Resolving PCS 7 OS Picture Tree Not Displaying on Server 2003

1. Problem Overview

A Siemens PCS 7 (Process Control System 7) Operator Station (OS) running on Windows Server 2003 (W2K3) can launch the WinCC Explorer shell successfully and still fail in three related ways at the same time: the Picture Tree navigation pane renders only the top-level hierarchy, the area pictures do not respond to mouse clicks, and the runtime status banner reports a redundancy message. On the same engineering project copied from a Windows XP SP2 engineering station, the same OS runtime behaves correctly. The combination of a partially-rendered picture tree and inert buttons is a signature symptom of an OS project that has been compiled on one host but never re-built on the runtime target.

Per the official Siemens knowledge base entry Picture Tree is not fully functional until the OS Project Editor has been run, the only sanctioned runtime behavior is that the picture tree is not fully functional until the OS Project Editor has been run on the OS server that will host the runtime. This single constraint resolves the majority of reported incidents and is the starting point for any field fix.

2. Affected Versions and Architecture

The symptoms appear on PCS 7 V7.0, V7.1, and V7.5 deployments, all of which ship the OS Project Editor as a post-installation configuration step. The relevant components in scope are:

• WinCC Explorer V7.x — the runtime shell that loads the picture tree.
• WinCC/Options for Process Control V7.x — delivers the Picture Tree applet and the OS Project Editor.
• SIMATIC PCS 7 OS Server — the Windows service that hosts the runtime on the W2K3 host.
• STEP 7 V5.4 or V5.5 — the AS programming tool that defines the AS-OS assignment table.
• SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2008 R2 — the archive and message-log backend used by WinCC.
• SIMATIC NET V7.x / V8.x — the industrial network stack that carries S7 communication to the AS.

The exact PCS 7 service pack is rarely visible from the symptom description alone. The Picture Tree behavior is consistent across the entire V7.x line, so the procedures in this guide apply without modification. If a customer reports PCS 7 V8.x or V9.x on Windows Server 2008 R2 or later, the OS Project Editor is no longer a separate post-install step, and the same symptom has a different root cause (typically DCOM or license). Treat the exact version as ambiguous until SIMATIC Manager > Help > About is checked on the engineering station.

2.1 Runtime Data Flow on the W2K3 OS Server

When a user clicks a button on an overview picture, the runtime resolves the click through a chain of six files in the OS project path:

1. <OS_Project>\<ComputerName>\Pictures\<Area>.pdl — the picture definition that the user sees.
2. <OS_Project>\<ComputerName>\<Area>.pdt — the per-area index written by the OS Project Editor.
3. <OS_Project>\<ComputerName>\ccpictree.bin — the compiled binary representation of the picture tree hierarchy.
4. <OS_Project>\<ComputerName>\Pictures.ndx — the master picture name index.
5. C:\Windows\Citamis.str — the case-sensitive WinCC string table that maps internal picture IDs to display names.
6. The Windows registry keys HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\WinCC\<ProjectName> and the HKCU\SOFTWARE\Siemens mirror — which record the OS server computer name, the redundancy partner, and the runtime paths.

If any link in this chain is missing or points to a path that does not exist on the W2K3 host, the picture tree still appears in the WinCC Explorer shell but the buttons remain inert. The OS Project Editor is the only tool that rewrites steps 2, 3, and 4 atomically; a manual file copy cannot replace it.

3. Root Cause Analysis

Three root causes account for virtually every reported case. Apply the diagnostic in Section 4 to determine which one applies before changing any project data.

3.1 Cause A — OS Project Editor Never Run on the W2K3 Server

The picture tree is generated by the OS Project Editor. If the project was compiled on a Windows XP SP2 engineering station and copied or imported to a W2K3 server without re-running the editor on the server, the runtime reads a partial hierarchy. This is the case the Siemens knowledge base article 109772988 documents explicitly. The fix is procedural and does not require code or registry changes.

3.2 Cause B — Multiproject Package Re-import Failure

In a PCS 7 multiproject, the OS sub-project is distributed from the master project to the OS server through a .pck export-and-import cycle. If the export was taken before the AS-OS assignment table was fully compiled, or if the import was performed against a different computer name than the one assigned in the target OS sub-project, the picture tree on the W2K3 server is empty even though the project is openable. This is the second most common root cause.

