Resolving WinCC 7 Tag Import Export DB Address Comma Error

Problem Description

When using the WinCC Tag Import/Export utility (Start > SIMATIC > WinCC > Tools > Tag Export Import) to bulk-migrate or bulk-edit PLC tags between WinCC projects, the resulting <Filename>_Vex.csv file contains a properly delimited DB number and DB address field, e.g. DB711,D2.0. After re-importing this file back into WinCC Explorer, however, the address column is stored as DB711,'D2.0. The embedded comma plus single-quote sequence ,' is a malformed CSV escape that breaks the address parser, and the WinCC runtime returns the Address Error tooltip when the operator hovers over the affected tag in Graphics Designer.

This defect is observed in three CSV artefacts generated by the utility:

• <Filename>_Vex.csv – exported variable list (S7 tag address reference)
• <Filename>_Aex.csv – exported alarm tags
• <Filename>_Lex.csv – exported logging tags

Reproduction environment reported in the field:

• Windows XP / Windows 7 engineering station
• SIMATIC WinCC V7.0 (no service pack)
• Microsoft Office Excel 2007 used as the editor
• S7-300/S7-400 data blocks addressed with DB<n>,<byte.bit> syntax (e.g. DB711,D2.0)

Root Cause Analysis

Two independent defects combine to produce the symptom. They must both be understood before selecting a fix, because remediation in only one dimension will not resolve the field issue.

Defect 1 – List Separator Collision

The Tag Import/Export utility uses the Windows List Separator configured in Regional and Language Options > Formats > Additional settings as the CSV field delimiter. The default separator for English (United States), German (Germany), and most western locales is the comma (,). The S7 PLC address notation DB711,D2.0 also uses a comma to separate the data block number from the byte.bit offset. When the export routine writes the row it does not quote-escape the address, so on re-import the parser encounters the second comma and treats everything after it (including the apostrophe emitted by the importer) as a new field. The apostrophe is then preserved literally in the tag configuration, which is not a valid address token for the S7 channel DLL.

Defect 2 – Excel Implicit Type Coercion

Opening the exported _Vex.csv in Excel 2007 triggers Excel's text-import heuristic. Excel recognises the comma as a delimiter, splits the row, and re-serialises the file on save. During re-serialisation Excel (a) re-encodes numeric-looking fields such as DB711 by stripping any leading single-quote auto-correction and (b) preserves the original separator character. Because Excel does not honour a stable CSV escape model, the modified file is no longer byte-identical to the export. The Tag Import routine detects the structural drift and substitutes a defensive ,' sequence when round-tripping the file, leaving the apostrophe in the project database. Editors that preserve raw bytes (Notepad, Notepad++, any UTF-8 text editor used in Save As > Text (Tab Delimited) or CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) mode with manual quote handling) do not introduce this drift.

Siemens Technical Support has confirmed the underlying parser behaviour and classified the issue against WinCC V7.0 base. The fix is delivered in WinCC V7.0 SP1.

Affected Versions and Prerequisites

Prerequisites before any remediation:

1. Local Windows user must be a member of SIMATIC HMI user group (e.g. SIMATIC HMI VIEWER, SIMATIC HMI OPERATOR depending on the role) – the WinCC Tag Import routine validates group membership and will silently truncate or corrupt the file if the membership check fails.
2. Engineering station must run with Administrator elevation; the import routine writes to the WinCC project registry hive HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens\WinCC\<ProjectName>.
3. Close all WinCC Explorer and Graphics Designer instances on the target station. Concurrent access to the project .mcp file will block the import and may leave the address column partially updated.

Solution 1 – Change the Windows List Separator

This is the first-line remediation and is effective on all WinCC V7.x releases, including the base V7.0 build. It does not require code changes or service pack deployment.

1. Open Control Panel > Regional and Language Options (Windows XP) or Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region > Region > Additional settings… (Windows 7).
2. Locate List separator. The default is ,. Replace it with a character that does not appear in any S7 address token. Field-proven choices: ; (semicolon) or | (vertical bar).
3. Click Apply, then OK. Do not close the WinCC Explorer until the export is performed.
4. Re-launch the Tag Export Import tool from the Start menu.
5. Export the tags. The _Vex.csv is now delimited with the new separator and the address field is preserved as a single token.
6. Import the edited file back into WinCC. The address column is stored as DB711,D2.0 and runtime resolution succeeds.

