Resolving Missing Option Packages in TIA Portal V17 Migration

Migrating a STEP 7 V5.5 project to TIA Portal V17 commonly fails with the error "Required option package is not installed" when the source project references components that need additional Siemens software packages. This article explains why the migration tool refuses to start, lists the option packages that trigger the abort, and provides the field-proven procedure to install, remove, or work around each blocker.

1. Problem Description

When a user selects Project > Migrate project from a STEP 7 V5.5 .s7p file, the TIA Portal migration tool reads the project header, enumerates the referenced option packages, and aborts before producing an .am20 migration file if any referenced package is not installed on the engineering workstation. The typical abort message reads:

Migration cannot be started.
The following option packages are required but not installed:
  - SIMOTION
  - S7 F Systems
  - WinCC flexible
Install the missing option packages and restart the migration.

The three most common offenders in brownfield migrations are:

2. Root Cause Analysis

The migration tool does not perform partial conversion. It must read the complete STEP 7 V5.5 project structure — including HMI stations, drives, safety programs, and motion subsystems — before it can emit a self-consistent .am20 file. If the project contains a station whose authoring tool is not installed locally, the migration aborts because it cannot decode the binary project structure of that station.

Three underlying conditions cause the abort:

1. Missing authoring tool — The option package that wrote a station object is not installed. The migration tool cannot deserialize the station's container without the matching editor.
2. Version mismatch — A newer or older service pack of the option package is installed than the one that wrote the source station.
3. Stale cross-references — A station still appears in the STEP 7 V5.5 project tree but no longer contains objects (e.g., a deleted WinCC flexible panel reference). The migration tool still tries to resolve it.

3. Prerequisites

Before attempting migration, verify the following software baseline is installed on the engineering workstation:

• STEP 7 Professional V17 (TIA Portal)
• STEP 7 V5.5 SPx (required to read the source .s7p project before migration)
• SINAMICS Startdrive Advanced V17 (for drive commissioning data migration)
• WinCC Professional V17 (for TIA-Portal-native HMI targets)
• Optional, install only if needed by source: SIMOTION SCOUT TIA, S7 F Systems, WinCC flexible 2008 SP5, PCS 7 V8.x, CFC/SFC Editor

4. Identifying Required Option Packages

Follow this procedure to enumerate which option packages your STEP 7 V5.5 project references before installing anything:

1. Launch SIMATIC Manager (STEP 7 V5.5).
2. Open the source .s7p project. If a dialog appears stating a component is missing, record the component name.
3. In the project tree, right-click the project node and select Object Properties > Required Software. The list of installed and required option packages is shown.
4. Expand Station nodes individually. If a station shows a red icon or a ? marker, the editing tool for that station is not installed locally.
5. For each HMI station, open the station properties and confirm which HMI software wrote it (WinCC flexible 2008, ProTool, WinCC V7, or TIA-Portal-native).
6. For each S7 station, open HW Config and confirm whether the CPU is an F-CPU (e.g., CPU 315F-2 PN/DP) — if so, S7 F Systems or STEP 7 Safety is required.
7. For drive objects, check whether the project references SINAMICS Startdrive (TIA) or STARTER (V5.x). Each requires its own matching package.

5. Installing the Missing Option Packages

Use the official Siemens Industry Online Support migration tool entry to obtain every required package:

Migration Tool TIA Portal — Industry Support Siemens (ID 58638200)

The migration tool download includes a launcher that detects which source packages are referenced and links to the matching installation media. Install in the order specified below to avoid dependency errors:

1. STEP 7 V5.5 SPx (matches the source project version).
2. Option package for each station type found in Step 4 — e.g., S7 F Systems, SIMOTION SCOUT TIA, WinCC flexible 2008 SP5.
3. TIA Portal V17 with all installed TIA option packages (Startdrive Advanced, S7-PLCSIM, Safety, etc.).
4. Reboot the workstation to register COM/DCOM services.
5. Re-open SIMATIC Manager, verify the source project opens without warnings, then save and close.

