Fixing S7-1200 Failsafe Kit Error 0086:00300 License Not Found

1. Problem Summary

An engineer purchases the SIMATIC S7-1200 failsafe starter kit, installs TIA Portal from the trial download because no installation media ships with the kit, programs the CPU successfully during the 21-day evaluation window, and then receives a hard stop when the trial expires:

License 'STEP 7 Basic' was not found   (0086:00300)

Automation License Manager (ALM) shows a single, valid STEP 7 Safety Basic 16.0 license — yet the project will not open and the F-CPU cannot be configured. The kit's paperwork mentions two certificates (STEP 7 Safety Basic V16 and SIMATIC OPC UA S7-1200 Basic) but the second certificate has no corresponding USB license key, leaving the user unsure whether a second USB stick is missing or whether the OPC UA sheet is informational only.

2. Decoding Error Code 0086:00300

The error is reported by the TIA Portal license check layer (Automation License Manager API). Siemens license errors are structured as (Class:Number) where the high-order class identifies the failing subsystem.

The error is identical whether the missing license is:

• a never-installed full license,
• an expired trial license,
• a license on a USB stick that is not currently inserted,
• a license on a license server that is unreachable.

Therefore the troubleshooting path is identical for all four cases: verify what licenses are installed, identify the gap, and install/transfer/import the missing key.

3. Starter Kit 6ES7212-1HF42-4YB1 — What Ships in the Box

The failsafe starter kit is documented in Siemens support entry 109776862 and ordered via the Siemens Industry Mall. It is intentionally a thin-bundled "entry package":

4. License Architecture: STEP 7 Basic vs. STEP 7 Safety Basic

TIA Portal licenses are organized as independent slots. A Safety license does not bundle or substitute for the base license it extends.

If you only hold the Safety license, TIA Portal will:

1. start under the trial license during the 21-day evaluation window,
2. accept the Safety license for safety-related operations,
3. fail to start after the trial expires with 0086:00300, because the STEP 7 Basic slot is empty.

The kit brochure and many third-party resellers describe the package as a "complete starter kit," which is why this confusion is endemic for first-time buyers.

5. Root Cause of the 0086:00300 Failure

Three contributing factors combine to produce the failure:

1. Trial mode used because no installation media ships with the kit. The user installs TIA V16 from the Siemens trial download (SIOS 109772803). TIA runs for 21 days under a built-in trial license.
2. Only Safety Basic license ships with the kit. The kit includes one USB stick containing the STEP 7 Safety Basic V16 key. The base STEP 7 Basic license is not included and is not implied by the Safety license.
3. Trial expiry. On day 22, the trial license is revoked. TIA's startup license check finds the STEP 7 Basic slot empty and raises 0086:00300.

The OPC UA S7-1200 Basic certificate in the box is a paper-only certificate; it must be redeemed via Siemens' Online Software Delivery (OSD) portal to obtain a CoL/USB key. Even after redemption, it is a CPU runtime option, not a TIA Portal base license, so it does not address the 0086:00300 error.

6. Why the OPC UA S7-1200 Basic Paper Certificate Is Not the Missing License

Many users assume the second sheet "SIMATIC OPC UA S7-1200 Basic" must be the missing STEP 7 Basic license because there are exactly two pieces of paper in the box. It is not:

• The OPC UA certificate is delivered as a paper Certificate of License, not a USB stick, because the OPC UA option is a per-CPU runtime option that is bound to a specific CPU serial number when redeemed.
• The order number on the sheet cannot be used to obtain STEP 7 Basic — it is tied to the OPC UA option in OSD.
• If you check the OSD portal after entering the CoL number, you will see an OPC UA license, not a TIA license.

You are not missing a second USB stick. The OPC UA sheet is informational and serves only as evidence of entitlement for the OPC UA runtime option.

7. Diagnostic Procedure in Automation License Manager (ALM)

Before assuming the missing license, verify exactly what is and is not installed:

1. Open Automation License Manager from the Windows Start menu (Siemens Automation → Automation License Manager).
2. In the left pane, select Local (the PC's C: drive license vault).
3. Scroll the right pane. Confirm whether STEP 7 Basic 16.00 is present.
4. Insert the USB license stick delivered with the kit. Select USB stick in the left pane. The ALM should display STEP 7 Safety Basic 16.00 as a valid, unused key.
5. If the USB stick is not seen at all, check whether the USB port is blocked by group policy, or try a different port. The ALM does not require elevated privileges for read access, but license transfer does.
6. If the USB key is visible, right-click it and choose Transfer → Local to move the Safety Basic license onto the PC's local license store.
7. Re-check the Local pane. You should now see STEP 7 Safety Basic 16.00. The STEP 7 Basic 16.00 slot will still be empty — confirming the diagnosis.