Symbolic characters that must never be used as the separator:

• , – collides with DB address delimiter
• . – collides with byte.bit separator
• (space) – collides with the trailing-zero padding in DB711,D2.0 shown in the original symptom
• ' – collides with the importer's defensive escape and re-introduces the original defect

Solution 2 – Edit CSV in a Byte-Preserving Editor

Even with the correct List Separator, opening the file in Excel 2007 and saving it back will mutate the file. Use a text editor that does not perform implicit type coercion.

1. Open the exported <Filename>_Vex.csv in Notepad (or Notepad++ with the encoding forced to ANSI / UTF-8 without BOM).
2. Perform deletions or edits in plain text only. Do not copy-paste from Excel into Notepad; the clipboard may carry embedded CR/LF translations.
3. Save with Encoding: ANSI and no trailing whitespace. WinCC's import parser is sensitive to BOM markers in UTF-8 files and to LF-only line endings.

If a tabular view is required, the cleanest path is to import the CSV into a SQL Server table, perform the deletions, and export back to CSV with the configured separator. The Siemens support note 22016422 describes the import-mode options that interact with this workflow.

Solution 3 – Apply WinCC V7.0 SP1

When the engineering fleet is centrally managed, the most sustainable remediation is to bring every station onto the V7.0 SP1 (or later) baseline. Siemens Technical Support has confirmed the fix is delivered in SP1.

1. Download WinCC_V70_SP1.exe from the Siemens Industry Online Support portal (entry ID 22016422 supersedes prior ID 22616062).
2. Stop the WinCC Runtime and exit the WinCC Explorer on the target station.
3. Run the SP1 setup with Administrator elevation. The installer will detect the existing V7.0 project and offer an Update Installation path.
4. Reboot. The CCExpo.ini and CCVarInflator.ini shipped with SP1 contain the corrected CSV parser.
5. Re-export and re-import the project's tags. Validate that the address column round-trips cleanly.

Solution 4 – Excel Add-Ins for Tag Management

For engineering teams that prefer to remain in Excel, a separate set of WinCC Excel add-ins reads and writes the WinCC project database directly via the WinCC OLE-DB provider (WinCCOLEDB) and avoids the CSV round-trip entirely. The add-ins expose tag, alarm, and tag-logging tables as Excel sheets and perform server-side inserts using the project runtime account. This bypasses the parser defect because no CSV file is involved.

Key advantages:

• No separator collisions; the add-in uses a schema-bound COM interface.
• Bulk import / export of tag logging archives, alarms, and connections in a single transaction.
• Compatible with WinCC V7.0 SP3 and later, including the V7.4 / V7.5 runtime.

Caveats:

• The add-in must be launched from an Excel session that runs under the SIMATIC HMI user; otherwise the OLE-DB call returns E_ACCESSDENIED.
• Read-only against a running runtime. The project must be in Configuration mode.

Verification Procedure

After applying any of the solutions above, perform the following verification sequence before signing off the work order:

1. In WinCC Explorer, open the project's tag management and confirm the address column reads DB711,D2.0 (or the equivalent for the data block under test). Not DB711,'D2.0.
2. Activate the project. Open Graphics Designer and place a text field bound to the migrated tag. Save the picture.
3. Run WinCC Runtime. Hover the mouse cursor over the IO field. The tooltip must show the configured value path; the Address Error popup must not appear.
4. Force a value change in the S7 PLC at the DB711.DBD2 location. The HMI display must update within the configured update cycle (default 1 s for the S7 channel).
5. Re-export the project. The regenerated _Vex.csv must contain a single, unquoted comma in the address field.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Preventive Measures for Future Migrations

• Pin the Windows List Separator to ; via Group Policy on every WinCC engineering VM in the fleet.
• Block Excel from being the default opener for .csv; the OS will still allow right-click > Open With when needed.
• Establish a master "template" _Vex.csv with the correct header row and distribute it to engineers. Do not rely on a re-export from a corrupted project.
• Track the WinCC V7.x service-pack level centrally; do not allow mixed V7.0 / V7.0 SP1 engineering on the same project.
• Use the WinCC Unified TIA Portal flow for greenfield projects: the Export and import of tags (RT Unified) workflow uses a schema-bound CSV that is not subject to this defect.

FAQ