How to Resolve 'Insert SIMATIC PCS 7 DVD 2/2' Installation Errors and Virtual Media Mounting Issues

During the installation of SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1 or V8.1 SP1, the installer halting with the prompt 'Insert the support of DATA: SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1 SP1 DVD 2/2' despite the second disc image being loaded occurs because the setup engine loses the virtual media drive handle or because third-party disc-mounting software (.mdx / Daemon Tools) fails to emulate the secondary volume label. To resolve this error reliably, copy the extracted contents of both installation images directly to a local hard drive (e.g., C:\PCS7_Setup) into adjacent sibling folders named 'DVD_1' and 'DVD_2', ensure Windows Administrator privileges are active, and launch Setup.exe from the local folder.

Multi-Disc Installer Architecture in SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1

The complete SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1 software suite spans over 12 gigabytes of installation media:
* Disc Partitioning:
* DVD 1/2: Contains the base system installer, STEP 7, CFC/SFC editors, WinCC Core, and Automation License Manager.
* DVD 2/2: Contains the PCS 7 Advanced Process Library (APL), Basis Library, SIMATIC PDM, Web Option packages, and device descriptions.
* The Disc Handshake:
* When Setup finishes base components from DVD 1, it queries the drive path for a specific identification file: \DVD2\Setup.ini and checks the Windows volume label (PCS7_V81_2).
* If the operating system cannot read the secondary volume label seamlessly, the installer halts with: Insert the support of DATA: SIMATIC PCS 7 V8.1 SP1 DVD 2/2.

Root Causes of 'Insert Support of DATA DVD 2/2' Failure

Forensic investigation identifies four common failure modes:
1. Virtual Drive Swap Failure in Emulators: When using virtual disc tools (Daemon Tools Ultra, PowerISO) with proprietary .mdx or .iso images, unmounting DVD 1 and mounting DVD 2 into the same virtual drive letter often fails to trigger the Windows media-change event.
2. Setup Launched from External USB Drive: If the setup files reside on an external FAT32/exFAT USB hard drive, Windows power-saving policies or USB transfer latency can drop the device handle during the transition.
3. Corrupted Extraction Image: Compressed archive files downloaded from Siemens Industry Online Support (SIOS) were extracted with missing files.
4. Missing Windows Administrative Rights: Running Setup.exe without explicit 'Run as administrator' prevents the installer from querying virtual drive mount tables.

Virtual Media Mounting Limitations (.MDX / ISO Disc Emulation)

Technical considerations when handling virtual disc images:

The .MDX Format Issue: .mdx is a proprietary Daemon Tools media descriptor format. In modern Windows Server 2008 R2 / 2012 R2, native Windows Explorer can mount .iso files directly, but cannot decode .mdx.
The Solution: Re-install or update Daemon Tools, convert .mdx images to standard .iso format using 7-Zip, or extract the raw directory contents to disk.

Step-by-Step Local Directory Staging Workflow (DVD_1 and DVD_2)

The certified, 100% reliable method to install PCS 7 without disc-swapping prompts:

Create Staging Directory on Local SSD/HDD:
* Create a folder on root drive C:\ (e.g., C:\PCS7_V81_Install\).
* Do not use spaces or special characters in the folder name.
Extract Discs into Sibling Folders:
* Create two subfolders inside the staging folder:
- C:\PCS7_V81_Install\DVD_1\
- C:\PCS7_V81_Install\DVD_2\
- Extract the entire contents of DVD 1 into the DVD_1 folder.
- Extract the entire contents of DVD 2 into the DVD_2 folder.
Launch Setup with Administrator Rights:
* Open C:\PCS7_V81_Install\DVD_1\.
* Right-click Setup.exe: select Run as administrator.
Automated Multi-Disc Detection:
* The Siemens setup engine automatically searches sibling folders (..\DVD_2\).
* When base installation finishes, setup transitions to DVD 2 packages automatically without prompting for physical media!

Comparison of PCS 7 Installation Media Methods

The table below compares installation media delivery methods for SIMATIC PCS 7.

Installation Staging MethodReliabilityAutomated DVD 2 HandshakeRisk of Mount FailureSpeedLocal Hard Drive Sibling Folders100% (Certified Best Practice)Fully Automated (Zero Prompts)ZeroFastest (Local SSD)Physical Optical DVD DiscsModeratePrompts to insert Disc 2High (Optical drive scratches)SlowVirtual Drive (.ISO Mount)HighRequires drive letter remountModerate (Windows mount drop)FastExternal USB Flash DriveLow to ModerateFails if USB sleepsModerateModerateProprietary Virtual Drive (.MDX)LowOften fails media-changeHigh (Driver conflicts)Fast

Verification

To confirm that the PCS 7 installation completes cleanly:
1. Launch Setup.exe from C:\PCS7_V81_Install\DVD_1\ as Administrator.
2. Select target components (Engineering Station, OS Server, etc.).
3. Monitor installation progress: verify that setup advances through base packages, transitions seamlessly into DVD 2 (APL, Basis Library, PDM), and completes with 0 Errors.
4. Reboot the operating system when prompted.
5. In SIMATIC Manager, select Help > About > Installed Software: verify that all PCS 7 V8.1 components display status Installed with correct build revisions.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

Never cancel the installer mid-stream if DVD 2 is prompted; canceling leaves corrupted Windows registry entries and incomplete SQL Server instances requiring Windows re-imaging.
Ensure sufficient free disk space exists on drive C:\ (minimum 40 GB free space for installation files and unpacked components).
Temporarily disable third-party antivirus software during installation to prevent active script blocking.
Always validate final software licensing, media delivery packages, and system prerequisites against the applicable Siemens catalog and authorized distributor quotation.

Engineer FAQ

Why did the installer not recognize DVD 2 when I mounted it to the same drive letter?

Many virtual disc mounting tools fail to trigger the Windows kernel media-change broadcast event, leaving the installer reading cached file descriptors from DVD 1.

Can I extract both DVDs into a single merged folder?

No. Merging both DVDs into a single folder overwrites duplicate files (such as Setup.ini and autorun.inf), corrupting the installer. They must be extracted into separate sibling folders named DVD_1 and DVD_2.