Resolving PCS 7 V8.1 SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 Installation Hang

Problem Description

During a fresh installation of SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1 on a 64-bit Windows workstation, the setup wizard reaches the installation step titled "SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 – (Information Server) (x64)" and then stops responding. The setup process continues to show the same step in the installation progress list, the SQL Server setup executable remains visible in Windows Task Manager with a running state, and the system consumes CPU and disk I/O, yet no dialog box, error message, completion notification, or progress change is observed for an hour or longer. The user must terminate the setup manually. No log entries are produced in the installer's standard output window because the failure occurs below the PCS 7 setup wrapper layer, inside the SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 child installer.

This symptom is specific to the Information Server component of PCS 7 V8.1, which embeds a dedicated SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 instance used for long-term archiving, reporting, and batch data evaluation. The hang is not a generic PCS 7 installer failure, and it does not prevent the core PCS 7 components (WinCC Explorer, AS/OS station) from installing correctly. The failure is isolated to the post-install hook that the PCS 7 setup invokes to install the Information Server SQL backend.

Root Cause Analysis

SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 setup is a Win32/WOW64 installer that frequently opens modal child dialogs (license agreement, feature selection confirmation, instance naming, service account prompt, error reporting, ready-to-install summary) during its own install sequence. When the parent PCS 7 setup invokes the SQL Server installer, those child dialogs are spawned on a different Windows desktop context and are commonly placed behind the parent PCS 7 setup window. The parent waits indefinitely for the SQL child installer to return an exit code, but the SQL installer is waiting for an operator response on a dialog the operator cannot see.

Secondary causes that have been observed to produce the same observable symptom (no progress, process running, no log advancement) include:

• Missing or partially installed Visual C++ 2008 / 2010 redistributables required by the SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 installer. The child installer silently waits on dependency resolution rather than failing loudly.
• Pending Windows restart (REBOOT=ReallySuppress not honored) from a prior Microsoft Update or .NET Framework installation. The setup detects the pending-reboot flag and blocks silently.
• Group Policy or domain policy restricting local service account creation (e.g., NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM or the configured SQL service account cannot be provisioned). The setup stalls on the service-account stage with no dialog.
• Antivirus / EDR software intercepting the SQL Server setup binary (specifically setup.exe from the SQL 2008 R2 redistributable), causing a synchronous scan lock that looks like a hang.
• Undersized TEMP folder, insufficient disk space on the system drive, or a per-user TEMP path pointing to a network share with intermittent connectivity.
• CPU core topology: SQL Server 2008 R2 has known behaviors on systems where the reported logical processor count crosses specific thresholds; the Information Server install in PCS 7 V8.1 expects a workstation-class processor configuration and may stall when the core count or NUMA topology is reported in unexpected ways.

Environment and Prerequisite Verification

Before attempting any corrective action, validate that the target workstation meets the PCS 7 V8.1 Information Server prerequisites. Mismatches here are the most common reason a child installer hangs without producing an error dialog.

Operating System

• Supported: Windows 7 SP1 (Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate) 64-bit, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 (Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter) 64-bit. Windows 7 is at the end of mainstream support; Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 is also out of mainstream support and is governed by the SQL Server 2008 R2 Extended Security Update lifecycle.
• The PCS 7 setup does not block installation on platforms that are no longer supported by Microsoft. Confirm the OS edition is 64-bit and the install media matches (x64 SQL Server is required for the Information Server).

Hardware

Software Prerequisite Chain

The PCS 7 V8.1 setup installs prerequisites in a fixed order. The Information Server SQL 2008 R2 SP2 step depends on every prior step completing cleanly:

1. Windows Installer 4.5 / 5.0 (depending on OS).
2. .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and 4.x (both are required by SQL Server 2008 R2 setup bootstrapper).
3. Windows PowerShell 2.0 or later.
4. SQL Server 2008 R2 native client and setup support files.
5. Visual C++ 2008 SP1 and 2010 redistributables (x64).
6. WinCC Information Server runtime components.
7. SIMATIC BATCH IS options (if licensed) — installs from the 60_SB__V8.1\SBISOPSSEU folder on DVD 2 per the official Siemens Information Server / BATCH IS options installation manual.

Diagnostic Procedure

Execute the following checks in order. Do not skip steps — each one rules out a specific class of root cause and the diagnostics are non-destructive.

