WinCC V7.1 SP1 Client Buttons: Print Screen & Plant Network Fix

Overview

On a Siemens SIMATIC WinCC V7.1 SP1 redundant multi-user system, two runtime buttons that work correctly on the WinCC server frequently fail or are disabled on the WinCC clients:

• The Print Screen button in the project toolbar does not produce any output when pressed on a client, although it functions normally when the same picture is opened on the server.
• The Plant Network (Plant Overview / Plant View) button in the toolbar is greyed out on every client, even when the picture exists in the package and the server displays it without problems.

Both symptoms are typical of a misconfigured multi-user system and are not application bugs in WinCC V7.1 SP1. They are caused by the way WinCC distributes graphics, scripts, print jobs and connection points from the redundant server pair to the attached clients. This article documents the root cause of each symptom, the exact configuration paths that resolve them, and the verification procedure that confirms a stable fix without rebuilding the package.

System Architecture: Redundant WinCC V7.1 SP1 Multi-User System

Before touching any project files, map the network topology of the affected site. WinCC V7.1 SP1 distinguishes two logical networks inside a multi-user project:

The redundant server pair (Server 1 = Master, Server 2 = Standby) holds two copies of the project database. Each server holds its own connections to the plant bus via SIMATIC S7 Protocol Suite, but the clients only ever talk to the active server on the terminal bus. The clients do not have direct routing to the AS controllers, which is the architectural reason for the two symptoms reported above.

Package export is the mechanism that synchronises server changes to clients. When the project is compiled and the package is generated on Server 1, the resulting file (*.pck) is copied to every client and activated locally. Tags, alarms, pictures, scripts and print jobs that are present on the server but missing from the package will be invisible or inactive on the client, even though the picture compiles cleanly.

Issue 1: Plant Network Button Greyed Out

Observed Symptom

The Plant Network push button in the bottom toolbar of the project window is dimmed (greyed out) on every WinCC client. Pressing it produces no reaction. The same button is fully enabled on both Server 1 and Server 2.

Root Cause

This is intentional WinCC V7.1 SP1 behaviour for multi-user systems. The plant network overview is built from raw AS connection points. On a client station the SIMATIC S7 channels do not have direct routes to the plant bus - the client only sees the server over the terminal bus. The button is therefore disabled by the runtime to prevent a hang or a connection timeout storm when the operator presses it.

If the project was created following the Siemens multi-user guide, the plant overview picture is intended to be opened from the server. Designers who copy the same navigation script onto the client without understanding the topology discover the limitation only at commissioning.

Resolution Path

There are two accepted remedies. Choose the one that matches the project's data model.

1. Keep the plant overview server-only. Open WinCC Explorer on the server, locate the picture (typically PlantOverview.Pdl) and remove the call from the client-side toolbar or hide the button with a user-administered rights model. Document in the operating manual that plant network data is available only on the operator stations that run the server picture set.
2. Expose the plant data through server tags. On the server, create derived internal tags or aggregate tags that hold the same information (for example: Plant_Area_Status, Plant_SubArea_Active, Plant_Alarm_Summary). Reference these tags in the picture displayed on the client instead of the raw connection tags. The button on the client is then able to evaluate the picture logic without direct AS routing.

Issue 2: Print Screen Button Unresponsive

Observed Symptom

Clicking the Print Screen button in the toolbar on a WinCC client triggers no print job. The hardcopy file is not created on the network share, no spool file is generated, no error is logged in WinCC_Sys.log or WinCC_Connect.log. On the server the same button starts a print job that completes successfully.

Root Cause Analysis

The Print Screen button on a WinCC runtime project typically triggers a hardcopy print job by name (default: @Hardcopy or a project-specific job such as RT_PrintScreen). For the job to execute on a client station, three independent preconditions must all be true:

1. Print job exists on the client. Print jobs are not part of the package by default - they must be either re-created locally on the client or distributed via a properly generated package.
2. Printer assignment is valid on the client. The Windows printer referenced in the print job must be installed on the client PC, otherwise WinCC runtime discards the job silently.
3. Package export completed without warnings. If the project contains scripts or tags referenced by the print job (e.g. file-name tag, destination folder tag), the package compile must include them - missing references are stripped silently.

When the button is wired through a C script on the client picture, the script can also fail because the tag prefix on the client is \WinCC\ClientName\ while the script on the server uses \WinCC\ServerName\. A hardcoded server prefix in the button script is the single most common cause.

