1. Problem Overview
Engineers commissioning SINAMICS G120, G130, S120, S150, S210, G220, and SIMOTION drive systems routinely install the SINAMICS STARTER commissioning tool on a Windows engineering station. The STARTER 5.5 HF1 release (Siemens Industry Online Support entry ID 26233208) is distributed as a multi-part ZIP archive (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). When any of the three parts is missing, incompletely extracted, or unzipped into nested subfolders, the Windows Installer-based setup writes a CheckIntegrity.log and aborts before the wizard opens.
The characteristic failure signature contains two repeated lines:
ERROR: file not found: \\?\C:\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_1\02_oss_information\open_source_software.zip
ERROR: file not found: \\?\C:\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_1\02_oss_information\readme_oss.zipThe two referenced archives (open_source_software.zip and readme_oss.zip) are the open-source-software (OSS) compliance bundle required by the GPL/BSD licenses bundled inside STARTER. The third archive (Part 3) carries the entire 02_oss_information directory. If the user extracts only Part 1 and Part 2, the setup pre-flight check fails immediately on these two missing files.
\\?\ prefix is the Windows long-path (MAX_PATH > 260) namespace indicator. STARTER 5.5 HF1 enables long paths in its installer; do not strip the prefix when reading the log file.2. Affected Versions and Product Identification
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Product name | SINAMICS STARTER (commissioning / parameterization tool) |
| Version | V5.5 HF1 |
| Build / hotfix level | HF1 (latest at time of the original release) |
| Siemens support ID | 26233208 |
| Distribution format | Three ZIP files (Part_1, Part_2, Part_3) |
| Native target drive families | SINAMICS G, S, S210, S150, S220, G220, SIMOTION D, SIMOTION T, SIMOTION P |
| Supported Windows editions | Windows 10 (64-bit, 1607+), Windows 11, Windows Server 2016/2019/2022 |
| Required .NET Framework | .NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher |
The same symptom has been reproduced by users on Windows 10 20H2, Windows 11 21H2, and Windows Server 2019. It is OS-agnostic; the fault is in archive staging, not in the OS installer subsystem.
3. Root Cause Analysis
Three distinct root causes have been confirmed in field reports. Use the table below to localize the fault on your engineering station.
| Root cause | Indicator in CheckIntegrity.log | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Missing Part 3 archive |
02_oss_information\open_source_software.zip and readme_oss.zip both file not found
|
User downloaded only Part 1 + Part 2; Part 3 dropped because the file is large (typically > 2 GB) |
| Nested extraction | Same file not found error but Part 3 is present in another directory |
7-Zip / WinRAR "Extract here" created Part_1\, Part_2\, Part_3\ subfolders instead of flattening |
| Modified SetupMode.ini | Generic integrity error, no file not found entry |
Editing SetupMode.ini (or Setups.ini) before the integrity check invalidates the SHA manifest |
The integrity check computes a SHA hash over the staged files and compares the result against a manifest stored inside Part 1. Because the manifest does not declare the OSS ZIPs as part of the executable payload, the check does not bail on them per se; the setup engine instead fails when it cannot resolve the symbolic references for those two packages during the resolution pass. The two error lines are therefore diagnostic, not cryptographic.
CheckIntegrity.log after a failed launch. Older log files are not overwritten; the timestamp in the first line identifies the active run.4. Pre-Installation Checklist
- Confirm all three ZIP archives are present in the download directory and have non-zero size:
dir STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_*.zip - Verify SHA-256 sums against the values published on the Siemens support page (entry 26233208). Use
certutil:certutil -hashfile "STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_1.zip" SHA256 certutil -hashfile "STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_2.zip" SHA256 certutil -hashfile "STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_3.zip" SHA256 - Confirm at least 12 GB of free disk space on the target volume (STARTER install footprint plus the OSS bundle plus a copy buffer).
- Disable real-time virus scanning on the install volume during the extraction step; corporate endpoint agents sometimes hold write locks on the staging directory and cause the
CheckIntegrity.logto claim files are missing. - Log in with an account that has local Administrator privileges; STARTER writes registry keys under
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\Starter\5.5. - Close every open instance of TIA Portal, STEP 7, Scout, and SIMOTION IT DIAGNOSE. These tools share service ports (102, 161/162 SNMP) with the STARTER runtime.
5. Step-by-Step Resolution Procedure
Use this procedure on a clean Windows session. The fix is to flatten the three archives into a single staging directory so the setup engine can resolve every relative path.
