KTP 700 Basic: Resolving Project Upload Failure in TIA Portal

1. Problem Description

An attempt to retrieve a WinCC (TIA Portal) project from a SIMATIC KTP700 Basic panel using the menu Online > Upload from device (software) fails in one of two ways:

• The Upload from device (software) command is grayed out in the Online menu.
• The command is enabled, the Upload preview dialog opens, but no actions are listed, or the upload completes with an empty or non-editable result on the engineering station.

The engineer typically has only the panel in the field, no source archive on the engineering station (PG/PC), and needs to recover, modify, or re-deploy the visualization. This article classifies the failure mode, documents the supported Siemens recovery procedures, and lists every documented workaround for the case where a full back transfer is impossible.

2. KTP700 Basic Panel Variants and Order Numbers

Identify the exact panel variant before any recovery attempt. The KTP700 Basic product family comprises both PROFINET (PN) and PROFIBUS (DP) variants shipped under different MLFB (order) numbers and firmware streams.

The part number is printed on the rear label in the format 6AV2 123-2GB03-0AX0 and is also reported by the panel's system screen under System > Device > Device Version. Confirm the variant against the SIMATIC HMI Basic Panels operating instructions before proceeding.

3. Root Cause: Why "Upload from Device" Is Disabled

Two conditions must be met simultaneously for the Upload from device (software) command to be enabled in TIA Portal and to return a usable, editable project:

1. Device capability. The target HMI runtime must support back transfer. WinCC Basic on the KTP700 Basic does not expose a back-transfer function. The runtime image is compiled to an internal format that does not contain the editable TIA Portal source objects.
2. Downloader flag. On devices that do support back transfer (Comfort Panels, WinCC RT Advanced / Professional on PC runtimes), the original project must have been downloaded with the Back Transfer option enabled in the TIA Portal Download to device dialog. The runtime stores an encrypted project copy in the panel file system only when this flag is set.

If either condition is missing, the only supported way to recover a project is a binary backup image, which is non-editable. The panel cannot be coerced to expose an editable project via TIA Portal commands, registry tweaks, or firmware modifications, and any third-party tool claiming to do so is unsupported and may damage the panel file system. See the Siemens FAQ on back transfer of operator panel projects for the canonical statement.

4. Operation Comparison: Back Transfer vs. Backup vs. Restore

The backup format depends on the panel generation:

• KTP700 Basic 2nd Generation, V14 and higher: *.tzip archive, password-protected by default
• Older KTP700 Basic, V11–V13: *.bck or *.brk file

5. Required Cables and Physical Connection

The physical link between the engineering PG/PC and the panel must be established before any of the recovery procedures can run.

For PN variants, the panel's default IP address (when unset) is 0.0.0.0 and the device obtains an address via DCP. Use TIA Portal's Online > Accessible devices to discover the panel by PROFINET name; if the name is unknown, set the PG/PC adapter to "PN/IE" and let DCP resolve it. If the panel's IP is fixed, set the PG/PC in the same subnet (e.g. 192.168.0.1/24 for a panel at 192.168.0.10). See the Siemens FAQ on connector cables for SIMATIC Panels for cable details.

6. Procedure A – Backup a KTP700 Basic Project Image (Always Supported)

Backup is the only operation that always succeeds on a KTP700 Basic, regardless of how the project was originally downloaded. The image is non-editable but is sufficient for: cloning the panel to identical hardware, recovering to the same panel after a fault, or handing the runtime to a colleague for re-imaging.

