Resolving WinCC 7.3 Project Creation Errors on Windows 10

Problem Overview

Engineers commissioning SIMATIC WinCC V7.3 on a Windows 10 workstation frequently encounter project-creation failures, license-key validation errors, and runtime startup crashes that do not appear on Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 stations. The root cause in the majority of field reports is an operating-system mismatch: WinCC V7.3 was developed and released before Windows 10 reached general availability, and its installer, licensing service, and component object model (COM) registration were never validated against the Windows 10 kernel, User Account Control (UAC) subsystem, or the Universal C Runtime update.

The failure mode presents as one or more of the following symptoms:

• WinCC Explorer closes immediately after project creation, returning to the desktop without saving the .MCP file.
• "Internal error in CCProjectMgr" dialog during initial project wizard execution.
• "Cannot connect to SQL Server" because the bundled SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 instance fails the Windows 10 compatibility check.
• Automation License Manager (ALM) returns "License not found" or "Invalid license key" even after a clean install of the correct license.
• Redundant operation between two PCs fails because one PC runs Windows 10 and the second runs the supported Windows 7 image.

This article documents the exact compatibility matrix, the license-diagnostic procedure, the supported migration path to WinCC V7.4 / V7.5, and the field-verified workarounds for installations that must remain on V7.3.

WinCC V7.3 Compatibility Matrix

The supported operating-system list is published in the WinCC V7.3 release notes and the SIMATIC Compatibility Tool. Review this matrix before any installation attempt:

Root Cause Analysis

Three independent failure chains converge on the Windows 10 / WinCC V7.3 combination:

1. Installer guard. The WinCC V7.3 setup executable (Setup.exe) performs an OS version check against GetVersionEx and aborts when dwMajorVersion = 10. Some Update packages slip past this guard, but the SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2 prerequisite blocks installation silently.
2. SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2. The archiving database depends on SQL Server 2008 R2 SP2. Microsoft retired mainstream support for SQL 2008 R2 on 2014-07-08 and ended extended support on 2019-07-09. The instance will not start on Windows 10 build 1607 or later because the Windows installer chain requires SHA-2 code signing, which the 2008 R2 installer does not supply.
3. Automation License Manager V6.0. The ALM service shipped with V7.3 expects the legacy aksusb driver and the SafeNet Sentinel HASP HL runtime v 4.x. The HASP runtime that Windows 10 distributes through Windows Update conflicts with the locally installed version, producing License server is not running even though the ALM service is in the Running state.

Any one of these conditions is sufficient to prevent a new WinCC project from being created. Identifying which chain is active is the first diagnostic step.

Pre-Diagnostic: Confirm the OS and WinCC Build

Capture the following data before changing any configuration. This information is required when escalating to Siemens Industry Online Support.

1. Open winver from the Run dialog and record:
   • Windows edition (Pro, Enterprise, IoT)
   • OS build number (e.g., 19045.3571)
   • Installation date
2. In WinCC Explorer, select Help → About and record:
   • WinCC version (must read V7.3.x)
   • Update level (Update 1 through Update 9)
   • AS-OS Engineering version
3. Open Automation License Manager and confirm the local license container is visible.
4. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager and confirm whether the WINCC instance is in the Running state.

Diagnostic Step 1 — Verify OS Compatibility with the SIMATIC Compatibility Tool

1. Download the SIMATIC Compatibility Tool from the Siemens Industry Online Support portal (entry ID 109483726).
2. Install the tool on the target workstation.
3. Set Main product to SIMATIC WinCC V7.3.
4. Set Additional product to Microsoft Windows 10.
5. Click Check. A red indicator next to Windows 10 confirms the incompatibility.

If the indicator is red, do not attempt further troubleshooting on Windows 10. Move to the migration path described below. If a workstation that was previously operational now fails, the OS may have been upgraded through Windows 10 in-place upgrade — this is a documented cause of WinCC V7.3 failures and is not recoverable through patching.

Diagnostic Step 2 — Validate the License Container

When the compatibility check passes (for example, on Windows 7) but the project wizard still fails with a license error, validate the Automation License Manager.

