Resolving WinCC V6.2 Project 'Not Active' Runtime Status

Overview

A SIMATIC WinCC V6.2 project that opens in the WinCC Explorer and displays the runtime title bar text "Not active" is a classic symptom of a project that has been loaded into the configuration environment but whose runtime (RT) subsystem has not been successfully started. Unlike PCS 7 integrated projects where the WinCC Runtime is automatically orchestrated by the AS/OS engineering station framework, a standalone WinCC V6.2 project requires an explicit, manual, or scripted activation of the runtime. When this activation fails or is suppressed, the project remains loaded in a passive state and the operator can see the configuration but no process screens, no alarms, no tag logging, and no user-archive updates are processed.

This reference consolidates the field-proven diagnostic path for this specific failure mode, covering licensing, SQL Server state, Windows user privileges, DCOM configuration, project compilation, and runtime service activation. The content targets engineers and integrators maintaining legacy WinCC V6.2 (also V6.0 SP3/V6.2 SP2/SP3) installations where PCS 7 is not present in the architecture.

What 'Not Active' Means in WinCC V6.2

WinCC V6.2 separates the Configuration view (WinCC Explorer, Graphics Designer, Tag Management) from the Runtime view (the live process screens, alarm line, and process historian). When the project is first opened, only the configuration components are loaded into memory; the runtime components (Graphics Runtime, Alarm Logging Runtime, Tag Logging Runtime, Report Runtime, User Archive Runtime) are dormant.

The runtime state is reported in three locations:

1. The WinCC Explorer title bar: shows the project name followed by "Not active" when RT is stopped, and "Active" when RT is running.
2. The Computer properties dialog in WinCC Explorer (right-click the computer name and select "Properties") — the Startup tab indicates whether RT is configured to start automatically.
3. The Windows Task Manager / WinCC service state — visible in the SIMATIC WinCC services group when running in service mode.

If the title bar reads "Not active" persistently, at least one of the runtime prerequisites listed below has not been satisfied.

Root Cause Categories

Through analysis of the WinCC V6.2 architecture and the supporting services that runtime depends on, the "Not active" symptom maps to seven primary cause categories. Each category is verifiable with a distinct diagnostic, and each is treated in a dedicated section below.

Pre-Diagnostic Checklist

Before diving into component-level checks, run through the following quick checklist. These five items resolve a high percentage of "Not active" reports and take less than five minutes:

1. Confirm WinCC V6.2 version and SP level. Right-click the WinCC Explorer icon in the Windows Start menu and select "Properties" to verify SIMATIC WinCC V6.2 (or SP2/SP3). Open WinCC Explorer; the splash screen reports the exact build.
2. Confirm the project file (.mcp) is a V6.2 project. In WinCC Explorer > menu "File" > "Open", the version mismatch is flagged. A V6.0 SP3 project opened in V6.2 will load, but runtime components will fail to initialize until migrated.
3. Check the user account. The currently logged-on Windows user must be a member of the local Administrators group AND the local SIMATIC HMI group (created by the WinCC setup).
4. Confirm the computer name is stable. WinCC binds licenses to the Windows computer name. Renaming the computer or joining/disjoining a domain invalidates the license; the runtime then refuses to start, presenting exactly the "Not active" symptom.
5. Capture Windows event log entries. Open eventvwr.msc and look under Application and System for the time the project was opened. SIMATIC WinCC, MSSQLSERVER, and DCOM sources are the most relevant.

Official Siemens support for WinCC V6.2 SP3 documentation, manuals, and FAQ entries is available at the Siemens Industry Online Support portal. The legacy Siemens Automation Customer Support archive remains the source for older entry IDs.

Licensing Troubleshooting

WinCC V6.2 requires a valid runtime license (RT) tied to the Automation License Manager. When the license is missing, expired, or bound to a different computer, the runtime refuses to start but the WinCC Explorer continues to operate, producing the "Not active" title bar message with no visible error dialog.

Step-by-step license check

1. Close WinCC Explorer.
2. Launch the Automation License Manager from the Siemens program group.
3. Verify that a WinCC Runtime license appears in the right-hand pane for the local computer. A grayed-out entry, an entry with a red dot, or a missing entry indicates a license problem.
4. Right-click the license > Check. The License Manager queries the dongle or soft-container.
5. For soft-container licenses, confirm the license file ... has not been moved or deleted from the standard %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\Licenses path.
6. For dongle (USB) licenses, confirm the dongle is seated, the SafeNet or WIBU-SYSTEMS driver is loaded, and the dongle driver service is running.

