WinCC v7.5 Client Resolving 'Initial Image Is Not Configured'

WinCC v7.5 Client: Resolving the "Initial Image Is Not Configured" Runtime Error

When activating Runtime on a SIMATIC WinCC v7.5 Update 4 client connected to a WinCC server, the operator screen never appears. Instead, a modal dialog box titled "Initial image is not configured" is displayed and persists on top of the Runtime window, blocking access to any process screens. The error is misleading because the start picture is usually defined in the server's client computer list — yet the client still cannot resolve the picture name. This article consolidates the root causes, the diagnostic sequence, and the exact configuration changes required to clear the error on a standard WinCC client (formerly called a "client without own project").

1. Architecture Overview: WinCC V7.5 Client Types

Before troubleshooting, identify the client type the server is expecting. WinCC V7.5 supports two fundamentally different clients, and the start picture is resolved differently for each:

For a standard client, every picture must exist in the server's Graphics Designer. The client downloads only the compiled PDL cache from the server package. If a picture name referenced in the start picture field does not exist on the server, the client cannot start Runtime and surfaces the "Initial image is not configured" dialog.

2. Preconditions

Confirm the following items before opening the configuration dialogs. Each precondition is a documented requirement in the Siemens WinCC V7.5 system manual and the Windows network FAQ (entry ID 868014).

1. WinCC version parity. The server and all clients must run the same WinCC version, including the same Update level. Mixing WinCC V7.5 Update 3 with Update 4 is unsupported. The product version is reported in the Registry under HKLM\SOFTWARE\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\RT.
2. Operating system parity. All participating PCs must use the same Windows edition (for example Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 or Windows Server 2019). Mixing Windows 10 Pro with Windows 10 Enterprise is allowed only if both are 64-bit and the user account is not domain-restricted.
3. Logon account. The Windows user that logs on to the client must also exist on the server with identical username and password. This is the most common cause of the dialog persisting after configuration. Reference: WinCC FAQ 868014 — Requirements for Operating SIMATIC WinCC in a Windows Network.
4. Share access. The WinCC project directory on the server must be released as a Windows share with Change rights for the operator group, not just Read rights.
5. Firewall rules. Open TCP ports 102 (S7DOS), 5900/5901/5902 (WinCC server/client), and SMB 445 on both directions between server and client.
6. Server Runtime active. The WinCC server Runtime must be in Running state (green icon in the system tray), not just Activated.

3. Root-Cause Matrix

4. Diagnostic Procedure

Execute the following steps in order. Each step isolates one root cause from the matrix in section 3.

Step 4.1 — Verify basic reachability

1. On the client, open a command prompt and run ping <servername>. Resolve the hostname to an IP address; if ping fails, the dialog will always appear because the client cannot read the picture list.
2. Open \\<servername>\<projectname>\GraCS in Windows Explorer from the client. If the share is not visible, the Windows account lacks share permissions (R2).
3. Open WinCC Explorer on the client. If the Server data node is empty, the client cannot authenticate against the server.

Step 4.2 — Inspect the WinCC diagnostics

On the client, open Start → Siemens Automation → WinCC → Tools → WinCC Diagnosis. The file WinCC_Syslog_<computername>_<date>.log contains the failure. Look for these identifiers:

Step 4.3 — Confirm the configured start picture

On the server:

1. Open WinCC Explorer on the server console.
2. Right-click Computer and select the client computer name.
3. Open the Graphics Runtime tab.
4. Confirm the field Start picture contains a valid PDL name, for example Overview.PDL.
5. Confirm the field Window attributes are set to a non-zero size; a start picture with width or height of zero pixels will also trigger the dialog in some Update levels.

5. Step-by-Step Solution

Solution A — Configure the start picture on the server (R3 / R6)

1. On the server, launch WinCC Explorer.
2. Navigate to Computer → <ClientName> → Properties.
3. Open the Graphics Runtime tab.
4. In the Start picture field, enter the name of the picture without the .PDL extension, exactly matching a file in the server's \GraCS directory. Example: MainOverview for the file MainOverview.PDL.
5. Click OK to apply the change.
6. On the server, open Server data → <ClientName> and verify the row is marked as implicitly generated. If not, right-click and choose Generate package.
7. On the client, restart WinCC Runtime. The dialog should be replaced by the configured start picture.

