Yellow Exclamation Mark Next to Real-Time Target in LabVIEW Project

Updated Oct 26, 2025

Reported In

Hardware

  • CompactRIO Controller
  • PXI Controller
  • CompactDAQ Controller

Software

  • LabVIEW
  • LabVIEW Real-Time Module
  • LabVIEW FPGA Module

Driver

  • NI CompactRIO

Issue Details

When I open a LabVIEW project including a Real-Time target like a CompactRIO (cRIO), CompactDAQ (cDAQ) or Real-Time PXI, I see a yellow exclamation mark next to my target. When I click on the target, I get the following message, but NI License Manager shows that all of my software is licensed.

Unsupported Item

The plug-in for the selected item is not installed on your system or the plug-in has an expired license. Please contact National Instruments.

Solution

The most common cause for this is the LabVIEW Real-Time Module not being installed or having an incompatible version. The LabVIEW and LabVIEW Real-Time versions must match. If you are using a cRIO and the FPGA, you should also make sure the LabVIEW FPGA Module is installed and matches the LabVIEW version or you will have similar issues accessing the device's FPGA. To solve the issue, review the suggestions below:

  • Open NI Measurement and Automation Explorer (MAX) and expand the Software tab. Ensure you have the Real-Time Module listed under the version of LabVIEW you are using. If you have a CompactRIO, ensure that you have installed the FPGA Module so that you can program the FPGA as well.

 

If you do not have these modules, they can be downloaded from the LabVIEW Real-Time Module Download Page and the LabVIEW FPGA Module Download Page.

 

  • Ensure you have compatible versions of any required drivers installed. For example, if you have cRIO or cDAQ, you can check the Software Support for CompactRIO, CompactDAQ, Single-Board RIO, R Series, and EtherCAT page to find the LabVIEW and driver support.
  • Update the NI CompactRIO driver to the latest version compatible with the version of LabVIEW you are using. Please refer to CompactRIO Device Driver and LabVIEW Version Compatibility to see which versions are compatible. If the newest compatible version is already installed, remove it and install it again.
  • If you are using a Real-Time PXI controller, verify that the NI PXI Platform Services version required by your hardware is installed on the host PC. To verify the compatibility and the version required, please refer to NI Hardware and Software Operating System Compatibility
  • This issue can also occur if you open your project in LabVIEW 64-bit. Not all versions of LabVIEW FPGA or Real-Time Module have 64-bit versions. If you are using 32-bit versions of either Real-Time or FPGA module, ensure that you are opening your project in LabVIEW 32-bit. You can check the version and bitness in LabVIEW by selecting Help >> About LabVIEW

 

Note: LabVIEW FPGA Module 64-bit is available as of version 2018 and LabVIEW Real-Time Module 64-bit is available as of version 2021

  • If you have the correct software installed and licensed on your PC, the problem might be due to software corruption. Try reinstalling it to solve the issue.                                                                 
 

Additional Information

Installing compatible versions of the PXI Platform Services and LabVIEW Real-Time Module will only enable you to use the controller in LabVIEW. The drivers of any cards installed in the PXI Chassis must also be installed and compatible with the LabVIEW and LabVIEW Real-Time version. Refer to your driver's documentation to check the compatibility.