6.1 Prerequisites

• USB stick formatted FAT32 (panel host USB supports USB 2.0 sticks up to 32 GB; exFAT is not supported on older firmware)
• For DP variants: PROFIBUS connection to PG/PC with the SIMATIC PC adapter drivers installed
• For PN variants: Ethernet connection and the panel's IP address or PROFINET device name
• TIA Portal V14 or higher (matching the panel firmware) with WinCC Basic installed

6.2 Step-by-step via the panel control panel

1. Insert the USB stick into the panel's host USB port.
2. Open the panel's control panel: Start (the Start button on the HMI) > Settings > Control Panel, or the system menu on devices without a Start button.
3. Open Backup / Restore.
4. Select the path: USB Storage\Siemens – create the \Siemens directory if it does not exist.
5. Select Backup.
6. Choose the contents: include the project file, recipe data, alarm logs, and any optional add-ons as needed.
7. Enter a backup password (recommended; required for tzip archives on V14+ panels). Use a password you can recover; there is no backdoor.
8. Confirm with OK. The panel writes a timestamped file of the form <panelname>_<yyyy-MM-dd HHmm>.tzip (or .bck on older firmware).
9. Wait for the "Backup successful" dialog. Do not remove the USB stick before the dialog closes.

6.3 Step-by-step via ProSave / TIA Portal

1. Connect the panel to the PG/PC (PN or DP cable as above).
2. Open Start > Siemens Automation > ProSave on the PG/PC, or open the panel in the TIA project tree and select Online > Backup.
3. Select the device type: KTP700 Basic.
4. Set the connection: PN/IE for PN panels, PROFIBUS for DP panels.
5. Select the panel by IP / PROFIBUS address. The panel's transfer password (set during image commissioning) is required for protected panels.
6. Choose the destination: USB stick on the panel, or Local file system on the PG/PC if a remote backup is required.
7. Set the file name and password.
8. Click Start Backup. The progress bar updates in real time; a 5 MB project typically takes 30–90 s on PROFINET, 1–3 min on PROFIBUS at 1.5 Mbit/s.

7. Procedure B – Back Transfer (Editable Upload) When the Original Project Was Prepared for It

If the original download was performed with the Back Transfer option enabled and the panel runtime is a WinCC RT Advanced / Professional on a Comfort Panel (or a PC-based runtime), the TIA Portal Upload from device (software) command is the recommended path. On a KTP700 Basic, this option is grayed out by design; the runtime does not contain the back-transfer shadow project. The procedure below is included for completeness when working on a Comfort Panel or PC-based runtime in the same TIA project, and to allow a quick verification that a different panel on the same site is recoverable.

1. Open the TIA Portal project on the engineering station, or create an empty project with the matching HMI device added.
2. From the project tree, expand the HMI device and select the device name node (not the project root).
3. Click Online > Upload from device (software).
4. If the command is grayed out, the panel does not support back transfer – switch to Procedure A.
5. If the command is enabled, the Upload preview dialog lists detected mismatches. Accept the proposed actions and click Upload from device.
6. When the upload completes, the device tree in TIA Portal is populated with the back-transferred project. Compile, save, and re-download as required.

8. Procedure C – Diagnose a Grayed-Out Upload Command

When Online > Upload from device (software) is grayed out, walk through the following checklist before declaring the panel unsupported:

1. Select the correct device node. The command is enabled only when an HMI device is selected in the project tree. Selecting the project root or the PLC node disables the command.
2. Establish a successful online connection first. The Online menu is context-sensitive. If the panel is offline (yellow triangle in the project tree), the upload is disabled.
3. Check the panel's transfer mode. On the panel, open the control panel and confirm that Transfer is enabled. If Transfer is set to Off or the panel is in commissioning mode with transfer disabled, TIA Portal cannot start a project transfer.
4. Match the device type. An upload from a KTP700 Basic returns grayed-out controls when the project tree contains a different HMI device (e.g. a TP700 Comfort). The MLFB must match.
5. Verify TIA Portal version. Each TIA Portal major release (V14, V15, V16, V17, V18, V19) maintains its own device description pool. If the project was created in V17 and you attempt to upload from a panel whose image was built in V14, the device descriptor may not be installed. Run the TIA Portal Device description repository update or install the matching HSP (Hardware Support Package).

9. Workarounds When Back Transfer Is Not Available

The following workarounds recover functionality without an editable TIA Portal source project. None of them re-creates the original project file.

