Engine, you can do so by uninstalling the entire application that was built, as the application name should still be listed in the Add/Remove Programs list.

Note: The LabVIEW Run-Time Engine keeps track of all programs that installed it, so if you ran several installers, you will have to uninstall all of them in order to completely remove the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine from the computer.

Additional Information

If you install the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine separately (downloaded from the National Instruments' website, for example) it does appear under Add/Remove Programs. Use the solution in this article just when the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine is installed as part of a deployed application installer.

Note: Uninstalling the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine will prevent any future executables built in LabVIEW to run in the computer.