Resolving WinCC 7.3 License Error After System Cloning

1. Problem Description

A WinCC V7.3 SP3 (or earlier SP) Engineering Workstation (EWS) returns a license error dialog at runtime start, or refuses to enter productive runtime with a message such as "Server license missing" or "Insufficient license for the configured server type." This pattern is most frequently observed on a workstation that was built as a clone of an existing EWS (ghost image, disk clone, or manual project copy) where the project was originally configured as a redundant WinCC server pair and was later split into two independent single-user or multi-user projects on the same physical subnet.

Typical reference environment (matches the reported incident):

• OS: Windows 7 SP1 English, 64-bit, UAC disabled for engineering accounts
• SIMATIC WinCC V7.3 (RT and/or RC) including Update / Service Pack currently installed
• SICAM PAS 8.06 (Power Automation Suite)
• SICAM SCC 8.04 (Substation Configuration Commissioning)
• Two EWS nodes (EWS#1 = PMS01, EWS#2 = PMS02) on the same network segment
• WinCC Explorer launches, Graphics Runtime does not start or reports license failure

The error appears after the first WinCC Explorer launch on the cloned node and persists across reboots, even though the original (template) workstation starts cleanly with the same project.

2. WinCC 7.3 Licensing Architecture (Technical Reference)

WinCC V7.3 uses the Siemens Automation License Manager (ALM) version 6.0.x. License containers can be either:

• Local license — bound to the PC's hard-lock (CBOX) or a USB dongle
• Network license (floating) — served from another ALM server on the network
• Counted licenses — consumed per active process / per project

For each WinCC project the following license categories are checked at runtime start:

When a license check fails, WinCC writes entries to the WinCC_Sys_.log and WinCC_Server_.log files in the project's \Diagnostics\ folder and may show one of the following message boxes:

• "The license check has returned the following error code: <hex>"
• "No valid license found. WinCC Runtime will be terminated."
• "The required license 'WinCC Server' was not found."
• "The required license 'WinCC Archive' was not found."

WinCC 7.3 returns internal license error codes in the form 0x8004xxxx or 0x8007xxxx. The most common mappings observed in the field:

3. Root Cause Analysis: Why a Cloned EWS Loses Its License

Three distinct mechanisms are routinely responsible for the post-clone license fault. They are not mutually exclusive — a single workstation can fail on all three at once.

3.1 Project type mismatch (most common)

The source project on the template EWS was created as a multi-user or client/server project to support the original redundant pair. After cloning, the new EWS is operated as a single-user project, but the project file <project>.MCF (or .ldf) still references a server sub-component. The ALM is asked for a WinCC Server license, none is installed, and the runtime refuses to start. The diagnostic pattern is "project opens in WinCC Explorer, but Runtime stops with a license error within 3–10 s of activation."

3.2 Archive tag Powerpack threshold

WinCC V7.3 base archive license covers 512 archive tags. Any project whose Tag Logging configuration includes more than 512 tags (counting both fast and slow archives) requires an Archive Powerpack license. Cloned projects almost always exceed 512 because the original was configured for a redundant pair, which typically doubles the logging point count for failover parity. The error string is "WinCC Archive" or "Tag Logging License".

3.3 Redundancy compatibility keys / hardlock

When the original pair was a WinCC redundant server, both nodes had redundancy compatibility keys written to the hardlock or the ALM license store. The clone does not carry over the hardlock (a USB CBOX cannot be cloned) and only carries a partial license image. The result is that the new node has WinCC RT but is missing WinCC Redundancy, and the project may refuse to start if redundancy is still enabled in the project file.

4. Diagnostic Procedure (Capture the License State)

1. Open Automation License Manager on the affected EWS. Document every WinCC-related license row, its license number (CoL), the bound PC/host name, and the expiration date.
2. Launch WinCC Explorer on the affected project. The license error must be reproduced. Note the exact error text and the hex code from the dialog or from the WinCC_Server_*.log.
3. Export the project log directory. In WinCC Explorer select the project, right-click → Export project logs…, or copy the contents of <project_path>\Diagnostics to a support bundle.
4. Determine the project type: in WinCC Explorer, Project → Properties → Project Type. Note whether it is set to Single-User Project, Multi-User Project, or Client Project.
5. Count the archive tags: Tag Logging → Archives → [your archive] → Properties → Tags. The sum of all configured tags across all archives (including the system archive @SystemArchive if enabled) is the licensing-relevant number.
6. Determine the redundancy state: in the project tree, Server → Redundancy. If the option "Server is part of a redundant pair" is checked, the project expects a WinCC Redundancy license.
7. Open the Windows event log, Application channel, filter by source ALM and CCLicSrv. Save to .evtx for support.
8. Create a Siemens Diagnostic Tool (SDT) / Service Desktop Tool (SDT) data set using the SDT Collector (see Siemens Industry Online Support — Service Request). Attach the data set to the support ticket.

5. Solution 1 — Toggle Project Type (Recreates License Handshake)

This procedure is the standard field fix when the underlying cause is a stale multi-user license registration on a single-user workstation.

