Save LabVIEW Installer Install Files in a Custom Filepath

When creating an installer in LabVIEW, you can specify where the application will be installed on your deployment machine. By default, the installer directs all files to be installed in the Projects Files folder.  As Project Files is a protected folder, saving program files in this location can result in Windows permissions issues. If you would like to bypass any potential permissions issue or would just like to specify a file location when distributing applications, you can set a custom file path when building the installer.

This tutorial shows you how to configure your LabVIEW installer to install files to a custom file path on your deployment machine.
In order to create a LabVIEW installer, you will need the LabVIEW Application Builder.

Note: In order to change where the LabVIEW Installer files are built/saved on the development machine, you can change the Installer Destination within the Product Information category of the Installer Properties dialog box. This tutorial sets where the files within the LabVIEW Installer are saved once the Installer has run, typically on the deployment machine.
 

Add Custom Path to Destinations

1. Launch LabVIEW and open LabVIEW installer project
2. In the Project Explorer, right-click on Build Specifications and select New >> Installer
3. In the Installer Properties Dialog Box, navigate to the Destinations Page,
4. Click on the Add absolute path button 
   • The new folder will appear under the other destination folders.
5. Edit the Destination path to be your custom filepath
   • The default name of the absolute path is c:\New Path. 
   • Note: One common cause of the permissions dialog box in Windows is writing to the C drive. If you wish to avoid this dialog box, consider writing to another drive. 

 

Set Custom Path as Installation Location

Once the custom path has been added to Destinations, you can send your project files to the desired location.

1. In the My Installer Properties Dialog Box, navigate to Source Files.
2. Select a file from the Project Files View (on the left) and a folder in the Destination View (on the right). 
3. Click Add (the right-facing blue arrow) to designate where the file will live once the installer is built.
   • If you change your mind about a location, you can also select Remove (left-facing blue arrow) to remove a file, folder, or build specification from the Destination View.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for all desired sources files to include.
5. Continue configuring your Installer as desired. 
6. Press Build to complete your installer.

Once installed, the project files selected in Source Files will be saved in the location you specified from Destinations.