Installing WinCC V7.2 Update 5 and Resolving Alarm Logging

Overview

Siemens WinCC V7.2 is a 32-bit SCADA/HMI platform that supports server-client, redundant, and multi-user topologies. Cumulative Update 5 is the latest consolidated patch package for the V7.2 base release and can be installed directly on top of the original media image without requiring sequential installation of Updates 1 through 4. This reference documents the correct update procedure for WinCC V7.2 and WinCC V7.2 ASIA, the runtime activation sequence after an Engineering Station (ES) download, and the root-cause resolution for the alarm logging status hang at 53% ("Initializing Archive management").

The official delivery channel for Update 5 is the Siemens Industry Online Support portal entry Update 5 for WinCC V7.2 and WinCC V7.2 ASIA (ID 85285640). Operators must verify installed components through Control Panel → Programs and Features before deploying any update.

Affected Versions and Components

Update 5 for WinCC V7.2 / V7.2 ASIA targets the following base components:

Prerequisites Before Installing Update 5

1. Verify the current installed WinCC V7.2 build through Control Panel → Programs and Features. Note all installed WinCC components: WinCC RT, WinCC Configuration, WinCC ASIA Runtime, Connectivity Pack, WebNavigator, DataMonitor, and any add-ons.
2. Close all WinCC projects on the Engineering Station, the Server, and every connected Client. Deactivate runtime on every node.
3. Stop the WinCC services: CCAgent, CCEServer, CCArchiveConn, CCMsgQueue, and the WinCC_SQL_<INSTANCE> SQL service.
4. Back up the WinCC project directories (\<project>\) and the SQL archive databases (default: CC_<projectname>_R and CC_<projectname>_ALG) using SQL Management Studio.
5. Confirm that the WinCC installation media or source path matches the language of the installed base (English vs. ASIA). Mismatched locales will cause the update to abort with dependency errors.
6. Ensure that the local user account has administrator privileges and that User Account Control (UAC) is set to "Never notify" for the duration of the install.

Direct Installation Procedure (Update 5 Over V7.2 Base)

The cumulative nature of Update 5 means it bundles all prior fixes for V7.2 into a single archive. Sequential installation of Updates 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 is not required. Confirm the package contents in the readme shipped inside the self-extracting archive before launching setup.

1. Download the self-extracting archive (WinCC_V72_Update5.exe) from Siemens Support entry 85285640 to a local folder.
2. Launch the archive and extract to a working directory such as C:\Temp\WinCC_V72_U5\. Do not extract over a network share; local-disk extraction prevents I/O errors during the MS Installer (MSI) phase.
3. From the extracted folder, run Setup.exe with elevated rights. The Siemens Setup launcher will detect the existing V7.2 base and present Update 5 as a maintenance install.
4. Select the WinCC components to update. By default, all components installed under V7.2 are selected. Add or remove optional components to match the desired target state.
5. Accept the license agreement and proceed. The installer will update shared DLLs, the SQL instance hooks, the redundancy configuration binaries, and the localized message databases.
6. Reboot the machine when prompted. The SQL Service account password and the WinCC project paths are preserved across the update.

Root Cause: Alarm Logging Runtime Hang at 53-5% ("Initializing Archive Management")

A common field symptom on multi-project WinCC V7.2 systems is that the Runtime window opens, the alarm status indicator climbs to approximately 53%, displays the message "Initializing Archive management", and then halts indefinitely. Runtime never enters the active state, the alarm list remains empty, and the client connections time out.

The hang occurs because Alarm Logging maintains the message archive segments and incoming-alarm buffers in the SQL backend. After new alarms are added on the ES and the project is downloaded to the server, the SQL archive schema must be regenerated. If the OS Project Editor has not been re-run against the modified project, the runtime attempts to mount an archive whose segment table does not match the ES-published configuration, blocking initialization at the archive connection phase. Additionally, if any HMI Client still holds an open, activated Runtime that was started against the prior archive schema, the SQL service will refuse to release the archive locks, causing the server-side initialization to deadlock.

Diagnostic Checklist

Resolution: Correct Activation Procedure After ES Download

When additional alarms are added to a multiproject Alarm Logging configuration on the Engineering Station and the project is downloaded to the Server, the activation must follow a deterministic sequence to avoid the 53% archive-management hang.