ALM screen layout (text reference):

+---------------------------------------------------------+
| Automation License Manager                              |
|                                                         |
| [Local]        STEP 7 Safety Basic 16.00   [valid]     |
| [USB stick]    (empty after transfer)                   |
| [Network]      (no license server configured)           |
+---------------------------------------------------------+

8. Resolution Paths

There are three valid ways out of the 0086:00300 failure. Choose based on budget, license type, and deployment.

8.1 Purchase the missing STEP 7 Basic license (recommended)

Order a standalone STEP 7 Basic V16 license through the Siemens Industry Mall. Typical order numbers in the V16 family (verify current availability on the Mall — Siemens occasionally re-bundles these):

Once received, plug the USB stick in, open ALM, transfer the key from USB to Local, restart TIA Portal. The 0086:00300 error disappears and the previously installed Safety Basic license continues to function.

8.2 Use a license server (multi-user / fleet)

If your facility already runs a Siemens license server (floating license model), ask the license administrator to assign both STEP 7 Basic V16 and STEP 7 Safety Basic V16 to your user account. TIA Portal will check the server on launch and pull the licenses transparently. Verify with:

ALM → "Connect to License Server" → enter server name/IP
ALM → "Network" pane → confirm both licenses visible

8.3 Subscribe / use the latest TIA version

If the project does not strictly need V16, consider purchasing a current TIA Portal subscription (e.g. V18 or later). Subscriptions bundle STEP 7 Basic, STEP 7 Safety Basic (where applicable), WinCC, PLCSim, and OSD-based upgrades for a fixed annual term. Verify on the Mall that the subscription includes the safety option you need for the F-CPU.

9. License Transfer Procedure (Detailed)

Use the Automation License Manager for all license movements. The CLI alternative is almsrv.exe, but most field work is GUI-based.

1. Close TIA Portal completely (background processes keep license handles).
2. Insert the USB license stick.
3. Launch Automation License Manager as a user with write access to %ProgramData%\Siemens\Automation\.
4. Select USB stick in the left pane. Confirm the target license (e.g. STEP 7 Basic 16.00.00) is listed and not in use.
5. Right-click the license → Transfer license → Local drive.
6. Wait for the green status indicator. A red icon means write failure — usually an IT policy, antivirus quarantine, or insufficient disk space in %ProgramData%.
7. Remove the USB stick. Re-open ALM, select Local, verify the license is now locally stored.
8. Launch TIA Portal. Confirm that the title bar no longer shows "(Trial)" and that the splash screen lists STEP 7 Basic and STEP 7 Safety Basic as licensed features.

10. Verification — Confirming the Fix

After installing the missing license and restarting TIA Portal, perform these checks:

1. Title bar: No "(Trial)" suffix; no warning banner on startup.
2. Help → About: Lists STEP 7 Basic V16.xx.xx as licensed. Safety Basic should also show as licensed.
3. Project open: Existing project with the F-CPU opens without prompting for license. F-CPU configuration dialog accepts changes without the "Safety license required" warning.
4. ALM summary: Both STEP 7 Basic and STEP 7 Safety Basic listed under Local with green checkmark.
5. Offline compile: Compile the safety program. No 0086:00300 or related license warnings in the compile log.
6. Online download: Connect to the F-CPU and download the project. Safety signature is generated and accepted.

11. Common Pitfalls and Field-Proven Caveats

12. Prevention for New Buyers

If you are evaluating a Siemens starter kit for the first time, do this before purchase:

1. Read the kit's "Scope of delivery" section in the support entry (e.g. 109776862) — it lists every USB stick, every CoL, every DVD.
2. Confirm whether TIA Portal installation media is included. If not, plan to download TIA (trial or purchased) from SIOS.
3. Budget for the STEP 7 Basic license if the kit does not explicitly state "STEP 7 Basic included." Standard failsafe starter kits do not include it.
4. Decide between a perpetual license and a TIA subscription. Subscriptions remove the "missing piece" ambiguity because they bundle options.
5. Activate licenses immediately after purchase, not after first use. The 21-day trial clock starts on first TIA launch, not on first project open.

13. Escalation Path

If, after walking through sections 7–10, the issue persists, open a support request through Siemens Technical Support. Include:

• TIA Portal version (Help → About → "TIA Portal information")
• ALM screenshot showing both Local and USB panes
• Exact order numbers from the kit invoice
• The text of the 0086:00300 dialog
• Whether the original purchase was direct from Siemens or a distributor

For community help, post the ALM screenshot (with license keys redacted) on the official Siemens forum — never share license key text or CoL numbers publicly.

14. Standards and Documentation References

• SIOS 109772803 — TIA Portal V16 trial download
• SIOS 109776862 — S7-1200 failsafe starter kit entry
• Siemens Industry Mall — kit 6ES7212-1HF42-4YB1
• Siemens Technical Support request portal
• SIMATIC S7-1200 Programmable Controller system manual (SIOS entry 91696622) — license section
• SIMATIC STEP 7 Safety Configuring and Programming manual (SIOS entry 109751674) — Safety licensing model

15. FAQ