1. Bring hidden dialogs forward. Press Alt+Tab repeatedly to cycle every top-level window on the active desktop. If a hidden SQL Server setup dialog (license terms, feature selection, service account prompt) is found, accept or complete it and the parent PCS 7 setup will continue. Also check Win+Tab on Windows 7, the taskbar preview pane, and the "Show windows side by side" Aero feature. The Alt+Space → Move → arrow key sequence can be used to drag a hidden, off-screen dialog back into view.
2. Verify the SQL setup process tree. Open Task Manager → Details tab → add the Command Line column. The hanging process should be setup.exe launched from a path containing SQL2008R2 or Setup Bootstrap. Right-click → Open file location to confirm the executable. Capture the parent PID (the PCS 7 setup wrapper) and the child PID for the SQL setup.
3. Check the SQL Server setup bootstrap log directory. Navigate to C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\. If the directory does not exist or contains no files newer than the start of the install, the SQL setup binary is blocked before bootstrap is reached — typically a missing dependency, pending reboot, or EDR hold. If files exist, open Summary.txt and the most recent Detail.txt in <timestamp>_Core_Log for the failing step.
4. Check for a pending reboot. Inspect HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\WindowsUpdate\Auto Update\RebootRequired and HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing\RebootPending. If either key exists, install the pending updates, reboot, and re-launch the PCS 7 setup.
5. Check TEMP folder accessibility and free space. echo %TEMP% from an elevated command prompt. Confirm the path resolves, is writable, has at least 5 GB free, and is on a local NTFS volume. A redirected TEMP (OneDrive, network share, RAM disk, or a user-profile path on a domain-joined machine with offline files) is a frequent cause of SQL setup stalls.
6. Check service account provisioning. Open secpol.msc → Local Policies → User Rights Assignment → Log on as a service. The SQL Server and SQL Server Agent service accounts created by the Information Server install must be granted this right. If the right is controlled by domain GPO and the workstation is offline, the setup will hang on the service-account stage.
7. Temporarily disable antivirus / EDR. Real-time scanning of setup.exe and the SQL Server binaries (especially sqlservr.exe, sqlsetup.exe) can cause a 10–60 second hold per file. If the install progresses within 60 seconds of disabling AV, configure exclusions for %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft SQL Server\ and the PCS 7 install paths and retry.
8. Capture a process monitor trace. Run Process Monitor filtered to the SQL setup PID. A genuine hang appears as a flat tail in the trace (no file, registry, or network activity for > 5 minutes). A blocked install shows continuous activity that is waiting on a single file, registry key, or network share — the blocked resource name identifies the missing dependency.

Solution: Step-by-Step Recovery

The recovery path depends on which diagnostic step identified the cause. The procedures below are ordered from most common to least common.

Solution 1 — Resolve a hidden modal dialog

1. Click into the PCS 7 setup window to ensure it has focus, then press Alt+Tab until the SQL Server setup dialog appears.
2. If the dialog is off-screen, right-click its taskbar icon → Move, then press an arrow key to drag it into view, or use Maximize.
3. Accept the Microsoft Software License Terms, confirm the feature selection (default), and provide a service account (the Information Server install defaults to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM for the SQL Server service and NT AUTHORITY\NETWORK SERVICE for the agent on a single-user workstation).
4. Click Install on the Ready to Install summary page.
5. The dialog will close, the SQL setup child process will return to the parent PCS 7 setup, and the installation will proceed to the next step.

Solution 2 — Repair a half-installed prerequisite

1. Cancel the hanging PCS 7 setup. Cancel the SQL Server setup child window if it appears.
2. Open Programs and Features and confirm the install state of: Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (64-bit), Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable (x64), Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 Redistributable (x64), Microsoft .NET Framework 4.x.
3. If any are listed as installed but the date matches the failed PCS 7 install, uninstall them in reverse order.
4. Reboot. Verify RebootPending is clear.
5. Re-run the PCS 7 V8.1 setup. The setup will detect the missing prerequisites and re-install them before reaching the SQL step.

Solution 3 — Manually install SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 for the Information Server first

If the PCS 7 wrapper repeatedly fails to deliver a usable SQL child install, install SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 manually from the same media, then resume the PCS 7 setup. The PCS 7 setup will detect the instance and skip the SQL step.

