Every system integrator knows the feeling. It’s Friday afternoon, the factory acceptance test (FAT) is on Monday, and you are putting the finishing touches on your Siemens WinCC application. You hit the "Start Runtime" button, expecting to see your beautifully designed HMI screens come to life.
Open your project in TIA Portal and check if you actually need logging: Navigate to in the project tree. Check Data Logs and Alarm Logs .
The error is a specific, feature-based licensing alert from Siemens. It is not a bug—it is Siemens' license enforcement mechanism ensuring you have paid for the advanced archiving functionality. Every system integrator knows the feeling
service starts automatically and triggers its own license warning even if not used; disabling this service can clear irrelevant popups. How to Resolve It Purchase the License WinCC Logging for Runtime Advanced (e.g., MLFB 6AV2107-0GA00-0BB0). Use Automation License Manager : Open the Siemens Support site
If these are empty but you still get the error, check if a "System Diagnostic" or "Audit" feature is enabled, as these also trigger logging requirements. 2. Check Automation License Manager (ALM) The ALM is the central hub for all Siemens licenses. Open your project in TIA Portal and check
This article provides a definitive guide to diagnosing, fixing, and permanently resolving this licensing conflict.
Siemens licenses are stored on physical USB sticks (Memory Cards) or software containers (C2V files). It is not a bug—it is Siemens' license
If your TIA Portal project runtime version is , your logging license must be V18 (or a newer version like V19 which covers older iterations).
Here is a structured approach to diagnose and fix the license error on your WinCC Runtime Advanced system.