Install the .inf Files and USB Device

The .inf file installation is different for each version of Windows. When the NI-VISA Driver Wizard creates a .inf file, installation instructions are included in a header at the top of the .inf file. Because .inf files are ASCII text files, any text editor such as Notepad can read them. For detailed information about installing your .inf file, open your .inf file in a text editor and follow the instructions at the top of the file.

To install the .inf files and USB device on Windows XP/2000, follow these steps:

1. Copy the .inf file to the inf folder. On Windows XP, this folder is usually at C:\Windows\inf. On Windows 2000, this folder is usually at C:\WINNT\inf. This folder may be hidden, so you may need to change your folder options to view hidden files.
2. Right-click on the .inf file in C:\Windows\inf and click Install. This process creates a PNF file for your device. You are now ready to install your USB device.
3. Connect your USB device. Because USB is hot pluggable, Windows should detect your USB device, and the Add New Hardware Wizard should open automatically as soon as you connect your device to the USB port. Follow the onscreen instructions for the wizard. When you are prompted to select a driver for this device, browse to the inf folder and select the .inf file you created using the driver wizard.

To install the .inf files and USB device on Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on the .inf file with the vista suffix (for example, myusbdevice_vista.inf) and click Install. This process creates a PNF file for your device. You are now ready to install your USB device.
2. Connect your USB device. Because USB is hot pluggable, Windows should detect your USB device, and the Found New Hardware Wizard should open automatically as soon as you connect your device to the USB port. Choose Locate and Install Driver Software. Follow the onscreen instructions for the wizard.

Proceed to the next step, Test Communication with VISA Interactive Control.