ProTool Pro V6 Installation, Licensing, and WinCC Migration

Overview

Siemens ProTool and ProTool/Pro are the legacy HMI configuration suites used to program the operator panel families that preceded WinCC Flexible and TIA Portal. Although Siemens formally declared the product line obsolete and removed the master installer from public download channels, a large installed base of TP27, OP17, OP27, OP37, TP170A, TP170B, MP270, and MP370 devices remains in active service across process and manufacturing plants. Engineering teams supporting those panels still need a functioning copy of ProTool V6.0 with Service Pack 3 (or SP1a for older patch levels) to edit, compile, and download projects, and to flash the ProTool/Pro Runtime image onto the panel.

This reference documents the legitimate recovery, installation, and migration paths for engineering groups that hold a valid license but have lost the original installation media or whose copies no longer function. It addresses the real situations encountered in plant environments: reactivation of a license whose authorization has been lost, installation of ProTool V6 on Windows 7 64-bit (the last Windows generation that can host the product reliably), migration of legacy projects to WinCC Flexible 2008 SP5 and on into TIA Portal, and the recipe-function compatibility issues that engineers consistently encounter during conversion.

ProTool Product Family and Version Architecture

The ProTool family consists of three SKU tiers that share a common configuration kernel but differ in target panel set and editing surface:

The configuration files for all three tiers share the .pdb project extension and a common compiler. A project built in ProTool/Lite can be opened and recompiled by ProTool/Pro without loss, but the reverse is not always true: if the project uses ProAgent diagnostic scripts, ProTool/Pro-only tag types, or extended recipe structures, opening it in ProTool/Lite will either fail to load or silently drop features. When handing a project to a colleague, confirm that the receiving engineer's install tier matches the project tier.

The release history of interest to legacy support teams is:

• ProTool V5.x - last release supporting Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 98; recommended for the OP3/OP5/OP7/OP15/OP17 device generation where V6 compatibility is poor.
• ProTool V6.0 - the canonical release for Windows 2000 and Windows XP; introduced TP170A and OP170 targets.
• ProTool V6.0 SP1 / SP1a - incremental patches, with SP1a still distributable as a free download from Siemens (entry ID 11772575). The SP1a download is approximately 180 MB and patches all three tiers in place.
• ProTool V6.0 SP2 - added MP270B and MP370 device support; included early fixes for ProAgent motion diagnostics.
• ProTool V6.0 SP3 - the final service pack, mandatory for Windows XP SP2/SP3 hosts and the de-facto baseline for any modern Windows compatibility work.

Siemens never released a V6.0 SP4. SP3 is the terminal release, and projects compiled under SP3 will not load in earlier service packs because the on-disk .pdb format was bumped in SP3. When recovering media, SP3 is therefore the target of choice. Earlier patch levels should be avoided for new deployments, although they remain useful for opening very old projects whose authors never upgraded.

Supported HMI Devices and Lifecycle

ProTool V6.0 SP3 is the terminal configuration environment for the following Siemens operator panel families, all of which are now in the obsolete phase of the Siemens product lifecycle:

Siemens policy is a 10-year product lifecycle: 5 years of active sales, followed by 5 years of spare-parts and support availability. After that, the product is declared obsolete. The OP3 through MP370 generations, and ProTool V6 itself, are all past the support horizon. New panel purchases are not possible; field replacements for the OP17, TP27, OP27, and OP37 in particular must come from refurbished inventory, and the supply is dwindling.

This lifecycle reality is the root cause of the software supply problem: there is no current sales channel for the ProTool V6 media, only a license. The license, however, is perpetual and remains valid even though the product is obsolete. Siemens will reactivate it on request from the original licensee, but they will not redistribute the media indiscriminately.

License Authorization and Reactivation Procedures

ProTool V6.0 uses the Siemens Automation License Manager (ALM) concept introduced in parallel with STEP 7 V5.x. The license is bound either to a specific license key dongle (USB or parallel, depending on generation) or, more commonly for V6.0, to a Certificate of License (CoL) plus a software authorization file. The relevant authorization files are the legacy AUTOH~1.TXT plus the SINEC*.KEY key file, or, in the ALM era, the *.zip container with the ALM license key.

If the original authorization is missing, it is possible to have Siemens reissue the authorization. The procedure is:

1. Locate the Certificate of License (paper document shipped with the original media). It carries the license number, the authorized computer number, and the product name (e.g. "6AV6 813-0AA01-0AA0 ProTool/Pro V6.0").
2. Contact the local Siemens Industry Online Support hotline or the regional Siemens distributor. Provide the CoL number, the original purchaser company name, and a contact for verification.
3. Siemens Support regenerates the authorization file against the original license record and either emails the new SINEC*.KEY (legacy) or exports a *.zip container with the ALM license key.
4. Install the new key on the engineering station using Automation License Manager V5.x or later, or, for legacy SINEC keys, by running the bundled AuthorsW.exe tool.

