Resolving TIA Portal V14 SP1 Installation Error 1619 on Windows 10

Installing TIA Portal V14 SP1 on a Windows 10 Pro 64-bit workstation that already hosts earlier TIA versions (V13 SP2, V14 base) frequently terminates with a generic installer error and an underlying Microsoft SQL Server setup failure. The user-facing message "ERROR AdsWorkerForeignExe::GetInstallResult(): - 1619" is the wrapper error; the root cause is buried in the SQL Server bootstrap log. This guide walks through reading the failed log, understanding what blocks the install, executing a deterministic cleanup, and applying the correct install order so V14 SP1 completes successfully.

1. Problem Description

A workstation that has run TIA Portal V13 SP2 and TIA Portal V14 (base) successfully fails to upgrade to V14 SP1. The installer reports:

ERROR  AdsWorkerForeignExe::GetInstallResult(): - 1619:
       assuming unknown error, because return value is not in OK-list
       which is only defined. Please check the corresponding log file for
       more detailed information

ERROR  ExecutionEngine::StartNextStepAsync():
       Execution has been cancelled. Probably because of some process(es)
       running on the machine

The deeper WinCC Professional setup log shows the real failure:

12:12:38 |ERROR  AdsWorkerClassicProduct::OnWorkerCompleted():
       ClassicProduct setup result: 1:
       SQL Server installation failed.
       To continue, investigate the reason for the failure, correct the
       problem, uninstall SQL Server, and then rerun SQL Server Setup.

       Microsoft SQL Server log files:
       C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\Summary.txt
       C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\...

The Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 (10.0.x) setup bootstrap is the embedded database engine that TIA Portal V14 SP1 ships with for the project archive and runtime data. If the SQL installer cannot complete, the TIA setup rolls back and emits the misleading -1619 wrapper.

2. Root Cause Analysis

Three interacting root causes are observed in the field. They are usually stacked, not isolated.

2.1 Mixed / Pre-release Version Footprint

If a workstation previously had TIA Portal V13 base or TIA Portal V13 SP1 installed, the SIMATIC WinCC Professional and embedded SQL Server 2008 R2 components are written with a configuration that is not compatible with V14 SP1. The V13 base and V13 SP1 installers deploy SQL Server versions that are not Windows 10-certified. Attempting to install V14 SP1 over the top leaves a partially migrated SQL instance that fails the new installer's prerequisites.

2.2 Conflicting SQL Server Instances

The TIA setup expects to install or upgrade the named instance SQLEXPRESS with the TIA-specific collation and authentication settings. If a previous TIA install left a corrupt MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS service, an orphaned MASTER/MODEL database, or a locked setup.exe lock file in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\, the new installer aborts. The classic symptom is the bootstrap log showing "Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed" or "The SQL Server service failed to start".

2.3 Installer Concurrency / Process Lock

The secondary error:

ERROR  ExecutionEngine::StartNextStepAsync():
       Execution has been cancelled. Probably because of some process(es)
       running on the machine

indicates that the TIA setup engine suspended because one of these was still running when the SQL setup step started:

• setup.exe from a previous TIA install still resident in memory.
• SQL Server MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS service in a "Stopping" state.
• Windows Installer msiexec.exe handling a pending MSI transaction.
• Siemens S7OOREMA automation license manager service stuck during a DLL unload.
• Antivirus / EDR (CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Defender ATP) intercepting the SQL Server 2008 R2 Express setup binary.

3. Affected Versions and Platforms

Use the matrix below to confirm you are on a supported install path before performing cleanup.

4. Pre-Cleanup Diagnostics

Capture the following data before any uninstall activity. This ensures the underlying SQL fault is documented for Siemens support if escalation becomes necessary.

4.1 Locate the TIA Setup Log Directory

The default location is:

%TEMP%\Siemens\Automation\Setup\Logs\

Open the most recent SetupLog_<date>_<time>.txt file. Search for the strings SQL Server installation failed, error code 1619, and AdsWorkerForeignExe. Note the exact LastError field returned by SQL Server 2008 R2 Setup.

4.2 Read the SQL Server Bootstrap Log

Open the Summary.txt file at:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\Summary.txt

And drill into the most recent sub-folder (named with a timestamp). The relevant files are:

• Detail.txt — full installation timeline.
• SQLSetup_<ID>_Core.log — engine setup, collation, and service account configuration.
• SqlEngineConfigAction_Install_CPU64.log — typically where the install aborts with "The service did not start due to a logon failure" or "Wait on the Database Engine recovery handle failed".

