Resolving WinCC V7.2 Demo Project Loading Errors on V7.3

Problem Overview

Engineers migrating between SIMATIC WinCC versions frequently encounter a class of faults when opening demo or sample projects downloaded for one release on a workstation that runs a different release. The most common pair in field reports is the SIMATIC WinCC V7.2 demo project (Siemens support entry ID 76879225) opened on a PC that has only WinCC V7.3 or higher installed. The project appears to load, raises a server-name confirmation prompt, and then refuses to open with a "Project Manager for configured server is not running" error. The root cause is almost never a missing DLL or a corrupted installer image. It is a combination of stale computer-name binding, locked runtime databases, and Windows access-control list (ACL) entries that the V7.2 demo archive did not carry over.

This reference documents the diagnostic path, the corrective sequence, and the structural reasons each step is required. The procedure is applicable to:

• WinCC V7.2 demo project loaded on WinCC V7.3 / V7.4 / V7.5 runtime stations
• Projects that were created on a different physical computer and copied to a new PC (rebuilt Windows install, new VM, replacement engineering workstation)
• Projects that produce the dialog "The configured server is not available. Do you want to open the project using the local computer?" followed by a hard failure

Error Message Catalog

Two failure messages define this entire issue class. Both originate from the WinCC Project Manager (CCExplorer.exe) and are logged in the Windows Application event log under source Siemens WinCC or CCProjectMgr.

Root Cause Analysis

The fault is cumulative. Four independent issues are present in almost every cross-version demo project, and any one of them is sufficient to abort the open. Resolving them in the correct order is critical because earlier steps validate that the later ones are even reachable.

1. Stale server binding. The <project>.mcp file embeds the original creator's computer name. WinCC looks for a WinCC service on that host before falling back to local mode. On a fresh install or a VM clone, that name is unreachable. The first dialog acknowledges this and lets the user redirect to local mode.
2. SQL Server (WinCC) service state. WinCC V7.x uses a dedicated Microsoft SQL Server instance named WinCC plus the SQL Server Agent for that instance. Both are installed as Windows services by the WinCC setup. A fresh OS install that pre-dates the WinCC install, or a Windows feature cleanup, can leave them set to Manual or Disabled. Without the SQL engine, the runtime database cannot attach, and the Project Manager exits.
3. NTFS ACL on the project folder. The V7.2 demo archive preserves the original creator's user SID entries. When the project is extracted on a different PC, those SIDs are unresolved and the effective ACL is reduced to Everyone: Read. The WinCC runtime requires write access to the project folder for alarm logging, tag logging, and the ArchiveManager database files. The two specific groups the WinCC service checks are SIMATIC HMI and SIMATIC HMI VIEWER; these must be granted Modify and Read & Execute / Read respectively.
4. Read-only attribute and lock files. Files copied from a CD/DVD, USB stick, or an extracted ZIP often retain the read-only bit. In addition, the previous machine's lock file (<project>.lck) and the device/connection cache files (<project>.dc*, <project>.dcf) may still be present, which causes the Project Manager to believe the project is already open elsewhere.

Prerequisites

Before starting the corrective sequence, confirm the following on the target workstation:

• Windows 7 SP1 / Windows 10 (depending on WinCC V7.3 SP update level) with the current Windows updates applied
• WinCC V7.3 installed with at minimum: WinCC RT, WinCC Configuration, and the SQL Server 2014 component (V7.3 uses SQL Server 2014 for the WinCC named instance)
• Local administrator rights on the workstation
• The V7.2 demo archive extracted to a writable path, ideally %ProgramFiles%\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\WinCCProjects\<projectname> or the user-specific Siemens\WinCCProjects under the user profile
• A known-good backup of the original archive (in case deletion of lock files must be reversed)

Step-by-Step Resolution

Execute the following steps in the order shown. Do not skip the SQL service check; subsequent steps assume the database engine is reachable.

