All of the files required to install CaLIGHTs on a windows computer are contained in a single zip file called CaLights setup.zip. When you open this zip you will see that it contains the following files…
If you double-click on the CaLights setup.exe file a dialog box appears
Select “Extract all” and either use the default location supplied or choose a location. Once all the files are extracted you should double-click on the CaLights setup.exe file to begin the installation.
Microsoft Defender has noticed that this is not a recognized app. You need to click on the “More info” text and then click on the “Run anyway” button. This alert box does not mean there is a virus…this is a simple warning message to ensure that you want to install this software. If everyone was an astrophotographer I would suspect that Microsoft would recognize my app.
Windows will pop-up yet another alert dialog box as an “Are you really sure you want to do this???” Clicking on the “Yes” button begins the installation.
Finally the CaLIGHTs installer begins to run.
The installer will run for a few seconds and then this dialog box appears asking where CaLIGHTs should be installed. I strongly suggest you keep these default locations. CaLIGHTs is written using a computer language called LabVIEW which is licensed by National Instruments. The LabVIEW language requires the one time installation of a Run-Time Engine. Click the “Next” button to continue.
The installer now lists what software is to be installed. Click the “Next” button to install the files. Once the CaLIGHT files are installed, further dialog boxes will appear prompting you to install the National Instruments Labview 2019 Run-Time Engine. These files are required so you must install them. I have the run-time engine installed on my computer plus a full software development system and I dreaded uninstalling all of that software just so I could screen capture the Run-Time Engine installation dialog boxes. Please accept all the defaults and click the “Next” button(s).
CaLIGHTs will place an icon on your desktop. Double-click the icon to run CaLIGHTs.