Where Does LabVIEW Store Configuration Settings?

Issue Details

• I want to upgrade LabVIEW but I don't want to lose all of my configuration settings.
• I need to move to a different computer and want to transfer my LabVIEW settings.
• I want to restore LabVIEW's development environment to default settings.
• I was asked to change my LabVIEW.ini file. Where can I find this file on Windows, or its counterpart on OS X or Linux?

Solution

The configuration file's name and location differ depending on the operating system you are using:

• Windows: The LabVIEW.ini file can be found in the directory that LabVIEW was installed in. 
  • By default, for 32-bit editions of LabVIEW, that is C:\Program Files (x86)\National Instruments\<LabVIEW version>\. For 64-bit editions, it is C:\Program Files\National Instruments\<LabVIEW version>\. Alternatively, you can search for "LabVIEW.ini" using Windows' search function.
• Mac OS X: The configuration file is named LabVIEW.app <LabVIEW version number> Preferences  and can be found in the \Users\<your user>\Library\Preferences\ file path.

LabVIEW 2023 Q3 is the final release of LabVIEW for macOS. Starting with releases in 2024, LabVIEW is available only on Windows and Linux OSes.

• Linux: Default and system-wide LabVIEW settings are stored in the natinst directory. This file is created when LabVIEW is installed.
  • This file is located at ~/natinst/.config/<LabVIEW version>/labview.config . In older versions of LabVIEW, the settings may be stored in the labviewrc file located in the user's home directory.

You can edit or delete the configuration file. By deleting the configuration file, you can reset LabVIEW's development environment's settings to default.

Additional Information

Most configuration settings are stored in LabVIEW's configuration file. Copy this file from one to an other LabVIEW installation to transfer the settings. This can be done between different versions of LabVIEW, as well as between installations on different computers. Not all current options exist in older versions of LabVIEW. LabVIEW will ignore unknown options.