Step 1 - Start the WinCC SQL Server Services

1. Open services.msc (Start → Run → services.msc).
2. Locate the two services:
   • SQL Server (WinCC)
   • SQL Server Agent (WinCC)
3. Right-click each → Properties → set Startup type to Automatic.
4. Click Start. Verify the service state reaches Running.
5. Repeat for SQL Server Agent (WinCC) if WinCC setup did not chain the dependency.

Verify with PowerShell:

Both services should report Running and Automatic. If the service name differs on your installation (e.g., older builds use WINCC as the instance ID), substitute the actual instance name. The WinCC installer registers the instance under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\Instance Names\SQL.

Step 2 - Place the Project in the Default WinCC Project Folder

1. Copy the extracted project folder to one of:
   • C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\WinCCProjects (system-wide default)
   • %USERPROFILE%\Siemens\WinCCProjects (per-user, recommended for engineering workstations)
2. Confirm the path does not contain spaces other than the single space between Program and Files. UNC paths (\server\share) are supported but require the WinCC service account to have write access on the share.

Step 3 - Assign the SIMATIC HMI Groups to the Project Folder

1. In Windows Explorer, right-click the project folder → Properties → Security tab.
2. Click Edit under Group or user names.
3. Click Add. Type SIMATIC HMI → Check Names → OK.
4. Grant Modify (this includes Read, Write, Read & Execute, and Delete subfolders/files).
5. Click Add again. Type SIMATIC HMI VIEWER → OK.
6. Grant Read & Execute and List folder contents. Modify is not required and reduces security.
7. Apply. If Windows presents a dialog about inheriting permissions to child objects, choose Replace all child object permissions.

Step 4 - Clear the Read-Only Attribute on the Project Folder

1. Right-click the project folder → Properties → General tab.
2. In the Attributes section, uncheck Read-only. Windows will display a confirmation dialog asking whether to apply to the folder only or to all subfolders and files. Choose Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files.
3. Click OK.

Verify with:

Step 5 - Delete the Stale Lock and Device-Cache Files

1. Open the project folder in Windows Explorer.
2. Enable the display of file extensions (View → check File name extensions).
3. Delete the following files if they exist:
   • <projectname>.lck
   • <projectname>.dc
   • <projectname>.dcf

These files have the following meanings in the WinCC project model:

Do not delete <projectname>.mcp (the master project file), <projectname>.DBF files (the tag logging archives), or anything inside GraCS (graphics), Library, or PRT subfolders.

Step 6 - Open the Project in WinCC Explorer

1. Launch WinCC Explorer from the Start menu or via CCExplorer.exe.
2. Select File → Open. Navigate to the corrected project folder.
3. Select <projectname>.mcp → Open.
4. If the "The configured server is not available" dialog appears, click Yes to use the local computer.
5. If the project name was bound to a different computer, WinCC will prompt to update the computer name. Confirm and let it rewrite the binding.
6. The project should now open. The Graphics Designer, Alarm Logging, Tag Logging, and Report Designer will start their child windows.

File System Architecture of a WinCC V7.2 Project

Understanding what each file does helps prevent accidental data loss during troubleshooting.

SQL Server (WinCC) Service Configuration Details

WinCC V7.2 / V7.3 ship with a Microsoft SQL Server instance whose internal name is WINCC. The instance is installed with Windows authentication only by default. Service account configuration follows:

To verify the instance is reachable from a command prompt:

The expected response begins with Microsoft SQL Server 2014... for a V7.3 install. If the command returns "SQL Server does not exist or access denied", the instance is not registered with the SQL Server Browser service, or the MSSQL$WINCC service is stopped. Start the SQL Server Browser (SQLBrowser) if you intend to query the instance by name across machines.

NTFS Access Control Reference

The exact permission matrix that the WinCC runtime expects on the project folder, with the Advanced Security Settings granularity:

When migrating a project that originated on a different domain, the original domain SIDs will appear in the ACL as unresolved entries. They are harmless but clutter the view and can confuse permission audits. To clean them up after the project is open and verified:

This removes all orphaned domain SIDs while leaving the explicit local groups intact.