-
Create the staging directory. Use a path with no spaces, no accented characters, and a short total length. The recommended default is
C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\.mkdir C:\STARTER_V55_HF1 cd /d C:\STARTER_V55_HF1 -
Move all three ZIP archives into the staging directory (or, preferably, copy them). Do not extract yet.
move %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_1.zip C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\ move %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_2.zip C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\ move %USERPROFILE%\Downloads\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_3.zip C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\ -
Do not right-click and select "Extract here"; this nests the contents inside per-part folders (
STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_1\etc.). -
Select all three ZIPs in Explorer (Ctrl + A) and choose Extract All to the same directory
C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\. With 7-Zip use the*multi-select and "Extract to.\". With WinRAR select all three and "Extract to the current folder". - Confirm that
C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\02_oss_information\now exists and containsopen_source_software.zipandreadme_oss.zip:dir C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\02_oss_information\ - Confirm that
C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\setup.exeandC:\STARTER_V55_HF1\SetupMode.iniare present at the staging root (not nested in a Part_X subfolder). - Open an elevated command prompt and launch the installer as Administrator:
Or, more simply, right-clickcd /d C:\STARTER_V55_HF1 runas /user:%USERDOMAIN%\Administrator setup.exesetup.exeand select Run as administrator. - Monitor
CheckIntegrity.login the staging directory. A successful run logs the resolved file list with noERROR:lines and exits 0.
Expand-Archive with the -DestinationPath parameter set to the same directory and -Force:
Expand-Archive -Path .\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_1.zip -DestinationPath C:\STARTER_V55_HF1 -Force
Expand-Archive -Path .\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_2.zip -DestinationPath C:\STARTER_V55_HF1 -Force
Expand-Archive -Path .\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_3.zip -DestinationPath C:\STARTER_V55_HF1 -Force
The -Force switch overwrites existing files in place, which is exactly the flattening behavior the integrity check expects.
6. Unattended Installation and INI File Modifications
System administrators deploying STARTER across a fleet of engineering workstations must edit two INI files: SetupMode.ini (controls setup.exe bootstrap) and Setups.ini (controls the inner MSI bundle). The CheckIntegrity pass will fail if either file is modified before the first run because the SHA manifest includes them. The supported workaround is to run the integrity pass once with the originals, then re-edit the INI files for subsequent unattended runs.
| File | Parameter | Value for unattended install | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
SetupMode.ini |
Unattended |
1 |
Suppresses the wizard, runs silently |
SetupMode.ini |
Organization |
Customer name string | Stamps the org into the registry and About box |
Setups.ini |
CheckForAdmin |
0 |
Allows the SYSTEM account to install (for SCCM/MDT push) |
Setups.ini |
RebootMode |
Suppress or Force
|
Controls post-install reboot behavior |
Recommended sequence for an unattended fleet push:
- Stage the three ZIPs and run the elevated setup once interactively so the integrity check passes and a baseline install is registered.
- Apply your
SetupMode.iniandSetups.inicustomizations after the first successful run. - Repackage the customized
C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\tree with your deployment tool (SCCM, PSADT, MDT, Ivanti). - On target machines, run
setup.exe /silentfrom an elevated context. The integrity check will then see the post-edit file list and pass because no further modifications are made.
7. Long Path and Windows Installer Considerations
STARTER 5.5 HF1 uses the Windows Installer long-path namespace (\\?\ prefix) for several staging paths. The MAX_PATH 260-character limit is not in effect inside the installer engine, but it does apply to:
- Any third-party decompression utility that has not been rebuilt with the long-path manifest.
- Network shares mapped from older SMB clients.
- Cyrillic, CJK, or accented user names in
%USERPROFILE%if a corporate GPO truncates the path.
If the staging directory itself is short (e.g. C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\, 17 characters) and the volume has NTFS long-path awareness enabled, the \\?\ prefix in the log file is harmless. The prefix appears because the setup engine always emits canonical long paths; it is not a sign of truncation.
For environments where the engineering workstation image is managed centrally and Windows Installer cache files may be missing, the Microsoft troubleshooting article on restoring Windows Installer cache files describes the msiserver registration repair procedure and the FindXXMSIForProduct PowerShell script. Apply that procedure first if setup.exe aborts with a generic "internal error 2727" or "error 1719" before the integrity check ever runs.
8. Archive Integrity Verification Procedure
If you suspect a corrupted download (browser proxy stripping bytes, antivirus quarantine, or partial resume), verify the SHA-256 of every archive before extracting.
