Offline update

[SimonDeacon]

Hi,

I think the software on our VirtualBench units are out of date (we have 9 of them) - the firmware reports 1.2.1f0. I would like to update them, but all I get when I use 'File | Search for Firmware Update' is the message 'Unable to reach the firmware server. Verify your internet connection and try again'. I can't find a specific manual to help, the NI website is the usual unhelpful rats maze.

To help identify any issues: We have the units connected to laptops via USB, the laptops are all running Windows 10 Enterprise x64, and (possibly this is the killer) are sat behind a 3rd party proxy.

Can anyone point me at documentation, driver downloads or other things to help? I would normally contact support as we have an active SSP contract for our NI products, but generally that is a slow and painful experience.

Thanks,

Simon

[Kelly_Chan]

Hi Simon,

You can download the firmware update here: http://www.ni.com/download/virtualbench-driver-16.1/7881/en/

Kelly

[SimonDeacon]

Kelly,

Thanks for the link. I downloaded the update 'VB-8012.cfg' from the page. The instructions state:

• Click the Download Link link above.
• Your browser will begin downloading the standalone installer for your software.
• Once the standalone installer has been downloaded, launch the executable and follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation of your software.

The cfg file, however, is not executable. Any idea what to do with it? It looks like another case of the NI website not being so good.

Cheers,

Simon

[JoeFriedchicken · Accepted solution]

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@SimonDeacon wrote:

Thanks for the link. I downloaded the update 'VB-8012.cfg' from the page. The instructions state:

• Click the Download Link link above.
• Your browser will begin downloading the standalone installer for your software.
• Once the standalone installer has been downloaded, launch the executable and follow the onscreen prompts to complete the installation of your software.

The cfg file, however, is not executable. Any idea what to do with it? It looks like another case of the NI website not being so good.

---

Hi Simon,

Yes, those instructions are incomplete.

The VirtualBench application looks for offline firmware updates in its own folder, and this download page has the three files you need to do that: the firmware image (the .cfg file), the firmware update information (the .json file), and the firmware update description (the .eng.rtf file). Place all three of those files in the same folder as VirtualBench.exe and use File » Search for Firmware Update to begin the offline update.

The method you use to place the firmware update files in the same folder as the application is up to you. In the past, I have:

1. Copied the contents of the VirtualBench disk to a folder on my desktop.
2. Copied the firmware update files into that desktop folder.

[SimonDeacon]

Joe,

Thanks for the information. This worked very well. National Instruments need to improve their website, and also not to assume customers all have excellent / easy internet availability. They stopped supplying SSP customers with offline copies of installers for their products unless requested, despite them putting up the SSP cost substantially.

Once again - thanks for your help. Instrument updated well.

Cheers,

Simon