1. Start Automation License Manager from the Start menu.
2. Confirm that the local license container appears in the left-hand tree under localhost.
3. If the tree is empty, verify the ALM service (display name Automation License Manager Service) is running:
   sc query "almservice"
4. Restart the service if stopped:
   net stop almservice && net start almservice
5. Re-import the license:
   ALM → License Container → Retrieve from Disk

If no valid license is installed, install a trial license through Help → License Management → Install Trial License. The trial is valid for 14 days and unlocks all V7.3 features except the redundant-server option. This is sufficient for project creation testing and allows the engineer to confirm whether the underlying fault is the license or the OS.

Diagnostic Step 3 — SQL Server State

WinCC stores project configuration in a SQL Server instance named WINCC. Confirm the instance health:

1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager (SQLServerManager10.msc).
2. Expand SQL Server Services.
3. Verify SQL Server (WINCC) shows state Running.
4. If the service is stopped and Windows 10 reports "Windows cannot verify the digital signature" for sqlservr.exe, the SHA-2 prerequisite is missing. Apply the SHA-2 code-signing support update KB3033929 and reboot.
5. After reboot, retry:
   net start MSSQL$WINCC

If the instance still fails to start, capture the SQL Server error log at C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL10_50.WINCC\MSSQL\Log\ERRORLOG. Look for error 17113, 17182, or 9003 — these confirm the SQL image cannot bind on Windows 10.

Solution A — Migrate to WinCC V7.4 or V7.5

The supported resolution for Windows 10 installations is to upgrade WinCC. Both V7.4 and V7.5 accept V7.3 project archives with the following procedure.

1. On the V7.3 station, open the project in WinCC Explorer.
2. Select Project → Migrate → V7.3 → V7.4. The wizard produces a backup archive (<Project>.zip) at <InstallDir>\WinCC\Backup.
3. Copy the archive to the Windows 10 station where V7.4 has been installed.
4. On the V7.4 station, open the archive through Project → Migrate Project and select the V7.3 archive.
5. Accept the migration report. Any reference to obsolete picture objects, channels, or C-script functions will be flagged.
6. Recompile the project and verify compilation succeeds without warnings.

For V7.5 SP2, repeat the process. V7.5 introduces Unicode project names and a different SQL instance name (WINCCV75). Plan a regression test of every script and every archive tag before signing off the upgrade.

Solution B — Keep V7.3 on a Supported OS

When the application cannot be upgraded because of customer plant standards, V7.3 must remain on a supported operating system.

1. Install Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 64-bit.
2. Disable Windows Update auto-install of feature updates so the OS cannot silently upgrade to Windows 10.
3. Apply the Microsoft SHA-2 code-signing support update (KB3033929) and the Windows 7 November 2021 ESU rollup (KB5007245) if extended support is required.
4. Install WinCC V7.3 with all updates through Update 9.
5. Verify the installation with the SIMATIC Compatibility Tool.

For long-term support, a Windows Server 2008 R2 image is preferable to Windows 7 because the server SKU receives security updates through the Extended Security Update (ESU) program on a separate channel.

Solution C — Virtualize V7.3 on Windows 10

When the field engineer cannot re-image the workstation, V7.3 can be hosted in a Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 virtual machine on a Windows 10 host. Field-proven configurations are:

Assign a fixed MAC address and disable Enhanced Session Mode in Hyper-V to prevent the AS-OS connection from dropping. Do not enable Nested Virtualization — the Softnet driver used by WinCC for S7 communication does not support it.

License Troubleshooting Matrix

Verification Procedure

1. Open WinCC Explorer. The recent project list must display the newly created project without an asterisk.
2. Select Project → Compiler → Compile All. Compilation must complete with zero errors.
3. Start Runtime. The process CCExplorer.exe must remain active and display the configured start picture.
4. Toggle a digital tag from a connected PLC and confirm the value appears in the Graphics Designer within one update cycle.
5. Close Runtime. Verify the project is saved and re-openable.
6. If redundant, start the partner server. Confirm automatic switchover on simulated failure of the primary.

Field-Proven Configuration Lockdown

After a successful install, lock the configuration to prevent regression:

• Disable Windows 10 feature updates through Group Policy: Computer Configuration → Administrative Templates → Windows Components → Windows Update → Windows Update for Business → Select the target feature update version.
• Set the ALM service to Automatic (Delayed Start) and create a recovery action on first failure to Restart the Service.
• Disable wuauserv only on isolated engineering stations — never on production servers.
• Export the working WinCC project, license file, and registry hive to a versioned backup location.