How to Set a Consistent WinCC Alarm Date Format in a Multilingual Project

Classic WinCC can centralize date and time display settings for supported components, but the documented central option is ISO 8601, not an arbitrary project-wide pattern such as dd.MMM.yyyy. A regional setting may influence language-specific date presentation, while individual alarm controls or picture objects can have their own formatting. In a multilingual project, test the actual alarm-list object and runtime languages; do not assume changing one Windows locale will set every server and language consistently.

Distinguish date display from time base

Date formatting, time zone and project language are separate concerns. WinCC documentation describes project-level central ISO 8601 formatting and individual component formatting. A request for 15.Mar.2022 is a custom presentation pattern, not the same as selecting UTC/local time or changing the Windows regional date format.

What the WinCC project-level setting provides

The WinCC Working with WinCC System Manual describes configuring Computer Properties to either let individual components set date/time formats or force ISO 8601 centrally. When forced, dates use YYYY-MM-DD; time is 24-hour, with UTC/local-zone indications as applicable. This supports a consistent central ISO format but does not document a project-wide arbitrary dd.MMM.yyyy mask.

Check the alarm control's own formatting

Identify the exact WinCC version and the specific alarm-list/control used in the PDL.
Inspect its date/time formatting properties and whether it inherits project settings or has an individual format.
Check the project's runtime language settings and the Windows regional settings on engineering and OS runtime stations.
If a consistent standard is acceptable, evaluate the supported central ISO 8601 option in a test copy of the project and confirm its effect on the alarm control and other components.
If the required output is specifically dd.MMM.yyyy, use only a control/property or documented formatting mechanism that the installed version supports. Otherwise, the source does not establish a project-wide way to apply that pattern without per-object work.

Multilingual and multi-server behavior

The source reports that changing Windows regional settings affected one language and another language reverted to its default. That observation highlights the need to test each runtime language and server, but it does not prove one universal locale rule. WinCC project language, runtime language, Windows regional settings and component-specific overrides may all affect display.

Preserve timestamp meaning

Changing display format must not alter the underlying archived timestamp, UTC/local time basis or alarm ordering. Verify an event with a known timestamp across each language and OS station, including date boundaries and time-zone handling where relevant.

Verification

Create or select representative alarm records with known timestamps. In a test project, compare the displayed date in each project/runtime language and on each relevant server/client. Verify both visual format and timestamp meaning. Check components individually if they do not follow the central setting.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

The ticket does not state the WinCC/PCS 7 version or identify the alarm control and provides no documented resolution for an arbitrary dd.MMM.yyyy format. The cited WinCC manual is classic WinCC 7.5-era documentation and describes central ISO 8601 formatting; applicability must be checked for the installed release. Avoid changing regional settings on production stations without evaluating other applications and project components.

Engineer FAQ

Can I set dd.MMM.yyyy once for every WinCC object? The cited manual establishes a central ISO 8601 option, not an arbitrary global custom mask.

Can Windows Regional Settings influence date presentation? They can be relevant to language and regional display, but the exact effect must be checked for the WinCC version and control.

Why test every runtime language? The source reports differing behavior across project languages; confirm the actual results rather than assuming one locale change covers all languages.

Does formatting change stored timestamps? It should be treated as a display change, but verify timestamp values/time basis remain correct in the project's alarm/archive path.

What if only the alarm list needs the custom pattern? Check the alarm control's own supported properties and the release-specific manual; the source does not prove a global custom-format mechanism.

Technical References

Siemens, WinCC: Working with WinCC System Manual (11/2019), section 1.7 on central date/time formatting in ISO 8601: https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/attachments/109773058/WinCC_Working_with_WinCC_en-US_en-US.pdf
Siemens, WinCC: Working with WinCC System Manual (09/2024), current classic WinCC project/control formatting reference: https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/attachments/109976850/WinCC_Working_with_WinCC_en-US_en-US.pdf