WinMIF Not Compatible With .NET 4.8 Error When Deploying Custom Installer

Issue Details

• I have built an installer with LabVIEW, and it works on my development machine. When I run the installer on a deployment machine, I see the below error.
• I recently installed NI Package Manager (NIPM) 23.3 or later and when I build an installer using LabVIEW, TestStand Deployment Utility, LabWindows™/CVI™, or other NI software. The installer builds fine, but when I try to run it on my deployment computer I get the following error message:

Solution

This issue occurs when a custom installer is built using an NI Application Development Environment (ADE) that relies on NI ADE Deployment Support version 22.5 or earlier (for example, LabVIEW 2021), while the build system has NI Package Manager (NIPM) 23.3 or later installed.

NIPM 23.3 upgrades the system .NET Framework to version 4.8, but does not automatically update NI ADE Deployment Support. Older versions of this package include a winMIF component that is not compatible with .NET 4.8. As a result, legacy installers—especially those that include .NET Framework 4.x–dependent components such as NI System Configuration Runtime—build successfully but fail when executed.

Upgrading to a newer NI software stack (2023 or later) resolves this issue, as these releases include a version of NI ADE Deployment Support that is compatible with .NET Framework 4.8. If upgrading the full software stack is not possible, you can instead update only the required deployment components using the steps below, without affecting the rest of your installed NI software.

1. Make sure the NI software you are using to build the custom installer is closed.
2. Download the attached zip file: NI ADE Deployment Support.zip.
3. Unzip the file.
4. Navigate to the Install.exe file and run it.
5. Open your software and rebuild your custom installer. 

Additional Information

You can run into this issue if the NI ADE Deployment Support package under your INSTALLED tab in NI Package Manager is below 23.3 version. The attached installer updates this package (named "ni-mdfsupport_...") and its dependencies in your NI Package Manager cache (C:\ProgramData\National Instruments\NI Package Manager\Downloads) to move to a version that includes the fix for this issue.