About LabVIEW Evaluation and Activation (Windows)

Use the LabVIEW Platform media to install LabVIEW and many LabVIEW modules and toolkits and evaluate the products for free for a set period of time. This topic explains what you can expect when you evaluate LabVIEW, modules, or toolkits and how you can activate those products after you evaluate them.

Evaluating LabVIEW, Modules, or Toolkits

You can access all the tools, VIs and functions, help, and examples available to the LabVIEW Professional Development System and most modules or toolkits in a free evaluation mode. When the evaluation period expires, you must activate the software to continue using LabVIEW.

Evaluating LabVIEW

When you run LabVIEW in evaluation mode, LabVIEW includes the following limitations:

• A time limit until the evaluation version expires—While not activated, LabVIEW prompts you to activate the product each time you launch LabVIEW. You can continue to run LabVIEW in evaluation mode.
• An evaluation version watermark during the time limit—All user VIs and controls have an evaluation watermark and any VIs you create while in non-activated mode, except for subVIs in a subpanel of a VI, include a watermark on all displayed front panel windows.

After the evaluation period for LabVIEW expires, you are no longer able to launch LabVIEW.

Evaluating Modules and Toolkits

After the evaluation period for a module or toolkit expires, you are no longer able to perform the following actions:

• Run VIs from the module or toolkit.
• Run VIs that use VIs from the module or toolkit.
• Build VIs that use VIs from the module or toolkit into an executable or shared library.
• Access menus, tools, or palettes installed by the module or toolkit.

When you install a module or toolkit for evaluation, you install the help for the module or toolkit. The help for the module or toolkit remains installed after the evaluation period. Also, the NI Example Finder displays all module or toolkit examples after the evaluation period. You must uninstall the module or toolkit to remove the help and examples.

If you run LabVIEW in evaluation mode, you receive functionality of the Professional Development System. If you then purchase and activate a LabVIEW license, you receive full functionality of the development system you purchase. For example, if you create a VI using features that are only available in the Professional Development System and then you purchase and activate the Full Development System, the VI you created using the Professional Development System will be broken.

Activating LabVIEW, Modules, or Toolkits after Evaluation

To activate the LabVIEW license, use the serial number you received on the Certificate of Ownership included in the software kit and follow the activation instructions.

If you purchase add-on software, such as modules or toolkits, use NI License Manager to activate the software. If you do not see the software listed in NI License Manager, you can install it from the LabVIEW Platform media.

LabVIEW installs the Application Builder when you install LabVIEW. If you activate the LabVIEW Professional Development System, you automatically activate the Application Builder. If you activate the LabVIEW Base Development System or Full Development System, you must purchase and activate the Application Builder separately.

Upgrading from an Evaluation Version to a Paid Version

If you are upgrading from an evaluation version to a paid version, you do not need to reinstall your software. Follow the prompts that appear when you launch your application or use NI License Manager to activate the software.

Moving between Paid Versions

If at a later time you decide to move to a different product package, such as upgrading from LabVIEW Base Development System to LabVIEW Professional Development System, you can activate the new package without installing additional software. Use NI License Manager to activate your software.