What to do when the license is missing

• Re-license using the original License Key Disk or the CoflGet certificate delivered with the WinCC V6.2 installation media.
• If a WinCC Upgrade license is installed on a V6.0 project, V6.2 SP3 still requires a V6.2 RT license. The upgrade is a configuration license, not a runtime license.
• For V6.2 SP3, only licenses marked as RC 1024 (or higher) are recognized; older RC 128/RC 256 tags licenses must be upgraded.

SQL Server and Database Verification

WinCC V6.2 stores project configuration data, alarm logs, tag logs, and user archives in a Microsoft SQL Server instance. If the SQL service is stopped, the database is detached, or the WinCC database user is locked out, the runtime fails to start. The symptom in the WinCC Explorer title bar is again "Not active", typically with an internal log entry under SIMATIC WinCC\CCWriteArchive or CCAlgHmi.

Step-by-step SQL Server check

1. Open SQL Server Configuration Manager.
2. Under SQL Server Services, confirm the SQL Server (WINCC) service is in the Running state and the startup type is Automatic. WinCC V6.2 uses the instance name WINCC by default.
3. Confirm the SQL Server Agent (WINCC) service is also running. This service is required for scheduled backups and log grooming.
4. Open SQL Server Enterprise Manager (V6.2 era) or Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (for V6.2 SP3) and connect to localhost\WINCC with Windows authentication.
5. Expand Databases and verify the project database (named after the project) is present and marked (Normal). A database in (Suspect), (Recovering), or (Offline) state will block runtime start.
6. Right-click the project database > Tasks > Bring Online if offline.
7. Verify the CC<ProjectName>_<date>_<time>_ file group is intact in ...\WinCC\bin\<project>\Archive\.

On Windows Server 2003 / Windows XP Professional x64 (the canonical V6.2 platforms), the SQL Server 2000 service runs under the Local System account. WinCC V6.2 SP3 may use SQL Server 2005. In either case, the NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM account must be a member of the sysadmin fixed server role for the WINCC instance. Run the following in SQL Query Analyzer to verify:

A return value of 1 indicates success. A return value of 0 blocks runtime startup. Fix with:

sp_addsrvrolemember 'NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM', 'sysadmin'
GO

Database log growth scenarios

A full disk drive hosting the SQL data files is a common silent cause of "Not active" on long-running installations. Check the *.ldf transaction log file size; if it has consumed the entire drive, runtime will fail to write the next tag or alarm and may roll back to a passive state. Truncate the log via DBCC SHRINKFILE and reconfigure the recovery model to Simple for tag/archive databases.

Windows User Rights and Group Membership

WinCC V6.2 does not enforce a per-user runtime permission model beyond the local group assignment performed by setup. Two local groups are created during installation:

• SIMATIC HMI — required to start WinCC Explorer and load any project.
• SIMATIC HMI\WebClient — required for the WinCC WebNavigator client (separate add-on).

For the runtime to start, the current user must be a member of SIMATIC HMI and a member of the local Administrators group. A user that is a member of SIMATIC HMI only cannot start the runtime; the title bar remains "Not active" with no error dialog.

Verification

1. Open Computer Management > Local Users and Groups > Groups.
2. Double-click SIMATIC HMI; confirm the current user is listed.
3. Double-click Administrators; confirm the current user is listed.
4. If the user account is a domain account, open the group editor from a domain controller; membership in the domain-level Administrators group is not automatically applied to the local Administrators group unless configured via Group Policy.

DCOM and Service Mode Configuration

When a WinCC V6.2 project is configured to start in Service Mode (so that runtime starts without any user being logged on), WinCC registers a Windows service called CCWriteArchive / SIMATIC WinCC Runtime and uses DCOM for the configuration <-> runtime bridge. Misconfigured DCOM permissions are a leading cause of "Not active" on service-mode systems.

DCOM verification

1. Start > Run > dcomcnfg > Component Services > Computers > My Computer > right-click > Properties.
2. On the COM Security tab, confirm the Access Permissions and Launch and Activation Permissions allow the SYSTEM account and the SIMATIC HMI group.
3. Under DCOM Config, locate the SIMATIC WinCC Runtime application; right-click > Properties > Security; configure Customize and add the same accounts.
4. On Windows XP SP2 and later (KB 842305), the firewall defaults block DCOM; add an exception for the WinCC.exe binary or open TCP port 135 plus the dynamically allocated range.

