TARGETDIR is undefined when installing 8.x on Xp Pro machine

[megan]

Upon trying to install Labview 8.5 from CD or even the full-runtime from
the
web I keep getting the following error (logged on as an Administrator) on
an
Windows XP pro machine with all the latest service packs from Microsoft.

TARGETDIR is undefined.  The directory table seems malformed.  Aborting.

Enclosed is a copy of the Event Log when the error happens.  Can someone
please
tell us how to fix this?  Thanks

[megan]

oops forgot the copy of the Event Log that was created when trying to install.  Here it is:

3/3/2008 2:39:14 PM MsiInstaller Error None 10005 PSPL-DOMAIN\test TESTLAB2-DELL Product: NI Uninstaller -- The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2609. The arguments are: , ,
3/3/2008 2:39:14 PM MsiInstaller Error None 10005 PSPL-DOMAIN\test TESTLAB2-DELL Product: NI Uninstaller -- The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2235. The arguments are: , ActionRequest, SELECT `ComponentId`,`Description`,`Directory_`, `ActionRequest`, `Installed`, `Attributes` FROM `ODBCDriver`, `Component` WHERE `ODBCDriver`.`Component_` = `Component` AND (`ActionRequest` = 1 OR `ActionRequest` = 2)
3/3/2008 2:39:14 PM MsiInstaller Error None 10005 PSPL-DOMAIN\test TESTLAB2-DELL Product: NI Uninstaller -- The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2732. The arguments are: 0, ,
3/3/2008 2:39:14 PM MsiInstaller Error None 10005 PSPL-DOMAIN\test TESTLAB2-DELL Product: NI Uninstaller -- The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2235. The arguments are: , RuntimeFlags, SELECT `Component`,`RuntimeFlags`,`KeyPath`, `Attributes` FROM `Component` WHERE `Component` = ?
3/3/2008 2:39:14 PM MsiInstaller Error None 10005 PSPL-DOMAIN\test TESTLAB2-DELL Product: NI Uninstaller -- The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2731. The arguments are: 0, ,
3/3/2008 2:39:14 PM MsiInstaller Error None 10005 PSPL-DOMAIN\test TESTLAB2-DELL Product: NI Uninstaller -- The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2705. The arguments are: Directory, ,

[Eriquito]

Hi megan,

We've seen this issue several times before, but in each case the resolution seems to be different.

Here are some of the solutions that have worked in the past:

1. Create a new user with Administrator privileges and try to install from that account
2. Visit http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com and install all of the latest update patches available
3. Remove all National Instruments software and reinstall, using the latest versions available on our website when possible (ie: anything that is free to download, like DAQmx)
4. Format hard disk and reinstall Windows

Do you have any security software that could be interfering with the installation?  Have you tried the install on a different machine, with the same result?  If so, you may have corrupt installation media.

[antony.g]

One of my working Windows XP Pro machines started to show a problem where installing any NI software would throw up multiple errors including the TARGETDIR one. I tried to uninstall LabVIEW and TestStand but that failed with multiple errors. I tried re-installing them and got multiple errors.

I then noticed that I also saw an error about the Public folder environment value being incorrect. This setting pointed to "c:\documents and settings\all users\documents". WhenI viewed "c:\document and settings\all users" on the failing machine the "documents" folder was named "My Documents". When I viewed it on a working PC it was called "Shared Documents".

It appears that Windows has both true names for folders and also display names. Each folder has a hidden file that keeps track of the names that folders appear to be called to different users, for instance "Tony's Pictures" or "My Pictures". If this file gets corrupted (desktop.ini) then folders get stuck with the wrong names.

I corrected the problem quickly by creating a new folder called "Documents" in "c:\documents and settings\all users". I then re-installed TestStand and my EXE. There is probably a much better solution, but that may include re-installing Windows.

[scrook]

This is probably a little late for the original posters but here is a way that I have used successfully to rescue project files with build specification corruption.

First,create a backup of your LVproj file and put it someplace safe.

Next, create (or open an existing) .lvproj file. You will want one that doesn't have any build specifications defined. If you scroll down to the bottom you will see a line like: <Item Name="Build Specifications" Type="Build"/>

Copy this line to your clipboard.

Now open your problem project file in LabVIEW. Remove all your build specifications from the project and save the file. Now open this LVproj file in your text editor and find the <Item Name="Build Specifications"...> area.

It will likely look like this:

<Item Name="Build Specifications" Type="Build">

<Property .....>

</Item>

You will want to get rid of everything up to the closing tag  (the </Item>) for the Build Specifications Item. The easiest way to do this is use a text editor like Notepad++ and under the language menu select XML to show which </item> is the one your are looking for. Once you have found the offending text, replace it with what you copied from the clean LVproj file earlier and save. You should now be able to re open the project in LabVIEW and set up your Build Specs again but now the MSI errors should be gone.

I can't guarantee that this will work for every issue but it might save someone some time down the road.

Scott Crook

CMOS Test Engineer

TriQuint SemiConductor

[scrook]

Oops replied to wrong thread... sorry

[Edjsch]

I too was getting the error message, “TARGETDIR is undefined, the Directory table seems malformed. Aborting...”, when running an installer I built with the Application Builder. I’m using LabVIEW 8.5 on a Windows 8.1 PC. I have 2 versions of my product and hence 2 installers. I built and tested the first one, and it installed just fine. Then I build the second one, which installs to a different folder within the same parent folder as the first one. When I ran setup.exe I got the error message. However, it installs just fine on other computers. Something apparently got corrupted on my PC.

One forum post suggested to run CHKDSK /r, which I did. It took about 3 hours to complete (which, by the way, was stuck at 11% for most of the time, so just be patient), and it did not inform me if there were any errors or not, but that did not resolve the problem. I tried re-building the installer with a different target (destination) directory, but that did not help. I still got the error message.

Then I tried uninstalling the existing version (the prior version) of my program, and re-ran the installer. Low and behold, it worked! Normally there is no need to uninstall a previous version; the new version will just replace (update) the old, existing version. Anyway, this is something very easy to try if you are experiencing a similar problem. Hope this helps.

Ed

[samazing]

Edjsch,

I would reccomend you post this issue as a new thread topic in the forums to get more visability on your post. Please refer to point 5 on the NI Discussion Forums User Guidelines.

[Edjsch]

samazing,

Thanks for the advice, but you mean point 3, don't you? (Although this is getting off topic, too!)

I did post this on 2 threads to make sure it is seen when a user searches for the TARGETDIR error message. The guidelines are just that: guidelines, and not absolute mandates, however.

Ed

[samazing]

Ed,

You are absolutely correct. I read your post in haste and responded in haste as well. I apologize for that and I appreciate your contribution to this thread.

Sam