3.3 Cause C — OS Redundancy Channel Not Established

When the OS is part of a redundant pair, the WinCC Redundancy applet registers the picture tree callbacks only after the redundancy handshake completes. If the standby server is unreachable, the banner OS_Stby redundancy error is shown and the picture tree appears in a degraded state. This is the symptom the customer observed in the OS summary line and is independent of the picture tree configuration itself, but it must be cleared before the picture tree buttons will fire.

3.4 Amplifying Factors on Windows Server 2003

Two platform differences make the W2K3 host more sensitive to root causes A, B, and C than the Windows XP SP2 engineering station:

• W2K3 enforces stricter DCOM launch and access permissions. If the WinCC runtime service account is changed after install (a common operation in a locked-down server environment), the picture tree callbacks fail silently in the WinCC_Project.log with no entry in the Windows Application event log.
• W2K3 does not auto-create a Windows Firewall exception for CCRedundancy.exe during the WinCC install. The default installation on Windows Server 2008 R2 and later does create the rule; on W2K3 the engineer must add the inbound rule for TCP 5678 manually before the redundancy channel can be established.

4. Diagnostic Procedure

Run the following checks in order. The goal is to determine which of the three root causes applies before changing any project data, and to confirm that the W2K3 install itself is not corrupt.

1. Capture the WinCC diagnosis bundle. In WinCC Explorer select Tools > WinCC Diagnosis > Save Diagnosis Information. Save the bundle to a UNC path. The bundle includes WinCC_Sys.log, WinCC_Project.log, the contents of <OS_Project>\diagnose, and a registry snapshot of HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\WinCC.
2. Search the diagnosis for the picture tree. Run findstr /i /c:"PictureTree" /c:"OS_ProjectEditor" /c:"missing picture" WinCC_Project.log. Any line containing the words failed or missing after one of these tokens is a direct cause indicator.
3. Compare Citamis.str on both hosts. From the W2K3 command prompt, run fc /b C:\Windows\Citamis.str "\\<ES_Host>\C$\Windows\Citamis.str". The byte-for-byte output must match. If it does not, copy the ES version into C:\Windows on the server using a method that preserves the case (WinSCP and xcopy /K both preserve case on W2K3).
4. Run a single-project smoke test on the W2K3 host. Create a new single-user OS project on the W2K3 server (do not copy from the multiproject). If the picture tree works there, the install is sound and the fault is in the multiproject package. If the picture tree is also empty, the install is corrupt and the clean-reinstall path in Section 7 is required.
5. Inspect the binary tree file. Open <OS_Project>\<ComputerName>\ccpictree.bin in Windows Explorer. The Modified date must be later than the timestamp of the last Compile OS entry in WinCC_Project.log. If it is older, the OS Project Editor was not run after the last compile.
6. Decode the OS redundancy banner. If the status line shows OS_Stby redundancy error and the standby OS is up, the redundancy channel is the primary fault. If the standby is intentionally down, the banner is informational and can be ignored for the purpose of the picture tree fix.
7. Confirm the OS sub-project computer name. In SIMATIC Manager, open the OS sub-project on the engineering station and read the Computer name property. It must match the W2K3 host's NetBIOS name. If the names differ, the picture tree will resolve to non-existent paths and the runtime will silently drop the click events.

5. Resolution Path 1 — Run the OS Project Editor

This is the procedure recommended by the Siemens support entry Picture Tree is not fully functional until the OS Project Editor has been run. Apply it first, regardless of whether a re-import is also planned.

1. Open WinCC Explorer on the W2K3 server with an account that is a member of the local SIMATIC HMI group and the local Administrators group.
2. Deactivate the runtime if it is active: WinCC Explorer > File > Activate Runtime (the menu text toggles to Deactivate when the runtime is running).
3. In the project tree, right-click the OS server node and select OS Project Editor. If the entry is grayed out, the runtime is still active; close it explicitly.
4. In the first dialog, accept the auto-detected computer name. Do not change the computer name to match the engineering station. The editor must write the path-local configuration of the W2K3 host, not the ES.
5. Open the Picture Tree tab. Verify that at least one area picture is assigned to a node. If the list is empty, the AS-OS assignment table was never compiled into this OS; jump to Section 6.
6. Click OK and confirm the rebuild prompt. The editor rewrites ccpictree.bin, Pictures.ndx, and the per-area *.pdt index files inside <OS_Project>\<ComputerName>\.
7. Restart the WinCC runtime. Once the graphics runtime is fully loaded, press Ctrl+Shift+F5 to force a complete reload of the navigation data from the rewritten binary.
8. Expand the first two levels of the picture tree and click a process picture button. The screen change must occur within one second.