This reactivation is provided at no charge to the original license holder even after product obsolescence. Engineers should expect to provide proof of purchase (CoL plus invoice) and to wait 2-10 business days for the regional office to process the request. In documented cases, technicians have been able to recover licenses even when the original laptop holding the authorization had been lost or stolen, provided the CoL number and the original purchaser details were available.

Locating Installation Media

With a valid CoL in hand, the next problem is obtaining the V6.0 master installer. The legitimate channels, in order of preference, are:

1. Siemens regional distributor or sales office. Even for obsolete products, the local Siemens office can often supply a replacement CD set if the original media has been lost. Distribution of the original CD does not require an active support contract; the CoL is the proof of entitlement.
2. Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) entry 11772575. The Service Pack 1a for ProTool V6.0 remains freely downloadable. This is a patch installer that requires the V6.0 base CD to function; it cannot be installed as a standalone product. The download is a self-extracting .exe of approximately 180 MB and patches all three tiers (ProTool/Lite, ProTool, ProTool/Pro) plus the ProAgent V6.0 option.
3. Siemens SiePortal knowledge base. Individual SP3 hotfixes and known-issue patches are referenced in the SiePortal thread "Pro Tool V6.0 SP3 + WINDOWS 7", which documents the install procedure on modern Windows hosts. This entry is the most useful single reference for getting V6.0 SP3 to install on a current-generation workstation.
4. Siemens FTP archive (legacy). The pre-SiePortal Siemens FTP server hosted the V6.0 base installer; the path has since been retired, but Siemens Support can usually provide a one-time download link on request when the CoL is verified.

Once the base V6.0 media is in hand, the SP1a patch is applied first, followed by SP2 and SP3. The order is significant: applying SP3 over an unpatched V6.0 base will fail with a version-mismatch error from the configuration kernel's signature check. Each service pack setup also performs a license-key sanity check, so make sure the CoL key is installed before applying any service pack.

Installing ProTool V6.0 SP3 on Modern Windows

ProTool V6.0 was originally certified for Windows 2000 (SP4) and Windows XP (SP2/SP3). It is not formally certified for Windows 7 or later, but in practice it functions correctly on Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit hosts when the installer is forced into Windows XP SP2 compatibility mode. The procedure is documented in the SiePortal "Pro Tool V6.0 SP3 + WINDOWS 7" thread.

Prerequisites

• Host OS: Windows 7 SP1 (32-bit recommended; 64-bit works but with additional steps), Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 with compatibility mode. Windows 11 is not officially supported and exhibits COM-initialization errors during project compile, especially during the ProAgent option install.
• Privileges: Administrator account. ProTool V6.0 installs system-level COM components that fail under UAC elevation prompts if launched from a non-elevated shell. Disable UAC for the install session, or always use "Run as administrator".
• STEP 7 prerequisite: STEP 7 V5.4 or V5.5 installed first if MPI/PROFIBUS panel transfers are required. ProTool relies on the STEP 7 PC interface drivers (PC Adapter, CP5611, CP5613) for its online connection and will not enumerate them independently.
• Media: Original V6.0 base CD, SP1a, SP2, SP3 media or downloaded archives from the Siemens links above.
• Disk: Approximately 1.2 GB free for the V6.0 base, plus 400 MB for SP1a/SP2/SP3 cumulative patches.

