Step 7 Install Hangs

I am trying to install Step V5.3 SP3 on a Dell 505 laptop running Win XP Pro SP2 with the latest/greatest updates, 1.5 GHZ P4, 1.15GB RAM, but during the "installing shared components" phase the system hangs and waits indefinitely. I have been able to randomly get the system to continue the install by aborting the install using the "abort" key on the main interface, then clicking the "X" in the upper right box corner. The system will then unfreeze the install and continue, but the results are erratic. I have installed the software on a machine that is a mirror image of this one hardware-wise, with the the same OS and programming software. I have stopped all processes on the hanging machine that are not running on the good machine, no luck. I have tried different profiles, disconnected and disabled network, even safe mode. I have to have this software installed on THIS machine due to licensing issues and that fact that I need it for travel setup and debug. Does anyone know of any software or add-on hardware (I have an AB PCMCIA DeviceNet card) that would cause this issue? Even a random hint would be appreciated.

Have you tried copying the CD to your hard drive- then installing??. My Dell hangs on some installs too.

The following fix was provided by Siemens Tech Support when I had the same problem. Start Regedit and drill down to the following location:
Hkey Local Machine/System/CurrentControlSet/Control/SessionManager
In the right hand pane, delete the value PendingFileRenameOperations
Then start your install without rebooting and it should complete. Note, I was having a similar problem with the Mitsubishi GX Developer install and this handled that problem as well.

Robert D. Wagner, P.E.

yes, tried that too. I may just cook the hard drive and re-install the whole thing. My drive is too small for all the software I need.

Tried it. No luck. Of the 3 systems I've installed it on, ALL of them have at least one of the programs I run on them. I run AutoCad Electrical 2006, RS Logix 500, 5000, View32, View Studio, Omron SysWin and CX Server, Fins Gateway, GE Fanuc Versa Pro, Quick Panel, Rice Lake Revolution III, Festo WinPisa 4.3, Pacific Scientific 800 Tools, and a bunch of other assorted programming and setup apps. I'm about ready to put a bigger HD (which I need anyway) and just build from scratch. When the install completes, it seems to run fine, the only problem is I can't get all of the graphics I need added, and running from machine to machine to do my work is getting old rather quickly.

Thanks. I tried it, but still no luck. I managed to get the Step 7 on fine, (for no aparrent reason) but the WinCC Flexible Hotifx is hanging now. Im getting there. Slowly but slowly.

Buy a few hdds and split things up for sanity's sake. The Simatic stuff seems to hose whatever machine it's loaded on so that one would be on it's own hdd. Windows stuff in general is written as if it will be the only application you put on the machine. They routinely replace dlls and do other mischief to the point where half a dozen automation apps on one system makes it a real crap shoot if any particular one will run. For amusement, try loading them in different orders and see what happens. On a notebook pcmcia drives make it easy, for a desktop you can get a drawer arrangement reasonably.

Regards

cww

Has anyone found a fix for this yet. I am having the same problem. HP laptop running XP Pro with all latest updates. Tried the registry and nothing.

Appreciate your response!

I have an HP laptop also running XP Pro. The only problem I ran into was the need to delete "PendingFileNameOperations" in the Session Manager
section of the Registry before starting the install. You might give it a try.

Robert D. Wagner, P.E.
Contact me if you have further questions on this, [email protected]

Try removing your computer from the network, don't just unplug the ethernet, remove it from the network completely. We had a similar problem with some of our computers, and removing them from the network worked.

Damn S7.

AB and S7 just don't mix. I have my Dell running both, but I'm lucky. Our company standard it to have 2 bootable partitions on our notebooks, 1 for AB, and 1 for S7. That's the sure way of doing it.

Dennis Patterson

1. check your path, it may be too long, AB adds in all sorts of things.

2. reformat, install S7 first, then all of your AB software.

I do know that will work.

I use separate drives. Not only keeps the incompatibilities down, but limits the damage when Windows scribbles on the drive.

Regards
cww

Has anyone tried using virtualisation (e.g. VMWare) for this problem? You could have a separate VM for every troublesome program if necessary. You just need to have a big hard drive and enough RAM.

Unlike the separate hard drive idea, you can run several special purpose VMs at the same time (as long as you have enough RAM). You can also save a VM image and then restore it if the application program (or MS-Windows) scrambles itself.

I use VMWares virtual machine extensively. For PLC programming, I use a DELL D600 laptop with 2 GB RAM and with 3 VMs.

One VM for Step7, One for AB systems (RSLogix 5000/500 and 5), One for ABB Advant & Control IT.

I am extremely happy with its performance and these softwares connect to the respective hardware through Serial Port, Ethernet,Wireless and USB.

Although VMware specifies around 256MB RAM for the VM, I personally advocate atleast 512MB RAM. Thus the Host OS should ideally have RAM in excess of 1 GB.

With the VMWare product the Hard drive size can start at a minimum level and then with more data added in the Virtual Hard Drive grows till it reaches the maximum specified limit.

This reduces the requirement of bigger Host HD space.

Cheers.

I had the same problem with v5.4 SP2, it hanged at the "Installing shared components". I waited and waited. After 15 minuts of waiting I started killing other processes in the background, starting from my Antivirus/Firewall (F-secure Internet Security 2007). And suddenly the installation resumed! Maybe some other process blocks the installation, who knows, but anyone experiencing the same should give it a try.

I had the same problem and killing the Kerio Personal Firewall resumed the installation. Thanks!

I had the same problem with Step 7 professional 2006 SR2. managed to complete the install by opening Control Panel and then stopping services until it finally started again ( BUT i did notice that it seemed to "hang" prior "Simatic net SNPB COMP Setup" and once I hit the "magic" service that was first install to startup

I recently saw a problem with a new Dell laptop and RSLogix. Not the same problem just super slow. It turned out that the XP Professional Dell load on is not same as regular XP Professional.

After the PC was reformatted with regular XP it worked perfect. The local Rockwell vendor now recommends toasting the OS on new Dells.

Roy

I have had exactly same problem with Step7 v5.4. I installed Step7 v5.5 and it worked fine.