Today I was working with STEP7 version 5.6 on a new project
and I noticed something very strange when I opened the hardware.
In the right side window where I used to have the S7-300 and 400 modules such as power supplies,
CPUs and the digital and analog cards, I couldn’t find the modules anymore!
I closed the software and opened it up again, created new projects but none of those helped
in solving the issue and I still couldn’t see the missing modules here.
After wrestling with this for an hour or two I finally figured out how to fix this
and bring all the missing modules back into the hardware.
So if you’re currently experiencing the same issue in STEP7, don’t worry.
Just relax and follow this video to the end
and you’ll be able to fix this issue in no time!
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OK, so you’re working with STEP7 version 5.6 or possibly an older version such as 5.5 or 5.4
but when you open the hardware you realize
that you are no longer able to see the PLC modules here.
As I promised, at the end of this video, you’re going to be able to solve this issue
and bring all the PLC modules back here but just in case you’re wondering why the modules are missing here,
this is because the software has not been installed on your computer correctly
and with all the required components.
This could happen with any other software as well.
You believe that you’ve properly installed the software on a computer
that meets all the software and hardware requirements
but when you want to work with the software,
you realize that some of the components are missing.
It’s very rare for this to happen but like or not it happens sometimes.
Well to fix this and bring back the missing components,
all you need to do is to remove STEP7 from your computer completely
and then install it again.
Now here is the trick.
If you have the setup file on a DVD, just copy it to your computer first
and then install the software from there.
Installing the software from a DVD might result in missing some of the components again.
To remove STEP7 from your computer, you need to find the installation folder of STEP7
on your computer and then double clickon the setup file.
This is the same file that you used while installing the software.
Here I’ll choose the language and then click next.
In the next window, I’ll accept the terms and then hit next again.
In the next window, the wizard lists the programs that I can install,
or in this case, those that I can remove.
I’ll select all the programs here, except the automation license manager
since I’m using this for TIA Portal on this computer as well.
I’ll click next.
I’ll accept the changes and then hit next again.
In the next window I’ll click Install.
Then next.
When I do this, this window pops up and gives me 3 options for modify, repair and remove the STEP7.
Here I want to remove the software, so I need to select remove and then hit next.
I’ve already removed and then installed the software on this computer
and fixed the issue so I’m not going to continue this wizard anymore
but for you to be able to remove the software,
just follow the setup and you can easily remove the software on your computer.
This will usually take up to ten minutes.
After you have removed the software successfully, you need to restart the computer
and install the software again.
For installing the software, you need to follow the same procedure as you did while removing it
but when this window pops up, this modify option here
will change to install (or something similar) and you need to select that option instead.
When the software is installed on your computer again, if you open that up and then open the hardware,
you’ll see that all of the PLC modules for S7-300 and 400 PLCs are back again.
So when you’re not able to see the PLC modules here in the hardware, you just need to remove STEP7
from your computer and then install it again.
make sure that you head over to realpars.com
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