Resolving WinCC 6.2 SQL Server 2005 MDAC Installation Errors

Resolving WinCC 6.2 SQL Server 2005 MDAC Installation Errors on Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2

Siemens WinCC 6.2 has a hard dependency on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 as its archive and runtime database engine. When the WinCC setup launches on Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2, the SQL Server 2005 prerequisite installer frequently fails with a cascade of errors: first the Data Access V2.8 SP2 prerequisite check, then the well-known "An installation package for the SQL Server Native Client (sqlncli.msi) cannot be found" message. This article walks through the architecture behind the failure, the version-compatibility matrix, and a deterministic field-tested remediation path that restores the installation.

1. Problem Definition

The reported failure sequence is reproducible on a clean Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 installation after applying the WinCC 6.2 prerequisite hotfix:

1. The setup GUI displays "Data Access V2.8 SP2 is required" even though a later version is already installed on the system.
2. When the installer attempts to launch the bundled sqlncli.msi (SQL Server Native Client), it returns "An installation package for the SQL Server Native Client cannot be found. Try the installation again by using a valid copy of the installation package sqlncli.msi."
3. Manually launching sqlncli.msi from the SQL Server 2005 media still prompts for the original installation CD, even though the CD or mounted ISO is in the drive.

The combined effect is that the SQL Server 2005 engine never installs, which in turn blocks the WinCC 6.2 database setup (MSDB-CC, project archives, and tag logging databases cannot be created).

2. Architecture: Why MDAC and SQL Native Client Conflict

2.1 The MDAC Stack

Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) is the legacy data-access framework that exposes ODBC, OLE DB, and ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) to applications. MDAC is preinstalled on Windows Server 2003 and is updated by the operating system through Windows Service Packs and certain Microsoft hotfixes. The Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 release ships MDAC 2.8 SP2 (KB901190) and may have additional MDAC components applied by subsequent updates.

The SQL Server 2005 setup bootstrapper contains a hard-coded check for MDAC 2.8 SP2. If the installer detects a component version that is numerically lower, it blocks installation. If it detects a version that is numerically higher, the same prerequisite check fires the misleading "Data Access V2.8 SP2 is required" dialog because the bootstrapper does not implement a "less than or equal" comparison.

2.2 SQL Server Native Client (SNAC)

Beginning with SQL Server 2005, Microsoft replaced the OLE DB/ODBC stack distributed through MDAC with SQL Server Native Client (SNAC), shipped as sqlncli.msi. SNAC exposes the TDS (Tabular Data Stream) protocol natively to client applications and is a separate installer from MDAC.

When the WinCC 6.2 prerequisite hotfix is run, it copies sqlncli.msi to the local %TEMP% directory and stages the SQL Server 2005 install packages. If the staging folder is cleared (e.g., by a reboot, anti-virus quarantine, or a CleanMgr run) before the actual install completes, the bootstrapper can no longer locate the file and emits the "sqlncli.msi cannot be found" error.

2.3 The "CD Prompt" Loop

The second symptom — running sqlncli.msi from the SQL Server 2005 media and receiving a request for the original installation CD — is caused by the MSI source-list resolution mechanism. Each .msi file embeds a list of source directories and package IDs. When a SQL Server 2005 sqlncli.msi is patched via a hotfix, the patched sqlncli.msi expects the original media as its source for any install/uninstall/repair. If the drive letter of the CD/ISO has changed since the patch was created, or if the original media was an upgrade SKU, Windows Installer cannot resolve the source list.

3. Root-Cause Matrix

4. Prerequisites and Inventory

Before attempting remediation, capture the system inventory. This documents the configuration and provides a baseline if a Microsoft Support case is opened.

1. Verify the Windows installation:

   systeminfo | findstr /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version" /C:"System Type"

2. Verify the MDAC version:

   reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DataAccess" /v FullInstallVer
   reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DataAccess" /v Version

   The expected value on a clean Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 is 2.82.3959.0 or higher.
3. Verify Windows Installer:

   reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer" /v Version

   The required version is 3.1.6001.x or later.
4. Verify that the SQL Server 2005 installation media is a retail full-install DVD or mounted ISO, not an upgrade SKU. The retail media contains the following folders:
   • Servers — full SQL Server 2005 engine
   • Tools — Client Tools, Management Studio
   • Redist — Hotfix prerequisite redists (contains sqlncli.msi)
5. Verify free disk space: WinCC 6.2 + SQL Server 2005 + WinCC hotfix requires 4.5 GB minimum free on C:\, with an additional 1 GB on the data drive.
6. Confirm the service account: WinCC 6.2 requires the SQL Server service to run under NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM or a domain account with the Log on as a service right, never LocalService.

