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LabVIEW relies on licensing activation. You have a temporary license for a 30-day evaluation period. If you do not activate the LabVIEW license, LabVIEW operates in evaluation mode, by default, for a 30-day evaluation period. When the evaluation period expires, you must activate a valid LabVIEW license to continue using LabVIEW.

To activate the LabVIEW license, use the serial number you received as part of your installation package. You can activate the LabVIEW license in any of the following ways:

• During installation, enter the serial number and select to run the NI Activation Wizard at the end of installation.
• After you launch LabVIEW in evaluation mode, click the Activate button in the LabVIEW dialog box.
• While running LabVIEW in evaluation mode, select Help»Activate LabVIEW. The license activation does not take effect until you restart LabVIEW.
• Launch NI License Manager by selecting Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI License Manager. Click the Activate button in the toolbar.

After the 30-day evaluation period expires, LabVIEW no longer operates and you must activate the LabVIEW license to continue using LabVIEW.

Activating Application Builder

The LabVIEW Professional Development System includes the Application Builder, which LabVIEW enables when you activate LabVIEW. If you have an activated version of the LabVIEW Base Package or Full Development System, select Help»Activate Application Builder to activate and use the Application Builder. The license takes effect when you restart LabVIEW.

You also can activate Application Builder by launching NI License Manager and selecting Start»All Programs»National Instruments»NI License Manager. Then select Application Builder for LabVIEW Base/Full/Student and click the Activate button.

LabVIEW Non-Activation Limitations

If you fail to activate the LabVIEW license, LabVIEW includes the following limitations:

• A 30-day time limit until the non-activated version expires—While not activated, LabVIEW prompts you to activate the product each time you launch it. You can continue to run LabVIEW in non-activated mode.
• An evaluation version watermark during the 30-day 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.
• Access to LabVIEW is dependent upon license activation.

If you attempt to launch LabVIEW after the 30-day period expires, LabVIEW prompts you to activate the product but can no longer run. You cannot uninstall and reinstall to gain another 30 days nor can you change your computer clock to gain more time.

After the 30-day period expires, the only way to continue using LabVIEW is to purchase LabVIEW and activate the license.