5.1 Editor Parameter Reference

6. Resolution Path 2 — Multiproject Package Integrity

If the picture tree list inside the OS Project Editor is empty, the OS sub-project was compiled on the engineering station with picture references that do not exist on the W2K3 server. The remedy is to re-export the OS package from the engineering station and re-import it on the server with the correct target assignment.

1. On the engineering station, open SIMATIC Manager and load the multiproject. Verify the ES in Help > About reports the same PCS 7 version that is installed on the W2K3 host.
2. Select the OS server sub-project, then choose Options > OS > Export.... Save the package as OS_Server_<n>.pck on a UNC path visible to the W2K3 server. Enable the Include picture files and Include computer-specific data check boxes.
3. On the W2K3 server, open the same multiproject master database, then choose Options > OS > Import.... Point to the .pck file and select Overwrite existing OS sub-project.
4. After the import completes, run the OS Project Editor again per Section 5. The editor detects the new package and rewrites the picture tree indexes against the freshly imported pictures.
5. Compile the OS (right-click the OS sub-project > Compile OS) and confirm the message OS successfully compiled appears in the project log.
6. Activate the runtime and verify the picture tree.

6.1 Import Failure Modes

7. Resolution Path 3 — Clean Reinstall on Windows Server 2003

If the OS Project Editor and the multiproject re-import both fail to restore the picture tree, the W2K3 install itself is suspect. PCS 7 V7.x installers leave residual files in the registry and in Windows\System32 that the standard Add/Remove Programs sequence does not remove. The customer ticket documented exactly this — after a standard uninstall, components such as STEP 7 and WinCC Runtime remained in the Add/Remove Programs list, and a re-install did not clear the picture tree fault. Use the procedure below for a clean baseline before a fresh install.

1. Open Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs and uninstall in this exact order: SIMATIC PCS 7, STEP 7, WinCC Runtime, WinCC Options for Process Control, SIMATIC NET, SQL Server (WINCC). Do not reboot between entries; let the installer chain complete. Reboot only after the last entry is removed.
2. In Windows Explorer, delete the Siemens folder under %ProgramFiles%\Siemens and any Siemens\Automation tree. If files are locked, open a command prompt and run taskkill /im s7o* /f followed by taskkill /im cc* /f before the delete. For files that remain locked, the Sysinternals Handle tool with the -c switch is field-proven on W2K3.
3. Open %WINDIR%\System32 and delete every DLL whose name begins with S7 (for example S7WINAU.DLL, S7OTBXDX.DLL, S7OZS7X.DLL, S7APSTEP.DLL). Use dir /b S7*.dll to enumerate; confirm the case-insensitive search returns no further matches before continuing.
4. Open the registry editor (regedit) and back up the following keys with reg export:
   reg export "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens" C:\backup\HKLM_Siemens.reg /y
reg export "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Siemens" C:\backup\HKCU_Siemens.reg /y
5. Delete the following keys, including all sub-keys and values:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Siemens
6. Reboot and confirm that regedit no longer shows any Siemens key under HKLM or HKCU. Only then proceed with a fresh PCS 7 install from the original media.

7.1 Field-Proven Caveats on the Clean Reinstall

• On W2K3 R2, the Siemens folder under %ProgramFiles% may be a junction point. Use dir /A:L first; if it is a junction, delete the target and then the junction.
• The S7* DLLs are also copied to %WINDIR%\SysWOW64 on a W2K3 host that has the Windows-on-Windows subsystem installed. Repeat step 3 against that folder.
• Do not delete S7OTBXS.DLL; it is shipped by STEP 7 and is required for online S7 communication. The clean-reinstall procedure targets S7* DLLs that were placed in System32 by the PCS 7 installer, not by STEP 7.

