Resolving TIA Portal V19 "License STEP7 Basic was not found" Error (Error Code 0086:000300)

When launching TIA Portal V19 and attempting to add a new device, open a previously created project, or simply interact with the editor, the dialog "License STEP7 Basic was not found" appears, followed by the secondary message "Automation License Manager (0086:000300)". This article walks through the exact diagnostic procedure using the Automation License Manager (ALM), explains the four most common root causes, and provides five field-proven resolution methods. Target audience: commissioning engineers, system integrators, and maintenance technicians responsible for TIA Portal V17/V18/V19 workstations where STEP 7 Basic or Professional is licensed.

1. Problem Description

The error presents itself as a modal popup that prevents any device insertion, project navigation, or compilation in TIA Portal. The two message strings typically reported are:

• Primary: "License STEP7 Basic was not found"
• Secondary (in the detail pane or as the parent dialog title): "Automation License Manager (0086:000300)"

The popup appears in one of the following scenarios:

1. Clicking Add new device in the project tree
2. Double-clicking a PLC tag, program block, or HMI screen in an existing project
3. Opening a project that was migrated or created on another TIA Portal workstation
4. On the first launch of TIA Portal after a trial period expiration (most common)
5. After a major Windows update that invalidates USB-based license keys

2. Affected Products, Versions, and Error Codes

For the official TIA Portal V19 delivery release, refer to the Siemens support entry 109770654 - TIA Portal V19. For the Automation License Manager itself, see Siemens support entry 109745274 - Automation License Manager.

3. Error Code Reference (0086:000300)

The TIA Portal license framework is a two-layer system. The error code 0086:000300 is interpreted as:

Other codes that may appear in the same dialog:

4. Root Cause Analysis

The dialog text is a symptom, not a root cause. Below are the four mechanisms that generate the exact string "License STEP7 Basic was not found":

4.1 Expired Trial License (most frequent cause)

TIA Portal ships with a 21-day trial of STEP 7 Professional. After installation, the ALM registers the trial key in the local license store. The trial key carries a validity timestamp; on day 22 the key transitions to the expired state. Once expired, the trial cannot be re-armed on the same machine, even by reinstalling TIA Portal, because the license fingerprint is bound to the PC SID, MAC, and CPU ID hash.

4.2 License Held on a Different Workstation

Floating licenses (single-user or concurrent) are stored on one PC or on a license server. The ALM on the current PC performs a lookup and, finding no matching key in the local store or in the network-defined server, returns 0086:000300. The classic situation is a colleague who has the license on a USB stick that is not currently attached, or a license server located in a different VLAN that the engineering PC cannot reach.

4.3 Version Mismatch Between TIA Portal and License

A license purchased for TIA Portal V16/V17 will not unlock features that require V18/V19. The ALM may still display the key as valid, but TIA Portal's internal feature check fails, resulting in the popup. This commonly happens after a TIA Portal upgrade when the SUSL (Software Update Service License) has not been renewed.

4.4 Corrupted License Database

The local license store is a SQLite database located at %ProgramData%\Siemens\Automation\Licenses\Lsidin5.mdf with sidecar files. A forced power-off, a failed ALM crash, or a partial restore can leave the database in an inconsistent state. ALM then reports the key as "not present" because the index it relies on is unreadable.

5. Pre-Diagnostic Checklist

Before opening ALM, run through this quick list. Many field tickets are resolved by items 1-3 alone.

1. Confirm the date and time of the PC are correct (Windows time sync enabled, timezone correct). A clock more than 24 h in the past makes the ALM reject all keys.
2. Connect the License Key USB stick if you use one. Wait 10 s for enumeration before launching TIA Portal.
3. Verify the network: if using a license server, ping <server> and confirm the ALM port 4410 (TCP) is reachable via Test-NetConnection -Port 4410.
4. Close all TIA Portal instances and stop the ALM Service from services.msc.
5. Verify you are an administrator on the PC. License modifications require elevation.

6. Diagnostic Procedure with Automation License Manager

The ALM is the single source of truth for license state on a Siemens engineering workstation. It is the only tool that should be trusted when the TIA Portal popup is dismissed.

6.1 Launching ALM

1. Click the Windows Start button.
2. Type Automation License Manager and select the result.
3. If the search returns nothing, browse to C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation\License Manager\Bin\almservicex.exe or C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\License Manager\Bin\almservicex.exe.
4. Right-click Run as administrator even if you are already admin - this avoids UAC prompts later when the service queries itself.

6.2 Reading the ALM Main Window

The ALM window is split into two panes. The left pane lists detected license containers in priority order:

1. USB-attached License Key sticks
2. Local hard-disk license store (C: drive or "Computer")
3. Remote license servers (each shown as a separate node)

The right pane lists every license key detected in the selected container, with the following columns: License, Status, Validity, Number of licenses, Type, Computer. Expand each entry to see the underlying features (e.g., "STEP 7 Professional" and "WinCC Professional" on the same MLFB).