- Open PowerShell and run:
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 -Path .\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_1.zip Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 -Path .\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_2.zip Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 -Path .\STARTER_V55_HF1_Programm_Part_3.zip - Compare each hash against the official value on the Siemens Industry Online Support page for entry 26233208. Siemens publishes a checksum file or a single SHA-256 string adjacent to the download button.
- If a hash mismatches, delete the affected archive and re-download with a different browser or via the Siemens download manager (
SiemensDownloadManager.exe). - After re-download, re-verify the hash before extracting.
A CheckIntegrity.log with file not found entries and a valid SHA-256 on all three archives is conclusive proof that the archives are not flattened into a single directory; proceed directly to Section 5.
9. Post-Installation Verification
- Open STARTER from the Start menu. The splash screen must report V5.5 HF1.
- Connect to a SINAMICS drive (or use the Online → Accessible nodes function over PROFINET or PROFIBUS) and confirm firmware download / parameter upload works.
- Open Help → About and confirm the Open Source Software Notice entry points to
02_oss_information\readme_oss.pdf. The presence of this file confirms the OSS bundle resolved correctly. - Verify the registry key:
Thereg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\Starter\5.5" /v VersionVersionvalue should read5.5.1.0(HF1) or higher. - Verify the install footprint:
Thedir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation\STARTER V5.5" /s02_oss_informationdirectory must also exist under the install root, not just the staging directory.
10. Troubleshooting Matrix
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|
02_oss_information\open_source_software.zip file not found |
Part 3 missing or nested | Re-extract all 3 ZIPs to one flat directory | Section 5 |
| Generic integrity error, no specific file | Modified SetupMode.ini or Setups.ini
|
Revert INI files, run once, then re-apply edits | Section 6 |
| Setup aborts before CheckIntegrity runs | Missing Windows Installer cache / MSI | Repair msiserver registration, restore missing MSIs |
Section 7, Microsoft Learn |
| SHA-256 mismatch on one archive | Truncated / corrupted download | Delete and re-download via Siemens Download Manager | Section 8 |
| Setup launches but installs to wrong language | Regional settings conflict | Set system locale to German (default) or English, re-run | Siemens release notes for 26233208 |
| CheckIntegrity passes but install fails at .NET check | Missing .NET Framework 4.7.2 | Install .NET 4.7.2 or 4.8 from Windows Update catalog | Section 2 prerequisites |
| Install succeeds but STARTER cannot see drive on PROFINET | Firewall blocking TCP/UDP | Open ports 102, 161/162, 34962–34964, 55000–55043 | STARTER online help |
11. FAQ
Why does STARTER 5.5 HF1 fail with "02_oss_information file not found" even when I have all three ZIPs?
The two OSS files live in Part 3 only. If your extraction tool created nested subfolders per part (for example Part_1\setup.exe), the setup engine looks for the OSS files relative to the Part_1 directory and never finds them. Re-extract all three archives into one flat directory such as C:\STARTER_V55_HF1\ and verify that 02_oss_information\open_source_software.zip exists at that root before launching setup.exe as Administrator.
Where is the CheckIntegrity.log file located?
It is created in the same directory from which setup.exe is launched — that is, the staging directory you flattened the three ZIPs into. Open the most recent CheckIntegrity.log (sort by modification time if more than one is present) and search for the string ERROR: to identify the missing files.
Can I edit SetupMode.ini for an unattended install without breaking the integrity check?
Not on the first run. The integrity check hashes SetupMode.ini and Setups.ini against the manifest in Part 1, so any edit before the first launch triggers a generic failure. Run the setup once interactively with the original INI files to populate the registry, then apply your Unattended=1, Organization=, and CheckForAdmin=0 edits for subsequent silent deployments.
Do I need .NET Framework 4.7.2 specifically, or will a newer version work?
.NET Framework 4.7.2 or higher is required; 4.8 (shipped with Windows 10 1903 and later) and 4.8.1 are both supported. The setup refuses to proceed if the minimum is not present. Windows 11 22H2 and Windows Server 2022 ship with 4.8 pre-installed, so the check passes automatically on those platforms.
The integrity check passes after the fix, but STARTER still cannot find my SINAMICS drive online. What is the next step?
Confirm that the PROFINET or PROFIBUS interface is enabled in the Windows network adapter settings and that the firewall rules allow TCP/UDP ports 102 (S7 communication), 161/162 (SNMP), 34962–34964 (PROFINET discovery), and 55000–55043 (STARTER DCP). If the drive is reachable via ping but invisible to Accessible nodes, reinstall the SINAMICS firmware update package for the drive family in use and verify the GSD/GSDML file is current.