Cross-Version Project Migration

The V7.2 demo project available under Siemens support entry 76879225 is engineered as a configuration sample for V7.2. WinCC V7.3 accepts the project as-is and writes a one-time upgrade marker in the project file. WinCC V7.4 SP1 and later also accept the project, but the migration wizard is invoked the first time the project opens:

1. WinCC Explorer → File → Open.
2. Select the .mcp file. The migration dialog appears.
3. Select Migrate a V7.x project to current version. A backup copy is created in \<project>\<project>_V7x_Backup\ automatically.
4. Confirm. Runtime components (tag logging, alarm logging) regenerate their internal schema. The project cannot be opened in V7.2 after this point.

Verification Procedure

After completing the six-step corrective sequence, validate the project is fully open and functional:

1. Project Manager status: In the WinCC Explorer title bar, confirm the project name is shown without the suffix (inactive). The status bar at the bottom should display "Runtime is active" after you click Activate in the toolbar.
2. Graphics Runtime: Open the start picture via Graphics → Open Picture → select NewPdl0.PDL (or the project-defined start picture). The picture should render without "X" placeholders for missing graphics.
3. Tag Logging: In the explorer tree, right-click Tag Logging → Properties. Confirm the configured archive segments are listed and not flagged with a red icon.
4. Alarm Logging: Right-click Alarm Logging → Properties. Confirm the message classes load. A common residual error is "DLL not found: ntdtc.dll" - this is a separate Windows time-zone / daylight-saving issue, not a WinCC file problem, and is fixed by Windows update KB2998527.
5. SQL Server connection: From the explorer menu Tools → WinCC Diagnosis, run Connection Status. All internal channels (APLK, S7, OPC) should show green.
6. Event log: eventvwr.msc → Windows Logs → Application. Filter source = Siemens WinCC. No Error events should appear after activation. Warning events with code 1000300 (license not found) are expected for demo projects on unlicensed installations.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Common Edge Cases and Caveats

Windows 10 / Windows 11 hosts. WinCC V7.2 and V7.3 are officially supported on Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 / 2012 R2. Later Windows versions sometimes install but the SQL Server 2014 instance can fail to start because of an API call mismatch in secforwarder.dll. The published Siemens compatibility matrix should be consulted before installing V7.x on Windows 10 1903 or later. If you must run on a newer Windows, install the cumulative WinCC V7.3 SP3 update (or V7.4 / V7.5) which includes a recompiled SQL Server host.

Virtual machines and host names. Cloning a VM preserves the original ComputerName.txt in the project folder. If both clones attempt to open the same project simultaneously, the second will hit the lock-file error. Reset the computer name in WinCC Explorer → Computer → Properties on each clone.

Multiple SQL instances. If the workstation also runs SQL Server from another vendor (e.g., a domain controller's WSUS instance, or an ERP system), the SQL Server Browser service may advertise the wrong instance on UDP 1434. Pin WinCC to a static port by setting the MSSQL$WINCC service startup parameters to -m -c -d"C:\...\master.mdf" ... with the -T trace flag for direct port binding. In most cases, simply starting the SQLBrowser service resolves name resolution issues.

Antivirus interference. Real-time AV scanners that monitor .mcp and .lck files can hold a handle on the project for milliseconds longer than WinCC expects, producing intermittent open failures. Exclude the entire \Siemens\WinCCProjects\ tree from real-time scanning. The same exclusion should be added for \Siemens\Automation\WinCC\bin\.

Demo archive integrity. The V7.2 demo archive under entry 76879225 is approximately 1.5 GB compressed. Verify the SHA-1 hash against the value shown on the support page after download. A truncated archive will extract to a project that loads the configuration but fails on the first tag write because the SQL\ subfolder files are incomplete.

FAQ