Resolving HmiES.exe Crashes in WinCC Flexible 2005 Project Open

Resolving HmiES.exe Crashes in WinCC Flexible 2005 Project Open

Problem Overview

The WinCC Flexible Engineering System process HmiES.exe is the heart of every WinCC Flexible 2005 Advanced configuration session. It loads the project database, instantiates the device framework, compiles tags, and hosts the Runtime (RT) simulator. When Windows raises an Application Error against HmiES.exe immediately on File > Open or on first interaction with the project tree, the operator cannot edit, compile, or simulate the HMI configuration. The error dialog is raised by the Windows Structured Exception Handling (SEH) layer, not by WinCC Flexible itself, which is why there is no Siemens error number attached to it.

The reported failure mode is specifically:

• Product: SIMATIC WinCC Flexible 2005 Advanced (SP1/SP2 plus available Hotfixes)
• Operation: Opening an existing project, or launching the RT simulator for an already-loaded project
• Symptom: "HmiES.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close" / "Windows has encountered an unexpected error in HmiES.exe"
• Frequency: Reproducible on every open attempt; not transient

Process and File Topology

Understanding where HmiES.exe fits in the WinCC Flexible stack is essential for any recovery action.

When HmiES.exe crashes during project open, the SEH unwind passes control to WerFault.exe (Windows Error Reporting). The faulting module and offset recorded in the Application event log identifies whether the failure is in WinCC Flexible code, in a third-party DLL, or in the OS runtime.

Affected Versions and Compatibility Matrix

If the project was generated by a newer WinCC Flexible version than the installed engineering system, you cannot open it in 2005. Always record Help > About on a known-good machine before any cross-version attempt.

Root Cause Taxonomy

Field data and Siemens Hotfix release notes identify four distinct root-cause families. Each family has a different signature in the Application event log and a different first-line remedy.

Pre-Repair Diagnostic Workflow

Execute this checklist before attempting any destructive repair. Each step is non-destructive and reduces the probability of masking a different underlying cause.

1. Confirm the user holds the local Administrators group and is launching WinCC Flexible via Start > SIMATIC > WinCC Flexible 2005 rather than a double-click on a .hmi file. Right-click the shortcut > Run as Administrator and retest.
2. Capture the Windows Application event log entry generated at crash time:

   wevtutil qe Application /q:"*[System[(EventID=1000)]]" /f:xml /c:5 > crash_log.xml
   

   Note the Faulting module name, offset, and Exception code. Exception 0xC0000005 = access violation; 0xC0000409 = STATUS_STACK_BUFFER_OVERRUN.
3. Open Help > About and record the exact build string (e.g., "WinCC Flexible 2005 Advanced V1.2.0.0 + HF7"). This determines which Hotfix set is correct.
4. Test with a freshly created project: File > New > select the same HMI device type > save to a local path. If the new project also crashes, the engineering installation is at fault.
5. Test with a known-good sample project from the installation media: %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\WinCC Flexible 2005\Samples. If the sample also crashes, the binary tree is corrupted.
6. Verify free disk space on the project drive. Projects above 400 MB with extensive logging may trigger HmiES.exe heap exhaustion (default process heap 256 MB on 32-bit).
7. Check the project file location. Network shares with latency > 50 ms or SMB1-only paths are unsupported. Copy the project locally first.

Solution A: Save As with Reorganization (Integrated Project)

When the WinCC Flexible object is hosted inside a STEP 7 project, the wrapper file stores cross-references that cannot be rewritten in place after a crash. A reorganization forces a clean rebuild of the internal pointer tables.

1. Open SIMATIC Manager and load the affected S7 project.
2. Right-click the HMI station or WinCC Flexible node and select Save As....
3. Enter a new project name and a writable path on a local NTFS drive.
4. Enable the With reorganization option. This triggers a full defragmentation of the project database.
5. Click OK and allow the operation to complete without interruption. Reorganization can take 10–60 minutes for projects above 200 MB.
6. Close SIMATIC Manager and reopen the new project copy.
7. Launch the RT simulator via Start > Runtime to verify stability for at least 10 minutes.

Solution B: De-Integrate from STEP 7

If Solution A cannot run, or the crash reproduces immediately on the reorganized copy, the integration metadata is corrupt. Extract the project to a standalone WinCC Flexible archive to bypass the S7 wrapper.

1. In SIMATIC Manager, right-click the affected HMI object.
2. Choose Copy from STEP 7.... This invokes S7wizagx.exe to extract the HMI project.
3. Select a writable destination folder on a local NTFS drive.
4. Confirm extraction. The output is a standalone .hmi file plus any required device description files.
5. Launch WinCC Flexible 2005 directly (not through SIMATIC Manager) via Start > SIMATIC > WinCC Flexible 2005.
6. Open the extracted project and verify compile + simulator.

Once the standalone project is stable, you can re-integrate it by adding a new HMI station to the STEP 7 project and importing the screens.

Solution C: Migrate Screens to a New Project

When only a small subset of screens is damaged and the device type is identical, rebuild a minimal project and migrate the working screens.

