Configure LabVIEW Executable to Run with Higher Run-Time Engine Versions

In LabVIEW 2016 and prior versions, LabVIEW executables require the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine (RTE) of the same version (e.g. LabVIEW executables written in 2015 require LabVIEW RTE 2015 in order to run). The executable is version-specific, meaning it will not work with any other version of LabVIEW Run-Time.

Starting in 2017, LabVIEW supports backward compatibility for the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine by allowing versions of LabVIEW later than 2017 to load binaries and VIs built with LabVIEW 2017 without recompiling. This allows users who write executables in LabVIEW 2017 or later versions to ensure that their application will run with later versions of the LabVIEW RTE. This allows greater flexibility when distributing applications to deployment machines with various versions of the LabVIEW RTE. See LabVIEW and LabVIEW Run-Time Engine Compatibility for more information on the compatibility between versions.

This tutorial demonstrates how to configure LabVIEW applications to be compatible with future versions of the LabVIEW Run-Time Engine. In order to complete these configuration steps, you will need access to LabVIEW development system version 2017 or later and the corresponding version of LabVIEW Application Builder Module.

Note: Independent of development version, all LabVIEW applications can only be run on LabVIEW RTEs with the same bitness. 
 

1. Open your LabVIEW project with which you are looking to create an executable 
   • Follow Instructions in LabVIEW Help for preparing to build your application
2. Expand My Computer in the Project Explorer window.
3. Right-click Build Specifications and select New » Application (EXE) from the shortcut menu 
4. In the My Application Properties window, navigate to the Advanced category.
5. Check the box next to Allow future versions of the LabVIEW Runtime to run this application as seen in the image below
6. Continue configuring your application as desired and select Build when finished to build your application into an EXE.

Your build application will now be compatible with its version and future versions of LabVIEW RTE .