1. Deactivate every Client. On each Client PC, open the active WinCC Runtime and click the Deactivate button. Confirm the WinCC Explorer on every Client shows no active project. This releases archive-handle locks on the server-side SQL store.
2. Deactivate the Server Runtime. Stop the WinCC Server Runtime. The alarm status should drop to "Deactivated". Do not exit the project; leave the project loaded so the download target exists.
3. Run OS Project Editor on the ES. Open WinCC Explorer on the ES, select the server node, and choose OS Project Editor → Run. This regenerates the OS<ServerName>.ini, the computer list, and the runtime service parameters. It is mandatory whenever the multiproject structure changes (new alarms, new PLC nodes, new clients).
4. Perform a complete download with memory reset. From the ES, right-click the Server node and select Download → Complete Download with Memory Reset. This operation rebuilds the runtime image, regenerates the picture tree, and rewrites the SQL archive schema. Accept the prompt that the runtime will be restarted on the target. If the Server project was deactivated, ES will activate it after the download completes.
5. Verify archive initialization. Watch the alarm status indicator. It should progress through the segments without halting. A clean transition takes the indicator past 53% to 100% and into the active state within 30–90 seconds, depending on archive size.
6. Activate Clients in sequence. Once the Server Runtime is fully active, start the Runtime on Client 1. Confirm the alarm list populates and the connection indicator is green. Then activate Client 2. Avoid activating clients in parallel; staggered activation prevents lock contention on the CC_<project>_ALG database during segment sealing.

Storing Operator Input and Operator Request Messages in the Incoming Alarm List

Operator Input (OperatorInput) and Operator Request (OperatorRequest) message types are typically routed to a separate logging view to prevent operator acknowledgements from polluting the process alarm log. By default these message types are excluded from the Incoming Alarm List, which is why they do not appear in the standard alarm table on the runtime HMI.

To capture them for audit, troubleshooting, or regulatory review, configure the alarm view filter rather than re-routing the message class itself.

1. In WinCC Explorer on the ES, open Alarm Logging → Message Classes. Note that OperatorInput and OperatorRequest are message types rather than classes; their parent class is normally System.
2. Open the WinCC graphics designer and select the Alarm Control (AlarmOCX) on the picture.
3. In the Alarm Control Configuration dialog, select the Message Lists tab and add a new view (e.g., "Operator Messages").
4. Define a Selection that matches the message type filter. The SQL filter expression is: MSGTYP IN (5, 6) where 5 = OperatorInput and 6 = OperatorRequest in the V7.2 message type enumeration.
5. Enable Archive in the message class configuration so the messages are persisted in CC_<project>_ALG. Without archive enablement the messages appear only in the active runtime memory.
6. Compile the project, run the OS Project Editor, and perform a complete download with memory reset so the archive and the AlarmOCX view schema are regenerated together.

For historical retrieval outside of the live AlarmOCX, query the archive database directly:

SELECT DateTime, MsgNr, MsgText, UserName, ComputerName
FROM CC_<projectname>_ALG.dbo.ARCHIVE
WHERE MsgTyp IN (5, 6)
  AND DateTime BETWEEN '<start>' AND '<end>'
ORDER BY DateTime DESC;

Verification Steps After Update and Alarm Configuration

1. Confirm Update 5 version on every node: Programs and Features → WinCC entries read 7.2.0.5 (or shipped Update 5 build).
2. Open a WinCC sample project on the Server, activate Runtime, and verify that the alarm status indicator reaches 100% within two minutes.
3. Trigger a test alarm from the PLC simulation. Confirm it appears in the Incoming Alarm List and is archived in CC_<project>_ALG.
4. Trigger an OperatorInput from the HMI; verify it now appears in the configured "Operator Messages" view with the user name and source workstation captured.
5. Activate Client 1, then Client 2. Confirm no archive deadlock and that segment sealing completes without SQL error 1205 (deadlock victim).
6. Review the Windows Event Viewer Application log for entries from SCRIPTLOG.TXT, AlarmLoggingRT, and SQL Server. No errors should be present during the first 10 minutes of operation.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Best Practices for Multi-Project WinCC V7.2 Environments

• Always apply WinCC V7.2 patches to the Engineering Station and all Runtime nodes from the same Update 5 archive to prevent cross-version incompatibility.
• Schedule ES-driven downloads during planned downtime. Any modification to the multiproject Alarm Logging configuration—including adding a single message—requires the OS Project Editor to be re-run.
• Maintain a documented Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Client deactivation → Server deactivation → ES edit → OS Project Editor → Complete Download → Server activation → Client activation. Field experience confirms this sequence eliminates the 53% archive-management hang.
• Exclude the WinCC project directory and the SQL Server DATA and LOG paths from real-time antivirus scanning. On-access AV scans against .mdf / .ldf files frequently produce archive lock failures during initialization.
• Use the WinCC ServiceMode entry in CCEServer.ini to enable automatic runtime restart after a recoverable fault. This avoids manual intervention on unmanned sites.
• For audit-grade retention of OperatorInput and OperatorRequest messages, set archive segment retention to at least the regulatory minimum and export the CC_<project>_ALG database nightly to a write-once store.

Related Documentation

Refer to the Siemens support entry Update 5 for WinCC V7.2 and WinCC V7.2 ASIA (ID 85285640) for the package contents, supported operating systems (Windows 7 SP1, Windows Server 2008 R2), and the readme prerequisites. For upgrade planning to a newer major release, also review Updates for WinCC V7.5 SP2 and WinCC V7.5 SP2 ASIA (ID 109793460), which describes the same delivery mechanism for the V7.5 line and provides a forward migration baseline for systems approaching end-of-life for the V7.2 product stream.