TIA Portal V13 Installation Fails with Exit Code 1603: Diagnosing MSI Error 1311 and AdsWorker Failures

The SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional V13 (TIA Portal V13) installer reports Exit Code 1603 with 50 logged errors after running SIA2.exe on a Windows 7 SP1 x64 host. The chain of AdsWorkerForeignExe::GetInstallResult() - 1601, AdsWorkerClassicComponent::OnWorkerCompleted(), and AdsWorkerSetupPackage::ReadResult() failures is the visible symptom. The root cause is almost always a corrupted or incomplete installation source (typically a missing Data1.cab cabinet) combined with missing Windows prerequisites. This reference walks through decoding the log, isolating each failure type, and rebuilding a clean install using TIA Portal V13 SP1 in a hardened environment.

1. Affected Software Versions and Environment

The failing log identifies the following bundle and host profile. Use this as a baseline reference when comparing your own deployment:

The SETUPLANGUAGE: 1033 confirms the en-US media. If your media is a different locale (1031 de-DE, 1034 es-ES, etc.), the cabinet names inside D:\SETUP\InstData change accordingly and an Error 1311 will fire when the wrong-language data is requested.

2. Decoding the SIA2 Installation Log

TIA Portal V13 uses the Siemens Installer Assistant (SIA2.exe) to wrap MSI packages. Every foreign EXE or Plus Package writes a result file into the log directory; if that file is missing the orchestrator interprets the silent exit as failure. Map each error signature to a category before you touch the system.

2.1 Error Code Reference Table

2.2 Setup Unit Failure Grouping

Group the 50 errors by the failing worker class. Each group has a single root cause and a single remediation.

2.3 Locating the Per-Component Result File

Each Plus Package and Classic Component writes a GUID-named result file to C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Logfiles\Setup. The format is RESULT_<32-char GUID>.log. A sample path from the failing log:

C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Logfiles\Setup\RESULT_10576BBE430D4890BFF70FAB2F43E5F0.log
C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Logfiles\Setup\RESULT_4AAD734F439C4227B623AC4C7C2828C4.log
C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Logfiles\Setup\RESULT_E735788D7F8E4FF8842AAB4BA402C2A4.log

When InstallResultSetupPackage::ReadResult() reports Setup Package's result file not found, the Plus Package never even reached the MSI phase — the orchestration short-circuited at the SIA2 layer. This is the definitive evidence that the underlying cabinet (e.g. Data1.cab) was unavailable to the stream.

3. Root Cause Analysis

3.1 Source Media Corruption (Primary)

The decisive evidence is the MSI 1311 entry that the field log contains in the deeper trace:

MSI (s) (88:B4) [18:29:22:664]: Product: Siemens Totally Integrated Automation Portal V13 - WinCC Single SetupPackage V13.0 -- Error 1311.
Source file not found(cabinet): D:\SETUP\InstData\ES\Media\Data1.cab.
Verify that the file exists and that you can access it.

This single message invalidates the install. The other 49 errors are downstream noise. D: in the field case is a partition holding the mounted ISO. Confirm three things in order:

1. The ISO is fully downloaded with no truncation (compare SHA-1/SHA-256 against the Siemens OSDN listing).
2. The mount or extraction includes D:\SETUP\InstData\ES\Media\Data1.cab — open the folder in Explorer and sort by size to spot a half-empty payload.
3. The user running setup has read access to D:\SETUP\InstData\ES\Media\Data1.cab (read-only is fine; SYSTEM-owned SYSTEM-owned SYSTEM-attrib is not).

3.2 Missing Windows Prerequisites

Group A failures (SOAPSDK, DotNet_Updater, VS_2005_PIAREDIST, VC71Redist) indicate that the underlying redistributables could not be installed. For TIA V13 SP1 these are:

• Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 and 4.x (4.5.x recommended)
• Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
• Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
• Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable (x86 and x64)
• Microsoft SOAP Toolkit 3.0 (for legacy S7DOS components)
• Windows Installer 4.5 or higher

Anti-virus software frequently quarantines the SOAP Toolkit and VC++ 7.1 (VC71) redistributable because both are unsigned legacy packages. Disable real-time AV during the install and whitelist C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation before retrying.