1. Create a new WinCC Flexible project targeting the same panel or PC runtime. Device type, firmware, and connection parameters must match.
2. Open both the damaged and the new project side by side.
3. From the project tree, drag each screen, template, and permanent window into the new project.
4. Export and re-import tags, alarms, and recipes. Tag consistency is enforced by WinCC Flexible on compile; mismatched connections will appear in the output window.
5. Re-link any scripts and VB global procedures. HmiEsCm.dll validates all script references at open; missing references will be listed.
6. Compile the project (Project > Compiler > Check Consistency). Resolve all warnings before RT start.
7. Save, close, reopen, and run the RT simulator for at least 10 minutes to confirm stability.

Solution D: Clean Reinstallation of WinCC Flexible

If Solutions A–C all fail or the crash reproduces on a brand-new project, the engineering installation is corrupted. A clean reinstall is the final escalation.

1. Close every Siemens application. Stop dependent services:

   net stop s7dos
   net stop "S7TraceService"
   net stop "Automation License Manager"
   

2. Uninstall in strict dependency order via Control Panel > Programs and Features:
   1. STEP 7 (if installed)
   2. WinCC Flexible 2005 Advanced
   3. WinCC Flexible 2005 Support Tools
   4. SIMATIC Automation License Manager
   5. SIMATIC S7 Common Components
3. Delete residual folders if they remain after uninstall:

   rmdir /s /q "%ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation"
   rmdir /s /q "%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Siemens"
   rmdir /s /q "%ProgramData%\Siemens\Automation"
   rmdir /s /q "%AppData%\Siemens\Automation"
   

4. Clear the Automation License Manager cache:

   %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\ALM\almclose.exe
   del /q "%ProgramData%\Siemens\Automation\ALM\*.log"
   

5. Reboot. Verify no HmiES.exe, HmiRTm.exe, or S7Manager.exe process remains via Task Manager > Details.
6. Install WinCC Flexible 2005 Advanced from the original media. Apply the latest Service Pack and Hotfix bundle appropriate for the OS. For Windows 7 32-bit, install in XP SP3 compatibility mode if the installer refuses.
7. Reinstall STEP 7 and reapply its own Hotfixes.
8. Re-register the Automation License Manager and re-import license keys.
9. Open a sample project from the install media to verify a clean HmiES.exe load, then open the recovered production project.

Recovery Decision Flowchart

Verification Procedure

After any repair action, complete this checklist before signing the workstation back to operations.

1. Launch WinCC Flexible and confirm HmiES.exe loads the project without an Application Error dialog.
2. Open Project > Compiler > Check Consistency and resolve all entries in the output window.
3. Start the RT simulator (Start > Runtime) and let it run for at least 10 minutes. Monitor Task Manager > Details for stable memory footprint of HmiRTm.exe (typical 60–180 MB depending on screen count).
4. Inspect the Application event log for new entries containing "HmiES.exe", "HmiRTm.exe", or "HmiAlg.exe". None should appear.
5. Cycle Save, Close, Open three times to confirm the write path is healthy.
6. If the project is integrated, verify the HM station connection from STEP 7 via Options > Cross-references.
7. Export the project to a backup archive (Project > Archive) and store it on a separate volume.

Performance and Stability Indicators

Registry and Environment Footprint

Key registry paths consulted by HmiES.exe on startup. Backup these branches before any reinstall.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\WinCC Flexible\2005
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\WinCC Flexible\2005
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\InstalledSw\WinCC Flexible\2005
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens\S7Common\Paths

Environment variables used during project open:

• S7_PATH — root of the STEP 7 project tree
• TMP and TEMP — must point to a local NTFS path with at least 2 GB free
• WINCIFLEX_PATH — installation root, default C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC Flexible 2005

If TMP or TEMP points to a network share, HmiES.exe will fail to create its working files and crash during the first compile pass.

Common Configuration Pitfalls

• Mixing WinCC Flexible 2005 with TIA Portal V13+ on the same image: TIA installs newer S7otbxsx.dll versions that overwrite the WinCC Flexible 2005 copy. The reverse happens if WinCC Flexible is installed after TIA. Use separate OS images or VM snapshots.
• Antivirus real-time scan on %ProgramFiles%\Siemens: several AV products quarantine HmiRTm.exe as a generic heuristic. Exclude the entire Siemens tree from real-time scanning.
• Folder redirection of %AppData%\Siemens: redirected AppData to a roaming profile on a slow link causes HmiES.exe to time out on the user settings load.
• Project stored on a DFS share with offline files enabled: offline files cache corruption produces a "synthetic" file that the engineering shell cannot read.
• Editing the same project from two engineering stations: HmiES.exe does not implement file-level locking. Concurrent writes produce the exact corruption pattern this article addresses.

Preventive Maintenance

• Maintain the latest WinCC Flexible 2005 Hotfix level across all engineering stations. Siemens publishes Hotfix bundles on the support portal.
• Establish a project archive policy: every change set exported as a dated .hmi archive to a controlled share before editing.
• Run a quarterly consistency check on every active project: Project > Compiler > Check Consistency with "Generate dependency tree" enabled.
• Document the build identifier (Help > About) in the project header so the engineering station versions can be tracked.
• Use dedicated engineering VMs with snapshots taken before any version upgrade; roll back is faster than reconstruction.
• Restrict write access on the canonical project share to one named user; a controlled handover model eliminates the concurrent-write failure mode.

FAQ