Solution B — Resolve Windows account mismatch (R2 / R7)

1. On the client, press Windows + L and note the current logged-in user (for example DOMAIN\operator01).
2. On the server, open Computer Management → Local Users and Groups → Users (or Active Directory Users and Computers for domain users).
3. Create the user with the exact username, including case.
4. Set an identical password or, for domain accounts, ensure the client is joined to the same domain and trusts the same KDC.
5. Add the user to the local group SIMATIC HMI and, if WinCC user administration is enabled, to the WinCC group with the role Operator or higher.
6. Re-test: log on to the client with the corrected user, then activate Runtime.

Solution C — Recompile the start picture (R4)

1. On the server, open Graphics Designer and load the start picture.
2. Make a small dummy change (move an object by 1 pixel) and save, then revert the change and save again. This forces a new PDL write to the \GraCS directory.
3. Open the server's \<ProjectName>\GraCS directory in Windows Explorer and confirm the file's date stamp is current.
4. Regenerate the client package as described in Solution A, step 6.
5. Restart Runtime on the client.

Solution D — Convert the client to a standard client (R5)

This applies if the client is currently a client with own project but the project is not being maintained locally.

1. On the server, open the client computer's properties.
2. Select the General tab.
3. Activate the checkbox Standard server under Server data if it is not already set.
4. Save the change and regenerate the package.
5. On the client, ensure that the local project folder (typically C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\WinCCProjects\<ProjectName>) is either empty or deleted. A stale local project that does not match the server can prevent picture lookup.
6. Restart WinCC Runtime on the client.

Solution E — Address firewall and port blocking (R1)

1. On both server and client, run wf.msc and create inbound and outbound rules for the executable C:\Program Files (x86)\Siemens\Automation\WinCC\bin\WinCC_Server.exe and WinCC_Client.exe.
2. Confirm that netstat -an | findstr 5900 on the server reports LISTENING.
3. From the client, run telnet <server> 5900. A blank screen confirms the port is open; a connection refused confirms the firewall.

6. Verification

After applying the fix, validate the runtime using the following checklist:

1. The "Initial image is not configured" dialog no longer appears at activation.
2. The configured start picture loads within 2–3 seconds on the client.
3. The WinCC diagnosis log no longer contains GRAFCS errors for the start picture on a fresh activation.
4. Picture navigation (button clicks) successfully loads other PDL files on the client. This proves the full PDL cache is reachable, not only the start picture.
5. Operator logon succeeds and the configured authorization level matches the role assigned in the WinCC user administrator.

7. Configuration Reference: WinCC V7.5 Start Picture Fields

8. Event Codes and Log Entries

The following table lists common WinCC V7.5 system log entries that accompany the dialog and that help confirm the root cause:

9. Safety and Operational Notes

• Do not change the start picture while Runtime is active on the server. Edit, save, regenerate the client package, and then restart the client Runtime. Live picture swap is not supported in WinCC V7.5.
• For redundant WinCC servers, repeat the configuration on the standby server's client list. Client packages are not replicated automatically.
• Always perform a controlled test of the fix in a test Runtime before applying it on a production line. Use File → Activate Runtime in a separate session to avoid disturbing an active operator console.
• If a process safety (F-runtime) system is involved, only authorized personnel may perform configuration changes per the safety lifecycle documentation.

10. Related Configuration Tasks

After the start picture is loading correctly, the following companion tasks often reveal similar symptoms and benefit from the same diagnostic approach:

• Configuring the WinCC user administrator to assign roles per client.
• Generating redundant server packages for a WinCC Redundancy topology.
• Setting up WebNavigator for thin-client access; the start picture is also configured on the server in that scenario.
• Configuring the WinCC Diagnostics Viewer for unattended log capture.

11. Quick Reference Checklist

12. Additional Resources

• Siemens FAQ 868014 — Requirements for Operating SIMATIC WinCC in a Windows Network
• Siemens Application Example 109771695 — Configuration of a Client–Server System with WinCC V7.5
• SIMATIC WinCC V7.5 System Manual (entry ID 109769932)
• SIMATIC WinCC V7.5 Communication Manual (entry ID 109772018)

FAQ