Step-by-step Installation

1. Insert or mount the ProTool V6.0 base CD. Do not launch Setup.exe from autorun - the autorun handler does not respect compatibility-mode shims.
2. Open an elevated command prompt. Navigate to the CD root and confirm you can see both Install.exe and the per-component Setup.exe files.
3. For each Install.exe and Setup.exe in the installer tree (the base installer, the SP1a, SP2, and SP3 wrappers each contain their own setup), right-click and select Properties > Compatibility. Set the compatibility mode to "Windows XP SP2" and check "Run as administrator". Apply separately to the base installer, the SP1a patch launcher, the SP2 patch launcher, and the SP3 patch launcher.
4. For 64-bit Windows 7 hosts, additionally enable the HeurSev shim by editing the registry: under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers, add a string value whose name is the full path to each Setup.exe and whose data is the literal string WINXPSP2. This registry-based shim is required because the 64-bit explorer does not propagate the GUI-set compatibility flags to installer-launched child processes.
5. Run the V6.0 base setup, accept the license terms, enter the authorization key when prompted, and choose Complete install. The complete install includes the ProAgent diagnostic option and the ProTool/Pro Runtime option needed for PC-based runtime targets (panel simulation on a PC); the custom install will skip these if the default tree is altered.
6. Apply SP1a, then SP2, then SP3, in that order. Each service pack setup will detect the prior version and patch in place; do not reboot between service packs unless prompted. The SP1a patch is the only one of the three that can be downloaded directly from Siemens (entry 11772575); SP2 and SP3 are usually distributed as a single combined installer by Siemens Support on request.
7. Reboot. Verify the installation by launching ProTool V6.0 and checking Help > About; the version string should read 6.0.0.10 (SP1a) progressing to 6.0.0.13 (SP3 build) depending on the patch level applied. The exact build number is also recorded in C:\Program Files\Siemens\ProTool\bin\version.txt.
8. Launch Automation License Manager and confirm the ProTool license key is visible in the left-hand tree. If the key shows as "Missing", re-run the authorization wizard against the CoL. On a 64-bit host, always run ALM as administrator; the default 32-bit ALM will not see 64-bit installer-registered keys.

Verification

After install, perform a project round-trip test:

1. Open an existing .pdb project (a sample from a known-good TP27 or MP370 deployment is ideal). If no project exists, the install creates a sample under C:\Program Files\Siemens\ProTool\Samples.
2. Trigger a full project compile (File > Compile > All, or the keyboard accelerator Ctrl+F9). A successful compile produces a .brf binary in the project directory without warnings about unsupported tags or missing symbol references.
3. Simulate a download to a ProTool/Pro Runtime image on the local PC (Target > Simulation). The simulation should open the runtime window and display the first configured screen within 5 seconds. If the simulation hangs on a white screen, the COM initialisation is the likely cause - check the RPCSS and DcomLaunch services.

Migration to WinCC Flexible 2008 / TIA Portal

When a WinCC Flexible 2008 SP5 (or TIA Portal WinCC Comfort / Advanced) license is available, the supported migration path is the ProTool Migrator add-on. The migrator is invoked from WinCC Flexible's File > Migrate Project menu and is included with WinCC Flexible 2008 SP2 and later. The conversion is partial: most screens, tags, and alarms are translated automatically, but several feature groups require manual rework after migration. The migrator is also the only documented path from ProTool to TIA Portal; TIA Portal cannot open .pdb files directly.

What Migrates Automatically

• Screen graphics, including rectangles, lines, polylines, text fields, IO fields, buttons, and bitmaps. Vector primitives are converted to WinCC Flexible equivalents; bitmaps are copied as-is and re-linked.
• Tags (point names, data types, addressing), provided they reference STEP 7 symbols that exist in the accompanying S7 project. The migrator reads the S7 symbol table exported from STEP 7 via Options > Symbol Table > Export in CSV format.
• Alarm messages with the standard "ProTool alarm" template. Alarm classes (errors, warnings, information) are mapped to the WinCC Flexible equivalents.
• Recipes stored in the project (as .csv files), provided the recipe structure was not built with ProAgent dynamic expansions or script-generated index suffixes.

What Requires Manual Rework

• Recipes with complex data structures. Engineers consistently report that ProTool recipes that reference UDTs (user-defined data types) or that use indexed naming with script-generated suffixes do not survive the migrator pass. The recipes open in WinCC Flexible but the structure is flattened to plain tags, and any index logic in scripts must be re-implemented in VBScript in WinCC Flexible. Plan for a manual rebuild of any recipe with more than 20 entries or with UDT references.
• ProAgent diagnostic scripts. ProAgent motion and process diagnostics are not converted. The migration log will flag every ProAgent screen with a "diagnostic object not migrated" warning; the engineer must rebuild these screens manually in WinCC Flexible's diagnostic editor. The diagnostic logic must be re-derived from the underlying STEP 7 program; ProTool's ProAgent hides the S7 source.
• Password-protected screen hierarchies. ProTool's per-screen password is converted to WinCC Flexible user-group permissions only at the project level; fine-grained passwords on individual screens must be re-applied. The user list must also be re-entered; the migrator creates a single "Administrator" user with the original project password and discards all other accounts.
• Multilingual text libraries. Text imported from .xls files sometimes loses its language identifier; verify the language table after migration by opening every language and confirming the count of translated strings matches the source.
• Trend and archive configurations. ProTool's archive paths and trend curves are migrated, but the data-source configuration (which PLC DB is being archived) is reset to default. Re-link the DB pointers before commissioning.