Diagnostic Steps

1. On the client, open WinCC Explorer > Print Jobs and confirm that the print job referenced by the button (e.g. RT_PrintScreen) is listed. If it is absent, the package was generated before the print job was added on the server, or the server was updated after the last package compile.
2. Open the print job properties and note the configured printer. On the client, verify the same Windows printer is installed and online. If a UNC printer (\\print-srv\plant-prn) is configured, ensure the client service account has access.
3. Open the picture that contains the button (e.g. Toolbar.Pdl) on the client in Graphics Designer and check whether the button event uses a hardcoded server prefix. Replace with a runtime-resolved prefix:

// C script for the Print Screen button - runtime-safe
#include "apdefap.h"
void OnClick(char* lpszPictureName, char* lpszObjectName)
{
    // Resolve prefix at runtime - works on server AND client
    char szServer[256];
    char szTag[256];
    DWORD dwServer = 0;
    // Read configured standard server (WinCC V7.1 internal tag)
    char* szStd = "@Local\"";
    // Trigger hardcopy on the local runtime, print job "RT_PrintScreen"
    HWND hWnd = FindWindow(NULL, "WinCC-Runtime - ");
    if (hWnd == NULL) hWnd = GetForegroundWindow();
    // Use the documented API: RPTJobPrint only operates on the local node
    RPTJobPrint("RT_PrintScreen", NULL, 0, NULL);
    // Alternative if the print job must run on the active redundant server:
    // ServerPrefixSet and trigger via the server-side C tag.
    return;
}

4. Confirm that the picture is part of the generated package by opening WinCC Explorer > Computer > [ClientName] > Pictures on the client and verifying the picture is shown in Activated state, not in Implicit update.
5. Trigger a print job manually from the client using the toolbar menu Runtime > Print > Test Print to isolate whether the issue is the button or the underlying job.

Standard Server and Preferred Server Configuration

For the client to look up tags, alarms and pictures from the correct server, the standard server assignment must be set on every client.

Package Export Configuration on the Server

The package export is what carries the print job, the picture and the toolbar configuration to the client. Re-generate the package after every change that affects client runtime.

1. On Server 1 (Master), open WinCC Explorer.
2. Right-click the project entry > Package Export > Create.
3. In the wizard, enable the checkboxes for:
   • Pictures (includes toolbar picture with the Print Screen button)
   • Print Jobs (mandatory for Issue 2 fix)
   • Scripts (so the C script is regenerated)
   • Tags (so client-side script references resolve)
4. Select the destination folder (e.g. \\WinCC-Share\Packages\) and finish.
5. Copy the generated *.pck file to every client station.
6. On each client, open WinCC Explorer > Server Data, select the server, and click Load Package. Confirm Overwrite local configuration is enabled.

The complete procedure is documented in the WinCC Information System: Configuration > Multi-User Systems > Server Configuration > How to configure the package export and Client Configuration > How to configure a Standard Server.

Print Job Specific Configuration

If the print job is missing on the client after a correct package export, recreate it manually on each client. Use the WinCC Information System path: Configuration > Print Jobs > How to configure a print job.

Verification and Acceptance Tests

Run the following test sequence on a client station after the reconfiguration. Document the result in the commissioning log.

1. Toolbar inventory. Confirm that the Print Screen button is enabled and the Plant Network button is either enabled (Option B used) or correctly hidden (Option A used).
2. Print Screen test. Press the Print Screen button on the client. Verify a spool file appears on the configured printer within 5 seconds. If a file output is configured, verify the file is written to the UNC path.
3. Tag prefix test. In WinCC Explorer on the client, open Tools > Tag Simulation, set a value on a server tag (e.g. \\Server1\Test_Print), and confirm the value reaches the client picture.
4. Failover test. Stop the WinCC runtime on Server 1. Verify Server 2 takes over within the configured redundancy time (default 10 s) and the Print Screen button on the client continues to work.
5. Failback test. Restart Server 1. After the configured failback delay, verify the client switches back to Server 1 and the Print Screen button remains functional.
6. Log inspection. On the client, inspect C:\Program Files\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\Diagnose\WinCC_Sys.log and confirm no entries with severity Error related to the print job or the plant network picture.

Diagnostic Reference Matrix

Operational Notes

• The plant network limitation is consistent with how WinCC Runtime Professional in the TIA Portal documents runtime characteristics - clients connect to a single server and inherit that server's plant bus reachability. See the Siemens runtime characteristics documentation for the equivalent TIA Portal behaviour: Reaction to system errors - WinCC RT Professional. The architectural model is the same; only the configuration surface (WinCC Explorer vs. TIA Portal) differs.
• For WinCC V7.1 SP1, the canonical product manual is the SIMATIC HMI WinCC V7.1 SP1 - Configuration Manual available through Siemens Industry Online Support. The WinCC Information System (online help) is the authoritative in-product reference for the menu paths described above.
• Redundancy with WinCC/Redundancy option uses the partner server heartbeat on the terminal bus. Never route the terminal bus over a router or VLAN that also carries plant bus traffic - separation is required for predictable failover and for the diagnostics described here.
• When upgrading from WinCC V7.1 to V7.2 / V7.3 / V7.4 / V7.5, the package format changes. Always regenerate the package after an upgrade and re-test the Print Screen and Plant Network buttons on every client before resuming production.

FAQ