3.3 UAC, Folder Redirection, and File Locks

If the user account is not a local administrator, the SIA2 orchestrator cannot write to C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation or to C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation. SIA2.exe will return 1601 silently. Always launch with Run as administrator from an elevated command prompt:

runas /user:Administrator "D:\SETUP\InstData\Setup.exe"

3.4 Conflicting TIA Installation

If TIA Portal V12, V11, or STEP 7 Classic is already present, the V13 installer will collide on the shared SECON, S7DOS, and Automation Software Updater components. Confirm the version map below and choose one:

4. Pre-Installation Environment Preparation

1. Verify the host OS. TIA Portal V13 officially supports Windows 7 SP1 (x64), Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, and Windows 8/8.1. The Windows 7 Ultimate build 7601 host in the field log meets the minimum. Windows 10 is not officially supported for V13 but works under SP1 with compatibility shims; V13 SP1 Update 8 improved the Win10 footprint.
2. Confirm free disk space. A clean TIA Portal V13 install needs approximately 18 GB on C:; V13 SP1 + WinCC Professional + Startdrive + Safety Advanced can grow to 30+ GB.
3. Apply Windows updates. At minimum, install KB976932 (Windows 7 SP1) and the platform update KB2670838. These fix WinSxs corruption that breaks MSI streams.
4. Disable anti-virus, firewall, and IPS. Real-time scanning of Data1.cab mid-stream causes 1311-like signature mismatches that SIA2 reports as 1601.
5. Stop conflicting services. Siemens PLM License Server, SQL Server (SQLEXPRESS) instances from prior TIA installs, and wuauserv should all be stopped before setup.
6. Clean temp directories. Run %TEMP%\..\..\* cleanup and C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Logfiles\Setup\*.log purge. Old RESULT files from prior aborted installs will be reused by SIA2 and produce false negatives.
7. Run a registry integrity check. Open regedit and verify HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation and HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Siemens\Automation exist. If either is missing or corrupted, recreate the keys with default (Default) string values before setup.

5. Step-by-Step Recovery Procedure

Follow the procedure in order. Do not skip steps — each one removes a class of failure.

Step 1 — Full Uninstall of Any Partial TIA V13

control appwiz.cpl

Remove every entry that mentions SIMATIC, Siemens Automation, TIA Portal, STEP 7 V13, WinCC V13, or S7-PLCSIM. Reboot. Then manually delete the residual directories:

rmdir /S /Q "C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation"
rmdir /S /Q "C:\ProgramData\Siemens"
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation" /f
reg delete "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Siemens\Automation" /f

Step 2 — Re-download TIA Portal V13 SP1

The V13 RTM image referenced in the failing log (V13.00.00.00_15.07.00.01) is known to require manual cleanup of partial media. The recommended path is the SIMATIC STEP 7 (TIA Portal) V13 SP1 trial download page (entry ID 106448872). Select Professional or Basic depending on your license. V13 SP1 contains Update 8 hotfixes by default in the latest image. Re-download the complete image; do not resume a partial ISO.

Step 3 — Extract, Do Not Mount Directly

Create a working folder on a local drive with at least 25 GB free and extract the ISO contents using 7-Zip, WinRAR, or the built-in mount + copy. Running setup directly from a virtual DVD drive can produce intermittent read errors on Data1.cab. Use a fixed folder such as D:\TIA_V13_SP1\SETUP\.

Step 4 — Verify the Cabinet Set

Open the extracted folder and confirm the cabinets are present and non-zero:

dir /S /A "D:\TIA_V13_SP1\SETUP\InstData\ES\Media\Data1.cab"
dir /S /A "D:\TIA_V13_SP1\SETUP\InstData\ES\Media\Data2.cab"
dir /S /A "D:\TIA_V13_SP1\SETUP\InstData\DE\Media\Data1.cab"

The ES folder is the English (en-US, locale 1033) media. The DE folder is German (de-DE, locale 1031). If Data1.cab is missing in the locale you need, the file is incomplete — re-extract or re-download.

Step 5 — Pre-install the Visual C++ and .NET Runtimes

Download and install in this order. Each installer must complete with Installation successful before the next runs.

1. Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.2 (NDP452-KB2901907-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe)
2. Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable (x86) — 8.0.50727.6195
3. Visual C++ 2005 SP1 Redistributable (x64) — 8.0.50727.6195
4. Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable (x86) — 9.0.30729.6161
5. Visual C++ 2008 SP1 Redistributable (x64) — 9.0.30729.6161
6. Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable (x86) — 10.0.40219
7. Visual C++ 2010 SP1 Redistributable (x64) — 10.0.40219

Step 6 — Pre-install the SOAP Toolkit (Legacy)

TIA V13 still references the SOAP 3.0 Toolkit for the SOAPSDK setup unit. Download the offline installer (mssoap3.exe) and run it silently before launching SIA2.exe:

mssoap3.exe /Q /R:N

Step 7 — Run Setup with an Elevated Token

cd /d D:\TIA_V13_SP1\SETUP
start /wait Setup.exe /batch

The /batch switch uses the default install paths and avoids dialog-driven silent failures. For an attended install, double-click Setup.exe from an elevated Windows Explorer (right-click → Run as administrator).