6. Performing the Migration to TIA Portal V17

With all referenced option packages installed, the migration tool can now read every station in the source project. Execute the migration as follows:

1. Launch TIA Portal V17.
2. Select Project > Migrate project.
3. Browse to the STEP 7 V5.5 .s7p file. The tool reads the project header.
4. The migration tool performs an internal compatibility check. If it passes, click Migrate and select the destination directory.
5. The tool produces an .am20 migration file and opens the converted TIA Portal project.
6. Review the migration log (Inspector > Info > Migration) for warnings. Each warning corresponds to a block or station object that requires manual post-processing.
7. Compile HW Config, compile the S7 program, and download to the target hardware to verify functional equivalence.

For S7-300/400 to S7-1500 conversion in a single TIA Portal version, the workflow is documented in the official manual Migration of STEP 7 projects (S7-300, S7-400) — TIA Portal V20.

7. Workaround: STL Export and Re-Import

When the option package cannot be installed (for example, an end-of-life SIMOTION package on a 32-bit-only workstation), the project sections that are still required can be exported as STL source from STEP 7 V5.5 and re-imported into the TIA Portal project.

1. In SIMATIC Manager, open the .s7p project.
2. Right-click the S7 program node and select Source Files > Insert STL Source File.
3. For each block required (OB, FB, FC, DB, UDT), right-click and choose Generate Source > From Blocks. The selected blocks are written to the source file as STL text.
4. Save the source file (.awl) to a shared directory accessible to the TIA Portal workstation.
5. In TIA Portal V17, right-click the PLC program blocks container and select Import > STL Source. The TIA Portal compiler decodes the STL and reconstructs the blocks.
6. Manually re-create the hardware configuration, symbol table, and connections; STL export does not migrate these.

8. Workaround: Removing the Blocking Component

If the migrating project does not require the HMI station or motion subsystem, the blocking component can be removed from the STEP 7 V5.5 project before migration. The migration tool then has no station to decode.

1. In SIMATIC Manager, right-click the HMI station (or SIMOTION station) and select Delete Object.
2. If the station is referenced by an S7 connection, open NetPro and remove the S7 connection first.
3. Compile and save the project. The migration tool will no longer flag the removed option package.
4. Re-create the HMI station from scratch in TIA Portal using WinCC Professional.

9. Common Migration Errors and Resolutions

10. Verification Procedure

After a successful migration, perform the following checks to confirm functional equivalence with the STEP 7 V5.5 source project:

1. Open the migrated .ap17 project in TIA Portal V17.
2. Expand the PLC station. The hardware catalog should list all migrated modules (CPU, IM, SM, FM, CP).
3. Compile HW Config. Resolve any unresolved module references.
4. Compile the S7 program. Resolve all warnings related to indirect addressing or block type changes.
5. Compare the migrated symbol table with the STEP 7 V5.5 source. Confirm all global symbols are present.
6. Download the program to a PLCSIM instance or a real CPU and exercise the I/O.
7. For F-CPU projects, run the safety program consistency check and verify the F-signature after migration.
8. Open the HMI runtime and verify all tags are mapped to the new PLC connection.
9. Run the project comparison tool (Tools > Compare) between the migrated project and the source to flag any differences.

11. Troubleshooting Matrix

12. Best Practices for Repeatable Migrations

• Maintain a dedicated migration workstation with STEP 7 V5.5 SPx and TIA Portal V17 co-installed, including every option package the source fleet references.
• Use a separate license server tier for migration projects to avoid draining production licenses.
• Always open and re-save the source project in STEP 7 V5.5 before launching the migration tool. This forces a clean project structure.
• Document the option-package set required by each machine in a migration manifest before starting the migration project.
• Run the migration on a copy of the project, not the live source. Keep the original .s7p untouched for rollback.
• After migration, generate a project comparison report to capture every change for review with the controls team.
• Where possible, plan the migration to the S7-1500 generation in a single step using the S7-300/400 to S7-1500 workflow described in the TIA Portal documentation.

FAQ