Service mode vs interactive mode

The selection is made in the project properties of WinCC Explorer, in the Computer node, on the Startup tab. Three options exist:

• Service — runtime starts as a Windows service at boot, independent of any user logon. Requires the WinCC V6.2 service-mode license on the same machine.
• Workstation — runtime starts when a user logs on interactively; closes when the user logs off.
• None — runtime never starts automatically; manual "Activate" is required each time.

For a workstation-mode project that should activate automatically, ensure the AutoStart option is enabled in the Startup tab. Without AutoStart, a None or default Workstation setting requires a manual Start > Programs > SIMATIC > WinCC > Runtime launch.

Project Compilation and Rebuild

WinCC V6.2 compiles the project the first time it is opened on a new machine. If the project was edited on a different machine and shipped as a .zip or .mcp file, the local database references may be inconsistent. The runtime refuses to start on a project with an inconsistent tag management or graphics database, and the title bar again shows "Not active".

Rebuild procedure

1. Close the project in WinCC Explorer.
2. Open WinCC Explorer and load the project.
3. Right-click the project name in the tree view > Rebuild.
4. Watch the output log. A clean rebuild reports zero errors. Common errors include tag not found, duplicate alarm class, and graphics PDL not found.
5. After a clean rebuild, click the Activate toolbar button (or right-click the computer > Activate).

Project Migration and Version Compatibility

Standalone WinCC V6.2 projects migrated from earlier versions (V5.x, V6.0, V6.0 SP2) must be explicitly migrated using the WinCC Project Migrator. Without migration, the project opens but every component is read-only, and the runtime fails to activate.

Migration steps

1. Open the V6.2 WinCC Explorer.
2. From the menu File > Open > Migrate, select the older .mcp file.
3. Confirm the target directory and computer name.
4. Run the migration. The migrator produces a log file MigrationLog.txt in the project root. Open and inspect for warnings.
5. Open the migrated project and right-click the project > Rebuild to regenerate the local SQL database.
6. Activate the runtime.

For projects created on a V6.2 system with mixed language libraries (e.g. German-base project with English graphics), additional migration steps apply; the language DLLs in ...\WinCC\bin\<language>\ must match the project base language.

Graphics Designer and Process Picture Considerations

If the project opens, the runtime activates, but no process picture is displayed, the issue is downstream of the "Not active" symptom and is not covered in detail here. However, one common cause overlaps: a default picture that points to a non-existent .pdl file. The runtime may report "Not active" if the Start Picture property in the project properties is empty or points to a deleted file.

Verification

1. Open WinCC Explorer > Project Properties > Graphics Runtime.
2. Confirm the Start Picture field references an existing .pdl file in the GraCS\ folder of the project directory.
3. Confirm the Window Attributes are set (full screen, title, etc.) and that the resolution matches the connected monitor's native resolution.

Verification and Monitoring

Once the runtime is active, perform the following verification to confirm the fix is stable:

1. Title bar in WinCC Explorer shows the project name followed by Active.
2. The process picture is visible. Click the Alarm Logging runtime button (or hit the configured hotkey) and verify a test alarm is generated and acknowledged.
3. Open the Tag Logging runtime view; verify a configured tag is updating with the current value.
4. Open Windows Services and confirm SIMATIC WinCC Runtime (or CCWriteArchive) is in the Started state.
5. Close the user session and log off. If the project is configured in service mode, the runtime remains active. If in workstation mode, the runtime stops, and the title bar returns to "Not active" until the next user logs on — this is expected behavior.
6. Open Siemens Automation License Manager and confirm the runtime license is still in the active state.
7. Inspect eventvwr.msc for the past 15 minutes. No Error-level entries from SIMATIC WinCC, MSSQLSERVER, or DCOM should be present.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Preventive Maintenance Recommendations

• Schedule SQL database backups with the SQL Server Agent. A corrupted alarm-log database blocks runtime startup; a recent backup is the fastest path to recovery.
• Document the license certificate (CoL) and store the License Key Disk in a secure location. Replacement of a lost CoL with a new license incurs cost and lead time.
• Avoid renaming the Windows computer after a WinCC V6.2 installation. If a rename is unavoidable, return the license first, rename, then reactivate.
• Patch Windows monthly but exclude the SQL Server data drive from disk-encryption or aggressive antivirus scanning. Both can interfere with the SQL transaction log writes and cause runtime to fall back to a passive state.
• Use the WinCC Diagnostic Files in Start > Programs > SIMATIC > WinCC > Tools > WinCC Diagnostic to collect a snapshot for any persistent "Not active" condition; the resulting .zip contains the WinCC Explorer log, the SQL log, and the DCOM log in one bundle.