Backing Up WinCC Flexible Recipes with ProSave: Step-by-Step

Overview

Recipe handling is one of the most fragile areas of any WinCC Flexible Runtime installation. Operators edit recipe records on the panel every shift, the values live in volatile flash or external storage, and the moment a commissioning engineer transfers a new project to the panel the runtime erases the recipe directory and rewrites it with the default records compiled into the project. The result is silent data loss with no warning dialog: an event frequently reported on WinCC Flexible 2008 SP2 (Runtime version 1.4.0.0) and earlier lines such as WinCC Flexible 2007 / 2008.

ProSave is the Siemens service tool bundled with the WinCC Flexible / TIA Portal installation set. It performs panel-side backup and restore operations independent of the engineering project, producing a single encrypted .psb file that contains the full image of the panel: project, recipe data, user administration, alarm logs, and the runtime license file. For recipe-only recovery, the same workflow applies, and ProSave is the only Siemens-supported method for reloading a .psb archive to a panel of the same type.

This article walks through the complete lifecycle: identifying the recipe file layout on the panel, performing a backup with ProSave, the alternative manual file copy approach, restoring the .psb archive, and verifying that the recipe data is intact.

Prerequisites

• WinCC Flexible 2008 SP2 (Engineering) or later on the configuration PC. ProSave ships in the same installation package; the standalone installer is also located in the DVD at Support\ProSave.
• ProSave version matched to the target panel firmware. Mixing ProSave versions across panel generations (e.g., ProSave from 2008 SP2 against a Comfort Panel) typically produces a Firmware / image version mismatch on restore.
• One of the supported physical or logical connections between the PC and the panel:
  • Ethernet (TCP/IP) – panels with onboard PROFINET interface (TP177B PN, MP277, MP377, all Comfort Panels)
  • MPI / PROFIBUS – using a PC adapter such as the CP 5512, CP 5611, CP 5613, or USB-to-MPI adapter 6ES7972-0CB20-0XA0
  • USB (Type B, mini-USB) – on TP/OP 177B, MP277, MP377, Comfort Panels
  • Serial RS-232 / RS-422 – legacy panels (TP170A/B, OP170B) using a null-modem or PC/PPI cable
• Configured transfer channel on the panel side. On the panel, open Control Panel > Transfer (or OP / TP Settings > Transfer on legacy panels) and ensure the chosen channel is enabled and the IP / node address matches the configuration PC.
• Local administrator rights on the configuration PC (ProSave writes to %ProgramData%\Siemens\Automation\ProSave and to the registry hive HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\ProSave).

Understanding the Recipe File Structure on the Panel

Recipe data is not stored inside the runtime executable. Each recipe defined in the WinCC Flexible project is persisted as a directory on the panel's internal flash or on the configured external storage medium. The directory name and the files inside follow a fixed convention, and a single recipe can produce the following file pattern (typical example from a 2008 SP2 project):

The leading PTRCP_ is the Siemens internal recipe prefix; RECEIPE_1 is the recipe name as typed in the WinCC Flexible project (note the misspelling of "Recipe" in the source project, which is preserved in the file name by the runtime). Recipe directories are located on the panel under one of the following paths depending on the storage location configured in the recipe properties:

The exact path is shown on the panel itself under Main Menu > Settings > Recipe Settings > Storage Path, or on Windows-based panels under the Runtime Loader configuration page. Write this path down before you trigger a project transfer; if the path is not backed up, recipe data is destroyed the moment the new project image is unpacked.

Step-by-Step: Backing Up Recipes with ProSave

The official Siemens procedure is documented in support entry 109011420 – Backing up recipe data and user administration (WinCC flexible). The condensed workflow is:

1. Launch ProSave. Open Start > Siemens Automation > ProSave, or run Prosave.exe directly from the WinCC Flexible install directory. The version banner must match the panel target – a 2008 SP2 panel needs a 2008 SP2 ProSave.
2. Select the device type. Open the General tab. From the Device type dropdown, select the exact panel model (for example, TP 177B 6" color PN/DP or MP 277 10" Touch). Selecting the wrong device type causes ProSave to abort with "The selected device type does not match the connected device" at the next step.
3. Configure the connection. Choose the connection type in the Connection field:
   • Ethernet – enter the panel's IP address and the PC network adapter IP. Both must be on the same subnet, and the panel port 102 (PROFINET) and 5001 (transfer) must be reachable.
   • MPI / PROFIBUS – select the PC adapter (CP 5512, CP 5611, CP 5613), set your own node address, and the panel's MPI/PB address. Default baudrate 187.5 kbps for legacy panels, 1.5 Mbps for newer PN/DP panels.
   • USB – plug in the USB cable, the panel enumerates automatically on most WinCC Flexible 2008 SP2 panels.
4. Open the Backup tab. Click Backup in the left tree. Tick the Recipes option and, if desired, User administration. The available options are:
   • Recipes – recipe data records and variable definition files
   • User administration – passwords, group rights, login data
   • Project data – the compiled runtime image (large; usually not needed for recipe-only backup)
5. Choose the file name and destination. The default file extension is *.psb. The path can be on local disk, a network share, or a USB stick. The file name should be panel-and-date specific, e.g. MP277_LINE3_2024-11-12.psb.
6. Start the backup. Click Start Backup. ProSave opens a transfer session, authenticates with the panel, reads the selected objects, and writes the .psb file. Progress is shown in the status bar. A 50 KB recipe directory finishes in well under 10 seconds on Ethernet; project-image backups can run for several minutes.
7. Confirm completion. ProSave writes "Backup completed successfully" to the log window. Open the destination folder and verify the .psb file exists, has a non-zero size, and the timestamp is current.