1. Insert or mount the PCS 7 V8.1 DVD 2. Navigate to the Information Server SQL 2008 R2 SP2 redistributable folder.
2. Launch the SQL setup independently. Reference the Microsoft Install SQL Server from the Installation Wizard (Setup) procedure for the official step list.
3. On the Feature Selection page, select Database Engine Services, Client Tools Connectivity, Client Tools Backwards Compatibility, and Management Tools – Basic. These are the minimum required for the PCS 7 Information Server.
4. On the Instance Configuration page, use the default instance (or a named instance matching the PCS 7 Information Server convention if you have previously installed).
5. On the Server Configuration page, set the SQL Server service account to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM and the SQL Server Agent startup type to Manual (the Information Server starts/stops the agent itself).
6. On the Database Engine Configuration page, add the current Windows user as a SQL administrator. Mixed Mode is not required for the Information Server.
7. Complete the install and confirm the SQL service starts.
8. Re-run the PCS 7 V8.1 setup. The SQL step will report as already satisfied and the setup will advance to the next component.

Solution 4 — Clean up a corrupted previous install attempt

1. Cancel the hanging setup.
2. Stop and delete the partial SQL services: sc stop MSSQLSERVER, sc delete MSSQLSERVER (substitute the instance name if a named instance was used).
3. Remove the residual SQL directories: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\, C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\, and any data directories referenced during the partial install.
4. Remove the residual SQL registry keys: HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server, HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer.
5. Reboot and verify RebootPending is clear.
6. Re-run the PCS 7 V8.1 setup from a clean state.

Configuration Reference for the Information Server SQL Instance

After the SQL install completes (either through the PCS 7 setup wrapper or manually), the Information Server expects the following configuration. These values are checked by the PCS 7 Information Server service at startup and a mismatch causes the IS to refuse connections even though SQL itself is healthy.

Verification

Confirm a clean install and healthy Information Server with the following checks.

1. SQL Server service health. Open services.msc. SQL Server (MSSQLSERVER) must be in state Running, startup type Automatic. The startup account must match the value configured during install.
2. SQL Server connectivity. From an elevated command prompt run sqlcmd -S . -E -Q "SELECT @@VERSION". Expected output contains Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (SP2). If the command returns a network-related or instance-specific error, the SQL Browser service is not running or the TCP/IP protocol is disabled.
3. Information Server databases present. Run sqlcmd -S . -E -Q "SELECT name FROM sys.databases WHERE name LIKE 'WinCC%' OR name LIKE 'IS%' OR name LIKE 'CC_%'". The Information Server install creates the WinCC_InformationServer and (if BATCH IS is licensed) the SB_-prefixed databases.
4. Information Server runtime. Open the SIMATIC Information Server shortcut on the Start menu, or navigate to http://localhost/InfoServer. The IS web front-end should load with the configured project. Log in with the Windows user configured as the IS administrator during setup.
5. BATCH IS options (if licensed). Confirm the SB options installed from 60_SB__V8.1\SBISOPSSEU per the official Information Server BATCH IS options installation manual. Verify the SIMATIC BATCH Information Server Options service is registered and the corresponding databases are present.
6. PCS 7 setup log. Open the PCS 7 setup log at %TEMP%\Siemens\Automation\PCS7_V8.1_Setup\Logs. Every step, including the SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 – (Information Server) (x64) step, must show success rather than skipped or failed.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Field-Commissioning Notes

• On a VMware Workstation 10 (or later) hosted Windows 7 image, the same symptom has been reproduced. SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 setup has known sensitivity to virtual CPU topology. If running in a VM, set the vCPU count to a power of 2 (2 or 4) and disable CPU hot-add before installing PCS 7 V8.1.
• Domain-joined workstations must have a writable, online TEMP folder. Map %TEMP% to a local path before the install if the user profile is offline-synced.
• Do not run the PCS 7 setup over Remote Desktop (RDP) unless the console session is the active session. Modal dialogs spawned over a non-console RDP session are particularly prone to being placed behind the parent window and are not visible on the next RDP reconnect until the session is re-attached at the console.
• When the workstation is shared with other SIMATIC products (WinCC flexible, TIA Portal, STEP 7 V5.x), verify that no other SIMATIC setup has left a half-installed SQL instance. The PCS 7 setup will try to use the same default instance and will hang if the instance is in an inconsistent state.
• Capture the PCS 7 setup log and the SQL bootstrap log set (Summary.txt plus all Detail.txt files in the <timestamp>_Core_Log and <timestamp>_Watson_Log folders) before canceling the install. Siemens support requires both to escalate.

FAQ