9.1 Rebuild from the runtime image

Open the panel in TIA Portal's project view, attach a new HMI device of the same MLFB, then use Online > Backup to clone the existing image. The clone has the same screens, tags, and alarms but is bound to the new device name. Edit screens via the offline / online compare tool (TIA Portal V16+) or rebuild manually from the documentation.

9.2 Read the backup file as a flat directory

Rename the .tzip to .zip, supply the panel's backup password, and extract. The archive contains a structured set of XML and binary files (*.fwx, *.log, *.ldb) that can be inspected with a text editor for tag names, alarm texts, and screen layouts. This is for forensic recovery only – the files are not a TIA Portal source.

9.3 Restore to an identical panel and edit online

If a second KTP700 Basic of the same order number is available, restore the backup to the second unit, then open it in TIA Portal's Online mode and edit screens in place. Changes are written back to the panel only, not to a TIA Portal project on disk. Persist the changes by repeating Procedure A immediately after every edit session.

9.4 Procure the original TIA Portal archive

If the panel was commissioned by a system integrator, the integrator is the canonical source of the editable project. Request the most recent .zap15 / .zap16 / .zap17 / .zap18 / .zap19 archive (TIA Portal project file) from the integrator's version control system. The panel image is derived from this archive, not the other way around. Restoring this archive to a version control repository (e.g. Git LFS) is the only sustainable way to maintain a HMI project over the panel's life cycle.

10. Firmware, TIA Portal, and HSP Compatibility

Install the latest Hardware Support Package (HSP) matching the panel variant via TIA Portal > Options > Support Packages. A missing HSP is the most common reason an otherwise-supported panel is not listed in the TIA Portal Add new device dialog. Each TIA major release is tied to a specific HSP set; do not assume an HSP installed for V17 is present in V18.

11. Troubleshooting Matrix

12. Verification Checklist

After any recovery operation, perform the following to confirm the project is intact:

1. Open the recovered project in TIA Portal (if Procedure B succeeded) or open the panel in online mode (if Procedure A was used).
2. Compare the screen count, tag count, and alarm count with the documentation: Project tree > HMI device > Properties > Cross-references.
3. Run an Online > Compile > Software (rebuild all) to confirm no orphaned references.
4. Perform a full panel download to a spare panel of the same order number, power-cycle, and verify boot to the configured start screen.
5. Document the recovered project path, the source panel serial number, the operator who performed the recovery, and the date – in the project README and on the cabinet door.

13. Field-Proven Caveats

• Always use the same TIA Portal major version for the original download and the upload. A project downloaded with TIA V15.1 cannot be uploaded with TIA V16 without the matching HSP installed, and even with the HSP, internal device-description deltas may cause compile errors that mask the original project.
• The panel's transfer password (configured at first commissioning) is independent of the backup password. Resetting the transfer password requires a factory reset of the panel and erases all data.
• Backups taken on a V16 panel cannot be restored to a V14 panel – the runtime is incompatible. Match firmware versions when cloning.
• Do not interrupt a backup or restore by removing the USB stick. A partial file leaves the panel in an undefined state; recovery requires ProSave Restore with the original file path.
• The PG/PC Ethernet adapter used for PROFINET must be on a subnet that can reach the panel. If the panel is at 192.168.0.10/24 and the PG/PC is on a different subnet, add a secondary IP to the PG/PC adapter or use a switch with routing.
• The USB host port on the panel supplies 500 mA maximum. Bus-powered USB sticks larger than 32 GB sometimes fail to enumerate; use a self-powered hub or a smaller stick.
• Antivirus software on the PG/PC can intercept PROFINET DCP frames (UDP 34964) and break Accessible devices. Add a permanent exception for the TIA Portal and ProSave executables.
• Project source files stored only on the engineering station are a single point of failure. Archive the TIA Portal project (and any referenced HMI device-specific add-ons) to a version control repository on every download to the panel.

FAQ