Post-Migration Verification

1. Open the migrated project in WinCC Flexible and trigger a full recompile. Address any "object not migrated" warnings individually. The migration log is saved alongside the converted project as Migration_Report.txt; review it line by line before declaring the migration complete.
2. Cross-check the tag count against the source ProTool project: the migrated count should be within 1-2% of the source. A larger delta indicates dropped tags. Use WinCC Flexible's Project > Cross Reference to enumerate the surviving tags.
3. Open each recipe screen and verify the structure. If recipes appear flattened, rebuild them using WinCC Flexible's recipe editor and re-import the recipe data from the ProTool project's *.csv.
4. Test compile for the actual target panel. If the target is a TP170A or older, WinCC Flexible will refuse the compile because those panels are not in the WinCC Flexible target list - this is the case where ProTool cannot be avoided and a parallel ProTool install must be maintained.

Target Panel Compatibility - When ProTool Cannot Be Avoided

WinCC Flexible does not support the following legacy targets: OP3, OP5, OP7, OP15, OP17, TP27, OP27, OP37, TP37. The list is final; Siemens never added these devices to WinCC Flexible because they predate the runtime architecture change that WinCC Flexible introduced. TIA Portal does not support them either. The 177B / OP170B / MP270 / MP370 family is supported by WinCC Flexible 2008 SP2 onward, which is why migration of those panels is straightforward.

For the OP3 through TP37 families, ProTool V6.0 SP3 remains the only legitimate configuration environment. Engineering groups supporting legacy fleets must therefore maintain at least one ProTool installation in a controlled license-server or virtual-machine configuration. Common approaches are:

• Dedicated Windows 7 32-bit workstation per engineering team, with the ProTool V6.0 SP3 install locked down by group policy to prevent drift. This is the simplest deployment and the one most often recommended in field reports.
• Windows XP Mode virtual machine under Windows 7, with the V6.0 SP3 install running inside the VM and the license key mapped through. This is the highest-fidelity compatibility option but requires the Windows XP Mode download (retired from public distribution but still redistributable to volume-license customers) and a host with hardware virtualization enabled in the BIOS.
• VMware / VirtualBox Windows XP SP3 VM, with the ProTool install copied from a frozen reference image. Licensing: the ALM key can be transferred between physical host and VM as long as only one instance runs at a time. Do not run a ProTool install simultaneously on the physical host and inside the VM; the ALM will detect the conflict and refuse to grant the license.

For larger teams (the typical case is 10-20 engineers per plant supporting a 50+ panel legacy fleet), a single ProTool install is insufficient. The standard answer is to install ProTool on a Remote Desktop Services (Terminal Services) host: each engineer opens an RDP session to the host and runs their own instance. The Siemens ALM license model supports this as a "concurrent user" deployment; the license key on the host is shared across RDP sessions. Verify with the Siemens license terms before scaling beyond two concurrent users. The host OS should be Windows Server 2008 R2 with the Desktop Experience role; later server editions work but require the same XP SP2 compatibility shim per Setup.exe.

Known Compatibility Issues and Error Codes

Engineering Workflow Recommendations

For a multi-engineer team supporting a ProTool fleet, the following workflow minimizes the risk of license loss and version drift:

1. Maintain a frozen reference image. Build a single Windows 7 32-bit VM with V6.0 SP3 fully patched, all service packs, the license key installed, and a test project that compiles cleanly. Store the VM image on a network share and treat it as the source of truth. Snapshot the VM before each new project and roll back to the snapshot when the project is delivered so the next engineer starts from a known state.
2. Centralize the CoL. Keep the original Certificate of License in a fireproof safe or document management system. The CoL is the only artifact that allows reactivation if the license key is lost; without it, the only option is a new license purchase at list price.
3. Document the panel inventory. Maintain a spreadsheet of every legacy panel, its firmware version, the project file name, and the last-known-good compiled binary (.brf). When a panel fails, this map is the difference between a one-hour swap and a multi-day engineering fire. Include the ProTool project path, the panel's MPI/PROFIBUS address, and the backup location of the latest binary.
4. Plan the migration exit path. For each panel still in service, identify a WinCC Flexible / TIA Portal compatible replacement. Migration is not free, but deferring it indefinitely multiplies the risk. A typical pilot migration is one panel type (e.g., TP170B) per quarter. The TP170B / OP170B / MP270 / MP370 family is the easiest migration target; the OP17 / TP27 / OP27 / OP37 family has no direct migration target and must be replaced with a current Comfort Panel.
5. Establish a recipe export standard. Before any migration, export every ProTool recipe to *.csv and store the CSV alongside the original .pdb. The CSV is the canonical source of recipe data and survives any future migration tool change. A ProTool project without an exported recipe CSV is considered at risk.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Frequently Asked Questions