8. Decoding the OS Redundancy Status Banner

The status line OS_Stby redundancy error is generated by the Redundancy applet of WinCC. It is informational when the standby OS is intentionally deactivated. It is a fault when both OS servers are running but do not see each other on the redundancy port. The error alone does not break the picture tree, but if both servers report it, the WinCC redundancy layer will not register the picture tree navigation and buttons will appear inert.

8.1 Restoring the Redundancy Channel on W2K3

1. Open Windows Firewall with Advanced Security on both OS servers. Create an inbound rule for CCRedundancy.exe (default path C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\bin\CCRedundancy.exe) on TCP port 5678.
2. Open SIMATIC NET > Commissioning Wizard on both servers and verify that the IE/PG interface of the S7ONLINE access point is bound to a physical network adapter, not to the MS Loopback adapter. A loopback binding is the most common reason that the redundancy channel stays open without a successful handshake.
3. Restart the SIMATIC WinCC Redundancy service on both servers. The banner should clear within 30 seconds and the standby status should change from Error to Standby.

9. Verification Checklist

Confirm every item below before closing the ticket. Each step has a deterministic, script-free check that any commissioning engineer can perform in under one minute.

1. Picture Tree renders: In the active runtime, expand the first two levels of the picture tree. Every node must show the assigned icon and a non-empty label.
2. Button click fires: Click any process picture button on the overview area. The screen change must occur within one second. If the screen flashes but does not change, the action handler is bound to the wrong picture name.
3. ccpictree.bin timestamp: Open <OS_Project>\<ComputerName>\ccpictree.bin in Windows Explorer and confirm its Modified date is later than the latest Compile OS timestamp in the project log.
4. Diagnose clean: Open <OS_Project>\diagnose\WinCC_Project.log. There must be no entry containing the words PictureTree followed by failed or missing.
5. Redundancy banner: If the OS is part of a redundant pair, the status line must show OS_Mast active and OS_Stby standby. Any other state must be triaged per the matrix in Section 8.
6. Single-project test: Create a brand-new single-user OS on the W2K3 host and verify the picture tree. If it works there, the multiproject re-export (Section 6) is confirmed to be the fix.
7. Citamis.str hash: Run certutil -hashfile C:\Windows\Citamis.str SHA256 on the ES and on the W2K3 server. The two hashes must match.
8. Registry consistency: On the W2K3 server, open regedit and confirm HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\WinCC\<ProjectName>\Redundancy\Partner contains the NetBIOS name of the standby server.

10. Preventive Maintenance and Best Practices

Picture tree issues are nearly always introduced by a discrepancy between the engineering project and the runtime target. The following rules eliminate the majority of repeat incidents on W2K3 fleets.

• Pin the engineering OS to the same Windows revision as the runtime OS. Compiling an OS on Windows XP SP2 and running it on Windows Server 2003 is supported but requires that the OS Project Editor be re-run on the server after every Compile OS on the ES.
• Always export and re-import the .pck package when moving an OS to a new host. Do not copy the project folder with the file system; the package mechanism updates the path-local Citamis.str and the computer name bindings.
• Document the OS Project Editor run as a line item in the commissioning checklist. Most teams discover this requirement only after the first symptom, per the Siemens KB entry 109772988.
• Back up HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens and HKCU\SOFTWARE\Siemens with reg export before any service pack install on the W2K3 host. Group Policy refresh can silently re-create these keys with a value set that hides the picture tree.
• Reserve a static IP and an open redundancy port for each OS server. WinCC redundancy uses TCP 5678 by default. Confirm the Windows Firewall on W2K3 SP2 has an explicit inbound rule for CCRedundancy.exe; the default installation only creates the rule on Windows Server 2008 R2 and later.
• Add the OS Project Editor step to the change-management workflow. Any AS program change that adds a new picture name to the AS-OS assignment table must trigger a re-run of the editor on every OS server that hosts a runtime of the affected sub-project. Without this, the new area picture will not appear in the picture tree even after a successful Compile OS on the ES.
• Stagger the OS Project Editor run between redundant servers. Run the editor on the standby first, then fail over, then run on the new standby. This prevents a momentary mismatch in ccpictree.bin between the two servers that can cause the redundancy banner to flash and the picture tree to appear empty for up to 30 seconds.

10.1 Diagnostic Flow Diagram

11. Frequently Asked Questions