Step 8 — Monitor the Live Log

Open a second elevated PowerShell and tail the setup log while SIA2 runs:

Get-Content "C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Logfiles\Setup\SiemensInstallAssistant.log" -Wait

Watch for repeated Error 1311, 1601, or FILE_NOT_FOUND -777. If any reappear, abort with Ctrl+C in the setup UI and revisit Step 4.

6. Correct Installation Order for TIA Portal Components

Once SIA2.exe has unpacked the prerequisites, the inner MSI phase requires that components be installed in the order Siemens documents in the TIA Portal release notes. Reordering causes ClassicComponent cross-dependency failures that surface as Group B errors.

1. SIMATIC STEP 7 Professional V13 (or Basic V13)
2. SIMATIC WinCC Professional V13 (or Comfort/Advanced, depending on panel class)
3. SINAMICS Startdrive V13
4. STEP 7 Safety Advanced V13
5. Optional: SIMOTION Scout, STARTER, Drive ES

If you are upgrading from TIA V12 SP1 to V13 SP1, do not uninstall V12 first. The V13 installer performs an in-place upgrade and shares several packages (SECON, S7DOS, Automation Software Updater) with V12.

7. Virtual Machine Alternative Deployment

For engineers who maintain multiple TIA versions or who cannot guarantee a clean host, deploy TIA Portal V13 SP1 in a Windows 7 SP1 x64 virtual machine. Recommended VM parameters:

Take a snapshot at each of these checkpoints so a regression only costs a few minutes of revert:

1. Post-Windows-update baseline
2. Post-VC++/SOAP prerequisite install
3. Post-TIA V13 SP1 core install
4. Post-WinCC / Startdrive add-on install
5. Post-license activation

8. Post-Installation Verification and License Activation

1. Confirm TIA Portal starts. Launch TIA Portal V13 from the Start menu. The splash screen reports the build; it must show V13.00.00.00_15.07.00.01 or later.
2. Validate the Automation License Manager. Open Siemens Automation License Manager. The Connect view must list the local license key (USB dongle or soft container). If it shows No license found, the LicenseManager and AlmPanelPlugin64 setup units did not install — rerun the installer and select Modify to add them.
3. Open a sample project. Use File → Open → Sample projects and load the S7-1500_Get_Started project. A successful compile of this project proves STEP 7, PLCSIM, and the hardware catalog are all functional.
4. Run PLCSIM V13. Start SIMATIC S7-PLCSIM V13. If it boots and accepts an instance, PlcSim64 is healthy.
5. Validate WinCC Runtime Advanced Simulator. Open the WinCC Comfort/Advanced project and start the RT simulator. The HMI tags must update when the simulated PLC changes state.
6. Check service status. services.msc should show Siemens S7EPATS and Siemens S7EPAES services installed. Their absence means the S7EPATSX.EXE / S7EPAESX.EXE post-install hooks did not run.

9. Troubleshooting Matrix: Error Code to Cause and Action

10. Process Flow: Decision Tree for SIA2 Failures

11. Known Pitfalls and Field-Proven Caveats

• Mounting an ISO with subst. Using subst D: C:\Mount\TIA13 works, but if the host's CD-ROM subsystem is configured to a real drive letter D, the subst silently fails and SIA2 looks at an empty drive. Verify with subst before launching setup.
• Compressed (NTFS) install directory. TIA Portal V13 does not support compression on C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation. The SIA2 installer will report the cabinet stream as corrupt even when it is valid. Clear the Compress contents attribute on the install root.
• OneDrive or Dropbox sync. If C:\ProgramData\Siemens or the install root is inside a synced folder, the SIA2 orchestrator will produce random 1601 errors mid-stream when the cloud sync client locks the cabinet file.
• Co-installed TIA V16 / V17. V16 and V17 ship their own VC++ 2015-2022 runtimes and may overwrite the older VC++ 2005/2008 SP1 files that V13 depends on. If you must co-install V13 with V17, run V13 first, then V17, and keep the VC++ 2005/2008 installers ready for repair.
• Region and locale mismatch. The bundle in the failing log uses SETUPLANGUAGE 1033 (en-US). If the source ISO is the German edition (1031) and the system locale is en-US, the ES\Media\Data1.cab path resolves correctly but the registry strings do not match, producing silent 1601 errors on SECON.
• Half-installed Windows 10. TIA V13 SP1 officially does not support Windows 10 1909+. The Compatibility Administrator shim Siemens.TiaPortalV13.exe works for V13 Update 7+ but not for the V13 RTM image in the field log. Always upgrade to V13 SP1 before deploying on Windows 10.

12. Frequently Asked Questions