4.3 Inventory the SQL Instances

Open an elevated PowerShell and run:

Get-Service | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "*SQL*" } | Format-Table Name, Status, StartType -AutoSize
Get-ChildItem "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
    Get-ItemProperty | Where-Object { $_.InstalledInstances } |
    Select-Object -ExpandProperty InstalledInstances

Note any SQLEXPRESS, TIAPORTAL, or legacy SCCM instances. They must be removed cleanly before V14 SP1 will install.

5. Step-by-Step Resolution

Step 1 — Stop All Conflicting Processes

Open services.msc and stop (or set to Disabled) the following services before any uninstall:

• SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) — MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS
• SQL Server VSS Writer — SQLWriter
• SQL Server Browser — SQLBrowser
• Siemens Automation License Manager — almserver
• Siemens S7-PCT and any residual CCAgent service

Confirm in Task Manager that setup.exe, msiexec.exe, and S7OOREMA.exe are not running.

Step 2 — Remove the Existing TIA Portal Stack in Correct Order

The uninstall must follow reverse build order. Do not skip versions.

1. Open Control Panel → Programs and Features (or appwiz.cpl).
2. Uninstall the highest patch level first. The reference uninstall chain is:
   TIA V14 SP1 Update x → TIA V14 SP1 → TIA V14 → TIA V13 SP2 → SIMATIC WinCC Professional V13 SP2 → SIMATIC WinCC Professional V13 SP1 → SIMATIC WinCC Professional V13.
3. Use the Siemens TIA Portal Uninstaller at Start → Siemens Automation → TIA Portal Uninstaller when available. The bundled utility removes the registry footprint that appwiz.cpl leaves behind.
4. If a previous installer is corrupt, perform a manual cleanup with the Siemens "Completely uninstall TIA Portal" KB procedure, then run the registry cleanup PowerShell referenced in Section 6.

Step 3 — Remove Residual SQL Server Components

After TIA is uninstalled, remove all SQL Server instances and shared features:

1. Download Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 setup (the same media that originally shipped with V13/V14) and run setup.exe → Maintenance → Remove against the existing instance.
2. Remove shared features: SQL Server 2008 R2 Setup Support Files, SQL Server Native Client, SQL Server VSS Writer.
3. Reboot the workstation.

Step 4 — Clean the File System

Delete the following directories if they remain after uninstall:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation
C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.SQLEXPRESS\
C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Crypto\RSA\MachineKeys   <-- only if not used by other apps
%APPDATA%\Siemens
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Siemens

Step 5 — Clean the Registry

Open regedit as Administrator and remove (export first for rollback):

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Siemens\Automation
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\100\
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\100\
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SQLWriter
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SQLBrowser

Step 6 — Reboot and Verify a Clean State

Run the verification commands from Section 7. They must return empty results before proceeding to the install.

Step 7 — Reinstall TIA Portal in the Correct Order

For a Windows 10 Pro 64-bit target running V14 SP1, the order is strict:

1. Install TIA Portal V13 SP2 (full media, not V13 or V13 SP1). Wait for completion. The SQL Server 2008 R2 engine is configured here.
2. Install TIA Portal V14 base (only if you need both versions side by side).
3. Install TIA Portal V14 SP1. This is the version that originally failed.
4. Apply the latest TIA Portal V14 SP1 Update (Update 7 or later for Windows 10 20H2 support).
5. Apply WinCC Professional V14 SP1 Update if HMI panels are in scope.

6. PowerShell Cleanup Script

The script below automates Sections 1-5. It must be run from an elevated powershell.exe -ExecutionPolicy Bypass session.

