I am experiencing issues with my XP laptop, which has Step 7 software installed and is equipped with a serial port and PC slot for my 5512 card. Unfortunately, the 5512 card no longer appears in the PC/PC Interface list, even though it is supposedly Plug-and-Play and is recognized as functioning correctly in Device Manager. To resolve this, I have attempted several troubleshooting steps such as updating the driver, uninstalling the card from Device Manager, and uninstalling and repairing Step 7, all to no avail. During my research, I encountered a solution for newer Windows versions that involves renaming a ProgramData database folder to .OLD, followed by starting Simatic Manager in administrator mode. However, Windows XP lacks the ProgramData folder, and I have been unable to locate its equivalent in XP. If anyone is knowledgeable about the location of this folder in XP or can suggest another method to resolve this issue, I would greatly appreciate it. As an alternative measure, I connected my USB adapter, which successfully showed up in the PG/PC interface. However, I prefer to reserve this adapter for use with my Windows 7 laptop, which also runs Step 7 and TIA software.
Aabeck mentioned: "... While exploring the forum, I discovered advice pertaining to recent Windows versions about renaming a database folder within ProgramData to .OLD...Click to expand... In the context of Windows XP, the equivalent might be the AppData folder. To access it, navigate to Start > Run, type %Appdata%, and press Enter."
Hello nhatsen, I conducted a thorough search across the AppData and Application Data directories for every user. In a previous suggestion, it was advised to navigate to C:\ProgramData\Siemens\Automation\Simatic OAM\data\LogDevices and rename the "data" folder to "data_old." However, the only relevant folder I found within All Users/Application Data/Siemens/ is titled "Automation." This is the sole instance of such a folder name, and it does not contain any directory labeled "Simatic OAM." Despite scanning the entire C: drive, no folder by that name or containing "LogDevices" was discovered. The only location where a 'data' folder is visible is under Step 7/S7DATA, which includes numerous subdirectories and files. I'm hesitant to modify anything there until I'm confident about the safe steps to take.
I've run Simatic Manager with administrative privileges, yet the 5512 card still fails to appear.
Discover a step-by-step guide to configuring the PG/PC interface and ensuring the selection and visibility of the device driver. For detailed instructions, visit: [Siemens Support](https://support.industry.siemens.com/cs/document/11870489/how-do-you-generally-parameterize-the-pg-pc-interface-and-how-do-you-ensure-that-the-device-driver-can-be-selected-and-is-visible-?dti=0&dl=en&lc=de-WW).
SigmaDelta, I meticulously followed all the outlined steps and scoured the registry for the elusive 5512 entries, only to discover them in a completely different section than expected. After backing up the registry, I deleted the entries. I attempted to launch the Simantic Manager as an administrator and even went as far as uninstalling both the driver and Step 7. After a reboot, I reinstalled and ran the software with administrative privileges, yet the elusive 5512 error persists. Now, I am in the process of uninstalling all Siemens software, purging entries from the registry and Device Manager. I will then reinstall Step 7 first to determine if this resolves the issue. Commonly searched keywords included: Siemens software, registry entries, Simantic Manager, reinstall Step 7, troubleshooting 5512 error.
It sounds like you're really stuck with that issue! Since renaming the ProgramData folder trick isn't applicable to XP, you might want to check the registry for any corrupted entries related to the 5512 card or Step 7—just be careful while editing! Also, ensure your laptop's BIOS has the serial port enabled, as odd as it sounds, but sometimes that can be overlooked. If everything else fails, consider running the software in compatibility mode, or even try a fresh install of XP if you have the means—sometimes, a clean state can clear underlying problems. Good luck!
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Answer: 1. Update the card's drivers to the latest version compatible with Windows XP. 2. Uninstall the card from Device Manager and then reinstall it. 3. Uninstall and repair the Step 7 software to ensure it is functioning correctly. 4. Check for any system updates that might affect device detection. 5. Verify that there are no resource conflicts in Device Manager.
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