WinCC Information Server COMException Network Path Not Found Fix

Problem Statement

When launching the WinCC Information Server 2014 SP3 web administration page on a Windows 10 Enterprise workstation and selecting the SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) instance Computer\WINCC, the browser or the configuration tool returns:

System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: The Network path was not found
   at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHRInternal(Int32 errorCode)
   at System.Management.ManagementObject.Get()
   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.SlcServerNodeConnection.OnAsyncExecWorkItem(Object obj)
   at Microsoft.SqlServer.Management.UI.VSIntegration.ObjectExplorer.SlcServerNodeConnection.Connect()\code>

The exception originates from System.Management when the WinCC Information Server administration UI tries to enumerate the local WMI namespace \\Computer\root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement10. The same message appears on hosts that were previously able to load the setup web page but failed to bind to the SSRS instance, then regressed after a forced reboot triggered a Windows inbox-app update pass.

Environment and Affected Versions

Reference confirmation of the underlying SSRS connection path is documented in the Microsoft Q&A thread SSRS 2019 Report Configuration can't start up, which mirrors the same WMI/COMException returned by Report Manager when local security or WMI service state is broken.

Root Cause Analysis

The COMException 0x80070035 (The Network path was not found) returned by the WinCC Information Server administration web UI is the .NET projection of the Win32 error ERROR_NETNAME_DELETED. In a SIMATIC Information Server deployment it is almost always produced by one of four failure layers, listed in order of frequency seen in the field:

1. Stale SID / lost local profile. After a Windows 10 feature update or an inbox-app update pass (the "updating 5 apps" message reported in the case), local user SIDs that were used to install SIMATIC components may no longer resolve to a profile directory. WMI providers under root\Microsoft\SqlServer are launched in the user context and fail to find the home directory, surfacing as a network-path error.
2. WMI service dependency broken. The Information Server setup invokes WMI through winmgmt. If Winmgmt depends on RPCSS which in turn depends on a stopped DHCP Client, DNS Client, or TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper, the local \\Computer\root connection returns ERROR_NETNAME_DELETED.
3. SSRS not yet bound to instance. Information Server 2014 SP3 calls SSRS via the Report Manager SOAP endpoint over http://Computer:80/ReportServer_WINCC. If the Reporting Services instance is not started, the call falls back to a WMI query against the instance that does not yet exist, again returning the network-path error.
4. Domain vs. workgroup SID history. Joining or leaving a Windows domain re-keys the local SAM database. SIMATIC components installed in one domain context carry SIDs that the new SAM cannot resolve, particularly for the S-1-5-32-544 Administrators group and the local SQL service accounts (SQLServerReportServerUser$Computer$MSSQLSERVER).

Pre-Installation Prerequisites Checklist

To prevent the COMException at first launch, verify each item below before running setup.exe from the SIMATIC Information Server DVD or downloaded image.

Step-by-Step Recovery Procedure

The field-proven recovery is identical to the resolution reported by the originating engineer: full OS reset, sequential install in a workgroup, configuration in IE, and only then join the domain. The expanded, repeatable version is documented below.

Step 1 — Rebuild the host

1. Back up the WinCC project and the Process Historian archive directories under C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\PH\Archive and the IS templates under C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\IS\Templates.
2. Rebuild Windows 10 Enterprise from the OEM media and apply only critical/security updates.
3. Disable Windows Update for the maintenance window: net stop wuauserv and set the service to Disabled temporarily.
4. Join the machine to a dedicated Workgroup (for example WINCCWG). Do not add to the production AD domain.
5. Create the local install account (e.g. WinCCAdmin) and add it to Administrators, Power Users, and the local SQL sysadmin group via sysadmin membership in SSMS.

Step 2 — Install SQL Server and Reporting Services

1. Install SQL Server 2014 SP3 (or the generation matched to IS 2014 SP3) as a default instance MSSQLSERVER with mixed-mode authentication. Set a strong sa password and the SQL service accounts to a local virtual account (NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM for the engine; NT SERVICE\ReportServer for SSRS).
2. During the SQL setup, select Reporting Services — Native so that ReportServer and ReportServerTempDB databases are deployed.
3. Verify Report Manager opens at http://localhost/Reports before continuing.
4. If Report Manager also throws the COMException reported in Microsoft Q&A 1132685, reset WMI: winmgmt /salvagerepository, then winmgmt /resetrepository, then reboot.