#Requires -RunAsAdministrator
# TIA V14 SP1 Pre-Install Cleanup
$ErrorActionPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'

# 1. Stop services
$svc = @('MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS','SQLWriter','SQLBrowser','almserver','CCAgent')
foreach ($s in $svc) {
    $sv = Get-Service -Name $s -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($sv -and $sv.Status -eq 'Running') { Stop-Service -Name $s -Force -Verbose }
}

# 2. Kill orphaned installers
Get-Process setup.exe, msiexec.exe, S7OOREMA.exe -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue |
    Stop-Process -Force

# 3. Remove file system residue
$paths = @(
    "$env:ProgramFiles(x86)\Siemens\Automation",
    "$env:ProgramFiles\Siemens\Automation",
    "$env:ProgramFiles(x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100",
    "$env:ProgramFiles(x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10.SQLEXPRESS",
    "$env:ProgramData\Siemens\Automation",
    "$env:APPDATA\Siemens",
    "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\Siemens"
)
foreach ($p in $paths) { if (Test-Path $p) { Remove-Item $p -Recurse -Force } }

# 4. Remove registry residue
$regPaths = @(
    'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation',
    'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Siemens\Automation',
    'HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation',
    'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\100',
    'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\100'
)
foreach ($r in $regPaths) { if (Test-Path $r) { Remove-Item $r -Recurse -Force } }

# 5. Restart and prompt
Write-Host "Reboot required before TIA V14 SP1 install." -ForegroundColor Yellow
shutdown /r /t 30 /c "Reboot for TIA V14 SP1 cleanup"

7. Verification

After reboot and before launching the TIA V14 SP1 setup, confirm a clean state with the checks below.

7.1 Confirm No Residual SQL Services

sc query MSSQL$SQLEXPRESS
sc query SQLWriter
sc query SQLBrowser

Each command should return 1060: The service is not installed.

7.2 Confirm No Residual TIA Processes

tasklist | findstr /i "s7simat s7oiehsx tiaportal wincc almserver"

Output must be empty.

7.3 Confirm Disk and Permission State

• At least 35 GB free on the system drive (TIA V13 SP2 + V14 SP1 + Updates ≈ 25 GB; reserve 10 GB workspace).
• User account is in the local Administrators group (required for the SQL Server 2008 R2 service account creation).
• UAC is enabled (TIA setup refuses to run with UAC fully disabled on Windows 10).
• The setup media is mounted on a local drive; network shares can cause the -1619 wrapper.

7.4 Confirm the Install Completed Cleanly

After the install:

1. Verify the new TIA Portal shortcut launches without the "SQL Server configuration failed" dialog.
2. Open the project tree and create a test project. The TIA portal archive database is the first component to touch the new SQL instance.
3. Check the new SQL bootstrap log at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Setup Bootstrap\Log\Summary.txt (V14 SP1 uses the 110 = SQL Server 2012 engine, not the 100 = SQL Server 2008 R2 engine from V13).

8. Installer Error Code Reference

9. Field-Engineer Checklist

• [ ] Confirm TIA version history: no V13 base or V13 SP1 ever installed on this image.
• [ ] Confirm OS: Windows 10 1607 to 1909 (or 20H2 with V14 SP1 Update 7+).
• [ ] Capture the Summary.txt and Detail.txt from the SQL bootstrap log before cleanup.
• [ ] Disable antivirus / EDR exclusions for C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation and C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\.
• [ ] Run the PowerShell cleanup script in Section 6.
• [ ] Reboot, run the verification in Section 7.
• [ ] Install in this order: V13 SP2 → V14 base → V14 SP1 → V14 SP1 Update 7+.
• [ ] Validate by creating a test project and confirming the SQL archive is functional.

10. When to Escalate to Siemens Support

Escalate via the Siemens Industry Online Support portal under product ID 6ES7822-0A..04-.. (TIA Portal V14 SP1) when:

• The SQL bootstrap log contains hex return codes outside the documented SQL Server 2008 R2 / 2012 set (e.g., 0x80004005 with no preceding COM/RPC error).
• The V14 SP1 setup completes but the TIA portal IDE reports "Cannot connect to archive database" on first launch.
• The same -1619 wrapper reappears on a freshly imaged Windows 10 Pro 64-bit system with no prior TIA history (this indicates defective media — request an MD5-verified rebuild from Siemens).

Attach the following to the support request:

1. Full %TEMP%\Siemens\Automation\Setup\Logs\ directory zipped.
2. The SQL Summary.txt, Detail.txt, and SqlEngineConfigAction_Install_CPU64.log files.
3. Output of msinfo32 /report %TEMP%\msinfo.nfo for hardware and OS confirmation.
4. The Siemens TIA Portal "S7TIAInstallationCheck.exe" log (located under %TEMP%\Siemens\Automation\Support\).

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