Step-by-Step: Manual Backup Alternative

For Windows-based panels (WinCC flexible Runtime running on Windows XP Embedded / Windows 7 Embedded) and for non-encrypted recipe directories on CE panels, you can skip ProSave entirely and copy the recipe folder directly from the panel. The advantage is a human-readable backup; the disadvantage is that the directory cannot be reloaded via ProSave – it has to be copied back to the same path on the same panel.

1. Open the panel's file system. From the Runtime Loader window, note the working directory. On Windows-CE panels, connect via ActiveSync (Windows XP) or Windows Mobile Device Center (Windows 7). On Windows-based panels, enable SMB file sharing or use a remote desktop session.
2. Browse to the storage path identified earlier (e.g., \Flash\Recipes or the configured network share).
3. Copy the entire recipe folder, including the .DAT, .VDF, and any .VDF.bak files, to a directory on the configuration PC. Example: D:\HMI_Backups\LINE3_2024-11-12\.
4. Verify file sizes. If a .DAT file is 0 KB, the recipe directory is empty (no operator edits performed) or the data was already lost.
5. Document the path. When restoring, the files must be placed back in the exact same path on the same panel model, or the runtime will not recognize them as valid recipe records.

Use this method only as a secondary safety net. Always keep a ProSave .psb as the primary recovery artifact because only the .psb can be restored through the standard ProSave workflow.

Step-by-Step: Restoring Recipes to the HMI

Restoring is the reverse of the backup procedure. The critical restriction is that the panel receiving the restore must be the same type and ideally the same firmware as the one that produced the .psb file. Restoring across panel types will fail at the device-type check.

1. Open ProSave and select the same Device type used during backup.
2. Configure the same connection parameters and confirm the panel is reachable (the status line shows "Connection established").
3. Switch to the Restore tab.
4. Select the .psb file in the File field.
5. Tick the Recipes option (and User administration if the original backup included it). ProSave's Restore dialog lets you choose which objects to reload; the runtime merges the selected objects with the existing project state.
6. Click Start Restore. The panel automatically reboots into Transfer mode, downloads the .psb, and restarts into Runtime.
7. Wait for the runtime main screen to appear. Do not interrupt the panel during the reboot cycle; pulling power during a restore can corrupt the flash and require a full image reload.
8. Open the recipe view on the panel and confirm the data records are present. Cross-check a known operator value (a serial number, a batch count, or a specific data record number) against the value that existed before the loss event.

Verifying the Backup and Restore

A .psb is a binary blob and cannot be diffed. Verification must be done on the panel after the restore, with the following checklist:

Recipe Storage Path and Project Transfer Pitfalls

The data loss event that motivates most ProSave backups is a project retransfer. When WinCC Flexible transfers a new project image to the panel, the runtime unpacks the image into flash and reinitializes the recipe directory from the records embedded in the project. Operator-edited records on the panel are overwritten in the process. To prevent this:

• Always back up with ProSave immediately before any project transfer. The transfer dialog in WinCC Flexible has no built-in recipe backup step.
• If the recipe storage location is configured as a network share or external USB, the recipe files survive the transfer – but only if the path remains valid and writable. A disconnected share is silently treated as a failure and the runtime falls back to internal flash, which is then overwritten.
• Avoid editing recipe tags in the engineering project between backup and restore without also backing up the engineering project. The .psb carries recipe data records, not the project structure; if the project has been re-tagged, the records will not line up.
• On Windows-based panels, set the runtime to start in read-only recipe mode during commissioning to prevent accidental overwrites. This is a runtime property under Recipe > Properties > Synchronization.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Cross-Reference: ProSave vs WinCC Comfort/Advanced Backup

Customers migrating from WinCC flexible to the TIA Portal environment (WinCC Comfort / Advanced / Professional) will find a very similar workflow. The TIA Portal integrates the ProSave functionality as the Backup / Restore option on the panel's online menu. The .psb file extension is preserved, but a .psb from a Comfort Panel cannot be restored to a flexible panel and vice-versa – the panel generation identifier is embedded in the header. Always keep a per-generation backup set rather than a single project-wide backup.

FAQ