6.3 ALM Status Icon Reference

6.4 Reading the License Detail Dialog

Right-click a license entry and select Properties to see:

• License number - the unique 20-character key
• Validity from / to - hard timestamps; the key is unusable past the to date
• Number of licenses - for floating licenses, the count of concurrent users
• Issued to - end customer name on the CoL (Certificate of License)
• CoL ID - needed when contacting Siemens to extend or replace the key

Capture this information as a screenshot. It is the evidence required by Siemens support if the next step is to re-issue the key.

7. Resolution Methods

Apply the first method that matches the diagnosis. Methods 1-3 cover the most common field cases; methods 4-5 cover database or installation corruption.

Method 1 - Activate a New License Key from a License Key USB Stick

1. Insert the License Key USB stick into the engineering PC.
2. Open ALM as administrator (Section 6.1).
3. Locate the stick in the left-hand navigation tree.
4. Right-click the desired license and select Transfer > to local drive (or simply drag the license from the USB node to the Computer node).
5. Wait for the green check to appear next to the local copy.
6. Optionally remove the USB stick and launch TIA Portal to confirm the popup is gone.

Method 2 - Activate a License via the Online Software Delivery (OSD) Portal

1. Log in to Siemens Industry Online Support with the customer number that owns the license.
2. Open Online Software Delivery and locate the purchased CoL.
3. Select Activate license; the portal generates a .alf (Automation License File) for the targeted PC fingerprint.
4. Download the .alf and copy it to the engineering PC.
5. Open ALM, choose License > Install / Upgrade License, and point to the .alf file.
6. Confirm the key is installed (green check in ALM).

Method 3 - Activate a Trial License for a Fresh TIA Portal Installation

Use this only on a workstation that has never had a TIA Portal trial before. The trial is bound to the hardware fingerprint and cannot be re-issued on the same PC.

1. Close TIA Portal.
2. Run the TIA Portal setup executable with --trial if upgrading, or simply launch the standard installer on a clean PC.
3. On the first launch, the ALM registers a 21-day trial and TIA Portal activates the highest tier present in the setup (typically STEP 7 Professional + WinCC Professional).
4. Confirm the trial is listed in ALM with a green check and a validity 21 days in the future.

Method 4 - Repair the TIA Portal Installation

1. Open Windows Settings > Apps > Installed apps.
2. Locate Siemens TIA Portal V19 (or matching version) and select Modify.
3. Choose Repair. The installer re-registers the ALM service and the license check DLLs.
4. Reboot when prompted.
5. Re-test the previously failing action in TIA Portal.

Method 5 - Restore the Local License Database from Backup

1. Stop the ALM service: net stop "ALM Service" in an elevated command prompt.
2. Navigate to %ProgramData%\Siemens\Automation\Licenses\.
3. Identify the most recent .zip backup created by ALM (default cadence: weekly).
4. Extract the backup files into the same folder, overwriting the corrupt Lsidin5.mdf and Lsidin5_log.ldf.
5. Restart the ALM service: net start "ALM Service".
6. Re-launch ALM and verify the key is present with a green check.

8. Verification Steps After Resolution

Do not assume the issue is closed until every step passes.

1. ALM check: Open ALM, confirm the relevant STEP 7 license row shows a green check.
2. TIA Portal re-launch: Start TIA Portal V19; the splash screen should display "License OK" in the lower-right corner.
3. Add new device test: In an empty project, click Add new device > SIMATIC S7-1500 > any CPU. The dialog should accept the action without a license popup.
4. Open original project: Re-open the project that previously triggered the error and attempt to compile (right-click PLC > Compile > Software (rebuild all)). Compile must complete with zero errors and no license popup.
5. ALM event log: In ALM, choose View > Event Log and confirm no new "License missing" entries since the resolution.

9. Prevention and License Management Best Practices

A few operational habits eliminate 90% of license-related tickets:

• Track CoL dates centrally. Maintain a spreadsheet of every CoL, the issue date, the validity, and the assigned workstation. Alert 60 days before expiration.
• Renew SUSL every year. The Software Update Service License is what allows an existing key to unlock the next TIA Portal version. Without it, you are stuck on the version stamped on the original CoL.
• Avoid mixing TIA versions on a single PC. A PC with TIA V17 and V19 installed uses a single ALM database. An old trial key from V17 can shadow a new V19 key during lookup. Uninstall obsolete TIA versions you no longer need.
• Keep a clean ALM backup. Set ALM's automatic backup to monthly and store copies on a network share. This single habit resolves corruption incidents in minutes instead of days.
• Document the license transfer process. For floating licenses used by multiple engineers, write the ALM drag-and-drop procedure in a one-page SOP and laminate it near the engineering PCs.

10. Troubleshooting Matrix

11. Related Siemens Documentation

For deeper reading, the following official Siemens resources are the authoritative references:

• TIA Portal V19 delivery release and installation notes (109770654)
• Automation License Manager manual (109745274)
• Siemens Industry Online Support portal - searchable by error code or CoL number
• TIA Portal product overview