C135 PCS 7 (PCS7)
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Restoring Missing WinCC HMI Applications in STEP 7 Hardware Catalog for SIMATIC PCS 7

Restoring Missing WinCC HMI Applications in STEP 7 Hardware Catalog for SIMATIC PCS 7

When the 'HMI' folder (containing 'WinCC Application', 'WinCC Appl. Client', and 'WinCC Appl. (Ref)') is missing from the STEP 7 Hardware Catalog when configuring PC Stations in SIMATIC PCS 7 V7.1 or V8.2, the failure stems from missing AS-OS Engineering components, software installation sequence violations, or catalog cache corruption. To restore the HMI components, reinstall 'AS-OS-Engineering' from the PCS 7 installation media by selecting 'User-defined Installation > Expert mode', verify that TIA Portal WinCC is not co-installed on the same operating system (which permanently breaks classic catalog registries), and execute 'Options > Update Catalog' in HW Config.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

Setting up a new Engineering Station (ES) for SIMATIC PCS 7 requires inserting and configuring SIMATIC PC Stations in SIMATIC Manager to represent WinCC OS Servers, OS Clients, Process Historian nodes, and BATCH stations. However, when opening HW Config for a newly inserted PC Station, engineers occasionally discover that the critical HMI application folder—which supplies WinCC Application, WinCC Appl. Client, and WinCC Appl. (Ref)—is completely absent from the Hardware Catalog. Without these components, configuring SCADA server-client relationships is impossible. This problem occurs due to incomplete installation of the AS-OS Engineering subsystem, software installation order violations, or registry conflicts caused by unsupported co-installation of TIA Portal. This technical guide explains the catalog architecture and details the steps to restore the missing HMI components.

STEP 7 HW Config Architecture: AS-OS Engineering Integration Mechanics

The STEP 7 Hardware Catalog enumerates hardware modules and PC software applications by reading compiled catalog indexes (HWKAT files) and COM registry entries. In a standard STEP 7 installation, only physical S7-300/400 hardware is present. The ability to configure WinCC applications inside a PC Station is provided exclusively by AS-OS-Engineering:

  • AS-OS Engineering registers COM classes linking STEP 7 HW Config with the WinCC configuration engine (CCProjectStudio).
  • It supplies the catalog descriptors that allow drag-and-drop placement of WinCC Application into Slot 1 of the virtual PC rack.
    If AS-OS Engineering is omitted during setup or fails to register its DLLs, the HMI category remains hidden.

Root Causes for Missing WinCC Applications in the Catalog

Three primary conditions prevent HMI applications from appearing:

  1. Installation Order Violation: In SIMATIC PCS 7, STEP 7 must be installed before WinCC and AS-OS-Engineering. If WinCC or AS-OS-Engineering is installed on an operating system where STEP 7 is missing or installed subsequently, the catalog hooks fail to bind.
  2. Corrupted Catalog Cache: The internal cache files that index the STEP 7 catalog can become desynchronized or locked.
  3. TIA Portal WinCC Co-installation Conflict: Installing TIA Portal (STEP 7 V11/V12/V13/V14 or WinCC Professional) on the same machine as PCS 7 overwrites shared automation components with incompatible .NET assemblies.

TIA Portal Co-existence Conflicts and Registry Corruption

Siemens explicitly prohibits installing TIA Portal WinCC Professional on the same operating system partition as SIMATIC PCS 7. Both software suites utilize different database engines and incompatible versions of the Siemens SQL database layer. Installing TIA Portal permanently corrupts classic WinCC COM registration keys, necessitating an operating system re-image.

Hardware Catalog Diagnostic and Recovery Matrix

The following table compares diagnostic indicators and recovery methods for missing catalog objects:

Diagnostic SymptomDiagnostic ToolUnderlying Root CauseCorrective Engineering ActionNo HMI folder in PC Station catalogHW Config Catalog TreeAS-OS-Engineering component not installed.Reinstall AS-OS-Engineering via PCS 7 DVD.HW Config crashes on opening catalogWindows Event ViewerCatalog index file (Hwcn*.dat) corrupted.Delete catalog cache files and re-index.HMI folder empty; no WinCC ApplSIMATIC Manager Installed SoftwareTIA Portal WinCC co-installed on PC.Uninstall TIA Portal or restore from clean OS image.Error 'Package AS-OS-Engineering missing'Project Open DialogProject uses newer PCS 7 library version.Install corresponding PCS 7 Service Pack / Update.Catalog update does not refreshHW Config > OptionsCatalog filter set to restrictive custom profile.Switch catalog filter to 'Standard' or 'PCS 7 Profile'.

Step-by-Step Reinstallation and Catalog Rebuilding Procedure

Method 1: Reinstalling AS-OS-Engineering from PCS 7 Media

  1. Close all SIMATIC applications (SIMATIC Manager, HW Config, WinCC Explorer).
  2. Insert the SIMATIC PCS 7 Installation DVD 1 (or mount the ISO image).
  3. Navigate to the root directory and execute Setup.exe with right-click Run as administrator.
  4. Select the installation type User-defined installation and check Expert mode.
  5. In the component selection tree, expand Engineering System > AS-OS-Engineering.
  6. Check the box for AS-OS-Engineering and complete the setup wizard.
  7. Reboot the computer when prompted.

Method 2: Rebuilding the STEP 7 Hardware Catalog Index

  1. Open SIMATIC Manager as Administrator.
  2. Open HW Config by double-clicking the Hardware object of any station.
  3. In the top menu bar, select Options > Update Catalog.
  4. Wait for the progress bar to complete the catalog re-indexing.
  5. In the catalog tree, expand SIMATIC PC Station > HMI.
  6. Verify that WinCC Application, WinCC Appl. Client, and WinCC Appl. (Ref) are fully visible.

Verification

To verify that HMI applications can be configured successfully:

  1. PC Station Insertion Test: In SIMATIC Manager, insert a new SIMATIC PC Station (Insert > Station > SIMATIC PC Station).
  2. Drag-and-Drop Check: Open HW Config for the PC Station. Expand SIMATIC PC Station > HMI > WinCC Application.
  3. Slot Placement: Drag WinCC Application into Slot 1 of the virtual rack. Confirm that the application inserts without error dialogs.
  4. OS Creation: Save and compile HW Config. Confirm that the corresponding WinCC OS object is generated in SIMATIC Manager.

Limitations and Operational Precautions

  • Co-installation Rule: Never install TIA Portal and SIMATIC PCS 7 on the same operating system instance. Use virtual machines (e.g. VMware Workstation) to isolate incompatible engineering environments.
  • Administrative Rights: Reinstalling AS-OS Engineering requires local Windows Administrator privileges to write to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Siemens.
  • Version Parity: Always install the AS-OS Engineering build that corresponds exactly to your installed STEP 7 and WinCC release levels.

Engineer FAQ

Can AS-OS-Engineering be installed on a computer that does not have WinCC installed?

Yes, on an Engineering Station where STEP 7 and CFC are installed, AS-OS Engineering can be installed to allow hardware configuration of PC stations even if WinCC runtime is on remote servers.

Why does installing TIA Portal break classic PCS 7 HW Config?

TIA Portal installs newer versions of shared communication drivers and catalog parsers that overwrite classic STEP 7 DLL registration entries.

What should I do if 'Update Catalog' in HW Config is greyed out?

Close all open projects in SIMATIC Manager and open HW Config from an empty workspace to enable the Update Catalog menu item.

Technical References

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