5. Step-by-Step Remediation

5.1 Stage the Prerequisite Folder Manually

Rather than relying on the WinCC prerequisite hotfix to stage the SQL Server files, copy the entire SQL Server 2005 redistributable tree to a local writable folder. This eliminates all "Insert CD" prompts and isolates the install from optical drive-letter changes.

mkdir C:\Install\SQL2005
xcopy /E /V /H /K /Y E:\*.* C:\Install\SQL2005\
:: E: is the mounted ISO / DVD drive letter

5.2 Remove the Conflicting MDAC Component (if present)

Inspect C:\Install\SQL2005\Servers\setup\sqlsetup.dll (or open the Bootstrap.log at %TEMP%\sqlsetup*\Bootstrap\Log) for the exact KB number that the bootstrapper flags. Typical offenders include:

Do not roll back a hotfix that resolves a security vulnerability. Instead, use the documented installer parameter to bypass the prerequisite scan (Section 5.5).

5.3 Pre-stage sqlncli.msi in the WinCC Hotfix Cache

The WinCC 6.2 hotfix cache is normally C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\Setup\Hotfix. Copy the unpatched sqlncli.msi (9.00.1399.06 or higher) from the SQL Server 2005 media into this folder:

copy /Y C:\Install\SQL2005\Redist\sqlncli.msi "C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\Setup\Hotfix\sqlncli.msi"

Then re-run the WinCC 6.2 prerequisite hotfix. The bootstrapper will now find sqlncli.msi in its own cache and will not prompt for a CD.

5.4 Install SQL Server Native Client Manually

If the SQL Server 2005 setup still fails on the SNAC prerequisite, install the Native Client as a standalone Windows Installer package. Use /qb for a progress-only UI or /qn for a silent install in automation contexts:

msiexec /i "C:\Install\SQL2005\Redist\sqlncli.msi" /qb IACCEPTSQLNCLILICENSETERMS=YES

Verify the install succeeded:

reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Native Client\CurrentVersion" /v Version
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Native Client\CurrentVersion" /v FileVersion

Expected Version: 9.00.1399.06 or higher (depends on SP). Expected FileVersion: 2005.90.xxxx.xx.

5.5 Bypass the Prerequisite Check (Last Resort)

If the bootstrapper persists in flagging MDAC, the SQL Server 2005 setup.exe accepts a documented startup switch that skips prerequisite scanning. Open an elevated command prompt and launch:

cd /d C:\Install\SQL2005\Servers
setup.exe /qb SKUUPGRADE=1 -SqlServiceStartMode auto INSTANCENAME=WINCC MSSQLSERVER=1

This is the only supported bypass. Do not edit sqlsetup.dll or modify the bootstrapper's registry hives — those actions are unsupported and will cause the SQL Server installer to roll back at the end of the install.

5.6 Complete the WinCC 6.2 Installation

Once the SQL Server 2005 setup reports successful installation:

1. Confirm the MSSQL$WINCC (or MSSQLSERVER) service starts and stays in state 4 (RUNNING):

   sc query MSSQL$WINCC | findstr STATE

2. Launch the WinCC 6.2 setup again. The setup will detect the SQL Server 2005 instance and create the system databases:

• CC_Alg_<computername>_<timestamp> — Alarm Logging runtime database
• CC_Tlg_<computername>_<timestamp> — Tag Logging runtime database
• CC_<projectname>_<timestamp> — Per-project archive database

The default database size allocation is 1024 MB for alarm logging and 2048 MB for tag logging on a fresh install. Adjust these in the WinCC Archive Configuration tool after the install completes.

6. Verification

Run the following checks to confirm a clean install. Any failure here indicates that the prerequisite conflict has not been fully resolved.

For long-running verification, run the WinCC stress benchmark (if available on your media) for 24 hours and inspect the sys.dm_os_wait_stats DMV for excessive PAGEIOLATCH_* waits — these indicate an undersized SQL Server tempdb, a separate issue but commonly observed alongside install problems because admins under-size the data drive during recovery.

