Installing all versions Siemens Step 7 Professional... order??

We just got the link to download and install Siemens Step 7 Pro, v17, and WinCC Comfort v17. My needs usually involve using earlier versions for troubleshooting. So the plan is to download and install all versions available to me. There was a specific strategy with Rockwell software, starting with older versions and installing successive versions, with separate VMs for RSLogix 5000, and Studio 5000. What about Step 7 Pro? I already have Step 7 Classic on a separate Windows XP VM. I understand this new purchase to be version 11 thru 17. Are there considerations? The plan is to use VMs, with the license manager on the host machine. I imagine there are more than a few members who have accomplished this on their laptops, using VMs. How would you recommend I tackle this on my laptop? What about hard-drive size? I suspect it will take a fair amount of storage.

I already had step7 V5.6, Tiaportal V13, V15.1, all at the same time at same physical machine (win10)

Well, so far I installed v17 on the host operating system. My Siemens distributor gave me access to their dropbox to download all the legacy versions. It's going to take a long time to download everything, so I'm doing it a little at a time. He recommended I use a Windows 7 VM for 11 and 12. But he says he has all the rest on the same system. He wasn't concerned about which to install first, so I'll do it in descending order, with v16 next.

Experiences will vary, a lot.

I and a colleague both had V12, V13, V13SP2, V14 running in parallel.
After we installed V15, V13SP2 crashed consistently on both our machines.
We ended with consolidating all our programs on V15.1, which we are still using and we are in no hurry to switch to V16 or V17.

If you have legacy machines running with very old programs (anything before V15), it is a good idea to install the old TIA versions in separate VMs.

For migrating older TIA programs, I think that you need V13SP2 and V14 on the same machine. So it would make sense to have at least these on the same VM.

I am running the following on a Win 10 machine (no VM) with no issues:

Siemens:

Step 7 5.6
WinCC 2008
TIA Portal V14
TIA Portal V15
TIA Portal V15.1

Rockwell:

CCW V12
RSLogix/Studio 5000 V18,19,20,24,28,30,31,32
RSLogix 500 V11
FTView Studio V12
PB32 V3.83

As well as a bunch of other software that I use less often:
GXDeveloper
Pilz PNoz Multiconfigurator
Horner CScape
Proface GPPro EX


Yes I like living on the edge. Yes I have backups of all the install files. Yes it does take a day or so to reload all software if the laptop takes a dump.

Someday I might set up all the VMs but last time I used VM in this way I remember it was a bit of a pain to get all the communication adapters working through VMware.

PLCDontUQuitOnMe said:

Yes I like living on the edge.

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You should have Phil change your name from PLCDontUQuitOnMe to PCDontUQuitOnMe

I have 8 laptops (6 low end) cheap used Dell from eBay, each laptop running 3 or 4 different versions of PLC software, I am now getting ready for a W11 to run a couple just for compatibility with my cables

geniusintraining said:

You should have Phil change your name from PLCDontUQuitOnMe to PCDontUQuitOnMe

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These days the laptop dying is harder to fix than a PLC dying that is true.

I recommend a separate VM for each version of TIA Portal. You have to watch the operating system requirements for each version. I believe official Windows 10 support started with V13 + SP2.

Besides that, if you want to do any WinCC Advanced or Professional RT testing from your computer, you can only have ONE RT version on any given computer. Installing each version on a separate VM will ensure you have each version of RT available to use.

sigmadelta said:

Besides that, if you want to do any WinCC Advanced or Professional RT testing from your computer, you can only have ONE RT version on any given computer.

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In TIA there are two modes for testing WinCC HMIs. "Simulate" and "Start RT".

Simulate allows you to test HMIs of a different version of the installed RT. Simulate also mimics keys on key-based panels. So with this you can test HMIs with different WinCC versions on the same PC.

Start RT attemps to run the installed WinCC Runtime with the HMI of the TIA project. So these must match and therefore there is the limitation of only 1 WinCC version.

WinCC Advanced vs. WinCC Professional is another story altogether. I believe you can only have one of both the programming and the runtime on a PC. So no programming or testing Advanced and Professional on the same PC, unless they are in VMs.

I believe you can only have one of both the programming and the runtime on a PC.

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You can use the Professional development to develop for Advanced and Professional RT, and have both runtimes on the same PC (within the same version of TIA!). You cannot use Advanced development for Professional (obviously).

sigmadelta said:

You can use the Professional development to develop for Advanced and Professional RT, and have both runtimes on the same PC (within the same version of TIA!). You cannot use Advanced development for Professional (obviously).

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Thanks for setting me straight on that one.