1. Close WinCC Explorer and any related processes (CCEsProc.exe, CCProjectMgr.exe, CCLicSrv.exe) via Task Manager.
2. Stop the service CCLicSrv: sc stop CCLicSrv from an elevated command prompt.
3. Start WinCC Explorer and open the project.
4. Open Project → Properties. Switch Project Type from Single-User to Multi-User (you will be prompted to confirm; this does not consume a license yet because runtime is not started).
5. Close WinCC Explorer completely.
6. Reopen the project. Switch Project Type back from Multi-User to Single-User.
7. Close WinCC Explorer again.
8. Start CCLicSrv: sc start CCLicSrv
9. Reopen the project, then activate Runtime.

The toggle re-registers the project with ALM as a single-user project, dropping the dangling request for a server license. If the project is genuinely intended to run as a multi-user server, the same toggle will not fix it — proceed to Solution 2.

6. Solution 2 — Archive Tag Audit and Powerpack Installation

Compute the required archive tag count first.

For Tag Logging fast + slow archives combined:

N_archive = N_fast + N_slow + N_system

where N_fast is the number of tags in the fast archive, N_slow the number in the slow archive, and N_system the number of system-chosen tags (typically 0 unless @SystemArchive is enabled, in which case it equals the number of system tags you have added).

Match the count to the appropriate license:

Steps to install the Powerpack:

1. Open Automation License Manager.
2. Insert the USB CBOX dongle that contains the Powerpack CoL, or import the .zip license file via License → Install.
3. Restart the service ALM and CCLicSrv in that order.
4. Verify in ALM that the new "WinCC Archive" license row appears and shows the upgraded tag count.
5. Restart WinCC Runtime.

To stay inside the 512-tag budget, prune the archive configuration: remove unused tags, disable @SystemArchive if not required by the SICAM PAS 8.06 / SCC 8.04 interface, and consolidate duplicate event-controlled tags.

7. Solution 3 — Redundancy Compatibility Keys

If the source project is being kept as a redundant pair, the new EWS must be re-keyed:

1. Disable redundancy on the new EWS first: Server → Redundancy, uncheck Server is part of a redundant pair. Save and close the project.
2. Confirm that the new EWS can start Runtime as a single-user project. If it can, the license set is sufficient for a non-redundant configuration.
3. To re-establish redundancy, a WinCC Redundancy license must be transferred to the new node's CBOX (or to its local license store for software-bound licenses). This requires either a new license order referencing the new host ID, or a re-hosting of the existing license through Siemens License Key Re-hosting.
4. Re-enable redundancy in the project, set the partner server name, and synchronize the configuration via the redundancy wizard.

8. Solution 4 — First-Run Patch File (WinCC 7.3 SP3 / Update 4 and earlier)

WinCC 7.3 releases prior to Update 4 / SP4 require a separate WinCC 7.3 Patch to be applied after the first installation. The patch updates the COM class registrations used by ALM and WinCC. If this patch is missing on a cloned image, the runtime fails to validate the license handshake.

1. Open the WinCC 7.3 installation DVD or mount the corresponding ISO.
2. Navigate to the folder \WinCC\Patch\ and execute WinCC_V7_3_Patch.exe as Administrator.
3. Wait for the patch wizard to complete. It will register several OCX/DLL files in C:\Windows\SysWOW64 and Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation.
4. Reboot. Verify the patch level via Help → About in WinCC Explorer.

On systems running WinCC 7.3 SP1 or later, the patch is already integrated. Confirm by checking the build number in Help → About → Installed SIMATIC Software.

9. License File Locations and ALM Service Reset

To reset ALM cleanly (last-resort step before contacting Siemens support):

1. net stop "ALM License Service"
2. net stop "CCLicSrv"
3. net stop "CodeMeter"
4. Rename %ProgramData%\Siemens\Automation\SinLib to SinLib.old (do not delete).
5. net start "CodeMeter"
6. net start "ALM License Service"
7. net start "CCLicSrv"
8. Re-import licenses via ALM.

10. Verification Checklist

1. ALM shows the correct license rows for the new EWS host ID. No yellow warning triangles.
2. CCLicSrv service is Running and its startup type is Automatic.
3. WinCC Explorer opens the project without a license error dialog.
4. Activating Runtime starts Graphics Runtime within 10 seconds, no error in WinCC_Server_*.log.
5. Tag Logging runtime shows Archive tags: xxx / 512 (or Powerpack value) matching the license.
6. Process CCEsProc.exe is running; no error event with source ALM in the last 5 minutes.
7. If redundancy is enabled, the partner server is reachable, redundancy sync status reports OK on both nodes.
8. External SICAM PAS 8.06 → SCC 8.04 → WinCC 7.3 coupling reports Connected with no timeout entries.

11. When to Open a Siemens Service Request

If the diagnostics above do not identify a clear cause — for example, the project was originally created on a now-decommissioned host ID and the original CoLs cannot be re-homed — escalate via the Siemens Industry Online Support Service Request page. Include:

• SDT (Service Desktop Tool) data set
• Project export (without binary logs to keep size down)
• ALM screenshot
• The full text of the license error dialog
• The hex code from WinCC_Server_*.log

Reference the related entries in the Siemens Knowledge Base:

• Re-hosting WinCC licenses
• Information on the Automation License Manager
• WinCC V7.3 Readme (license notes)

12. Safety and Operational Notes

FAQ