Step 3 — Install SIMATIC Process Historian

1. Mount the Process Historian DVD/image that matches the WinCC Information Server generation (2014 SP3 ships with Process Historian 2014 SP3).
2. Launch Setup.exe as the local WinCCAdmin and accept the SQL Server instance found in Step 2.
3. The installer registers the SIMATIC Process Historian service and creates the PH database on the same SQL instance.
4. Confirm service state: sc query "SIMATIC Process Historian" shows RUNNING.

Step 4 — Install SIMATIC Information Server

1. Mount the Information Server media and run Setup.exe. Choose Install Information Server and Information Server Web.
2. Point the setup to the SQL instance created in Step 2: Computer\WINCC. The instance name WINCC must be entered in the dialog and validated by the setup.
3. During installation, the setup registers the IS web site under IIS at http://localhost/InformationServer and creates the SIMATIC Information Server service.
4. Do not modify the IIS application pool identity; the default ApplicationPoolIdentity plus the S-1-5-32-544 local admin SID are required for the COM+ package SimaticInformationServer.

Step 5 — Configure Information Server in Internet Explorer

1. Open Internet Explorer 11 as the WinCCAdmin account. Verify Intranet Compatibility Mode is on for the localhost zone and the site is in Trusted Sites.
2. Navigate to http://localhost/InformationServer. The setup page should load without the COMException.
3. Select the SQL Server instance Computer\WINCC. The dropdown must populate via WMI; if it remains empty, return to Step 2 of the prerequisites and repair WMI.
4. Click Connect and complete the configuration wizard (define archive scope, select Process Historian datasource, set report repository path).
5. Generate one test report from the bundled Microsoft Report template to confirm end-to-end binding.

Step 6 — Domain migration after verification

1. Once the configuration succeeds in the workgroup, unjoin and re-join the host to the production AD domain.
2. Re-add the local WinCCAdmin (now a domain account) to the local Administrators and to the SQL sysadmin role.
3. Start the SIMATIC services in order: SQL Server → SQL Server Reporting Services → SIMATIC Process Historian → SIMATIC Information Server.
4. Re-validate the configuration page and one end-to-end report. The COMException must not return.

Verification and Acceptance Tests

Run these checks immediately after each install step. They convert the COMException from "blocked at startup" into a deterministic pass/fail sequence.

Troubleshooting Matrix

Related SSRS Considerations

The same COMException is documented on SQL Server 2019 Standard / Windows 10 Pro 21H2 in Microsoft Q&A 1132685. When upgrading an Information Server 2014 host to Information Server 2020 / RT Professional V20, perform a side-by-side SSRS upgrade on a fresh SQL instance. Mixed-generation SSRS + IS without a co-shipped SQL Server patch level reintroduces the WMI provider mismatch. Also verify the architecture overview of the SIMATIC Information Server as part of the Information Server (RT Professional) documentation: it confirms that the server is built on SQL Server Reporting Services and that the SSRS + Process Historian components must be installed and reachable before the IS web layer is started.

Recurrence Prevention

1. Pin the host to a Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel edition if possible; consumer/feature-update branches repeatedly break the WMI repository on Information Server hosts.
2. Defer Windows inbox-app updates via Group Policy: Configure Automatic Updates = 3 (auto-download, do not auto-install) so the "updating 5 apps" prompt cannot interrupt a live Information Server session.
3. Create a weekly maintenance task that runs winmgmt /salvagerepository and validates the SSRS service state.
4. Document the install order as a change-control record: OS → SQL → SSRS → PH → IS → Workgroup configuration → Domain join. Do not deviate.
5. Keep the Information Server, Process Historian, and SQL Server at matched generations and patch levels.

Commissioning Checklist (one page)

1. Win10 Enterprise, workgroup WINCCWG
2. Local admin: WinCCAdmin, password in vault
3. SQL 2014 SP3 + SSRS native, instance MSSQLSERVER
4. http://localhost/Reports  -> 200 OK
5. wbemtest -> \\Computer\root\default        -> OK
6. wbemtest -> \\Computer\root\Microsoft\SqlServer\ComputerManagement10  -> OK
7. Install Process Historian 2014 SP3
8. Install Information Server 2014 SP3
9. http://localhost/InformationServer         -> renders setup page
10. Select Computer\WINCC, complete wizard
11. Generate Tag Overview report               -> success
12. Unjoin workgroup, join AD domain
13. Re-arm administrators, restart services SQL → SSRS → PH → IS
14. Re-run step 9, 10, 11                      -> success
15. Hand over to operations