7. Edge Cases and Field-Proven Caveats

7.1 32-Bit SQL Server 2005 on x64 Windows

The WinCC 6.2 release ships with a 32-bit SQL Server 2005 Express installer. On Windows Server 2003 R2 x64, this install uses the WOW64 subsystem. If the WOW64 redirector is corrupted (often after applying KB921883), the bootstrapper can see the 64-bit MDAC stack and the 32-bit sqlncli.msi will fail with ERROR_BAD_EXE_FORMAT (193). Re-register the WOW64 layer:

cd /d C:\Windows\SysWOW64
regsvr32 /u mshtml.dll
regsvr32 mshtml.dll

7.2 Anti-Virus Quarantine

McAfee VirusScan 8.x and Symantec Endpoint Protection 11.x are known to quarantine sqlncli.msi when the file is staged in %TEMP%. Add an AV exclusion for the WinCC install folder and for the SQL Server staging directory before re-running the hotfix. Microsoft documents AV exclusions for SQL Server at Antivirus software and SQL Server.

7.3 SSIS ADO.NET Source 1424 Error (Related KB)

After the install, if SSIS packages are deployed that use the ADO.NET source and pull data from SQL Server 2005/2008/R2, you may encounter ADO NET source 1424. Microsoft published the fix in KB969845. Apply .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 or .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 if the SSIS package throws this error during scheduled execution.

7.4 Mixed-SKU Media

If only an upgrade SKU of SQL Server 2005 is available (e.g., a "SQL Server 2005 Upgrade Advisor" disc), the installer will fail with the same sqlncli.msi error because the upgrade SKU does not contain a full SNAC redistributable. Procure a full retail SKU, which is identified by the presence of the Servers, Tools, and Redist folders on the disc root.

7.5 WinCC 6.2 SP3/SP4 on Windows Server 2008 R2

If the platform has been upgraded to Windows Server 2008 R2 (Windows Server 2003 mainstream support ended 13 July 2010 and extended support ended 14 July 2015), WinCC 6.2 SP4 is the last release compatible with SQL Server 2005 on the new OS. Ensure the SQL Server 2005 install is the SP4 variant, otherwise the install will roll back at the SQL Server Configuration Manager step.

8. Reinstall / Uninstall Checklist

If a previous attempt left partial components, clean them in this order before retrying:

1. Stop the WinCC service: net stop "CCAgent>"
2. Stop the SQL service: net stop MSSQL$WINCC
3. Uninstall WinCC 6.2 via appwiz.cpl in reverse order (ASIA add-ons first, then SPx, then base).
4. Uninstall SQL Server 2005 via appwiz.cpl.
5. Remove leftover directories: C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL.1\MSSQL\Data and C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC (after backup).
6. Clean registry keys:

   reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server" /f
   reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer" /f
   reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Native Client" /f

   Back up the registry before executing these commands.
7. Reboot, verify %TEMP%\SqlSetup* is empty, then re-run the install following Section 5.

9. Long-Term Reliability Considerations

The MDAC/SNAC stack on Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 is in extended support only via paid Premier contracts. For new WinCC deployments, migrate to a supported WinCC V7.x or V8.x release on a current Windows Server platform. The remediation steps in this article are intended to revive legacy installations where downtime must be avoided, not as a greenfield recommendation.

Apply the latest WinCC 6.2 SP4 ASIA rollup (released Q4 2012) and the latest SQL Server 2005 SP4 GDR (KB3045311 chain, also Q4 2012) to minimize the residual security exposure on this OS.

10. Summary of Diagnostic Decisions

The two errors — the MDAC prerequisite and the sqlncli.msi source resolution failure — share a common cause: the WinCC prerequisite hotfix cannot locate the full SQL Server 2005 redistributable tree in a stable, write-locked location. Resolving them requires:

1. Replacing the optical media (or drive letter) with a local copy on C:\Install\SQL2005\.
2. Pre-staging sqlncli.msi into the WinCC hotfix cache.
3. Installing SNAC 9.0 manually if the bootstrapper still fails.
4. Verifying with the registry version keys and the WinCC system check.

Field engineers who follow the above procedure report a clean install on the first retry in the majority of cases; the remainder are resolved by switching to a retail full-install SKU of SQL Server 2005.

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